Enduring the long drive away from Detroit and toward the Southern-East Coast for the very first time in his life, Connor stared out his side window and tried to ignore the residual ache in his bruised chest. Noticing that Hank was taking the back roads as opposed to the expressway or any of the more populated streets Connor enjoyed seeing all the forest scenery passing him by. He had never seen a forest with his own eyes and he rarely ever left the city. Being surrounded by nature and plants rather than technology and buildings was such a drastic change for the young detective and former deviant to experience, but it was one that would be beneficial to Connor in the long run.

Rolling down the window of the Pace to his right Connor let the fresh air rush into the car and rustle his dark locks of hair. Feeling the wind on his face, actually feeling it, was incredible. Holding his right hand out the window Connor let the passing air catch his palm and blow it about gently.

Hank had noticed what Connor was doing and smirked at the innocent gesture. It was something that Cole used to do on warm days whenever they drove out to the park to play. Turning on the radio Hank found a song that wasn't heavy metal and let it play at a quiet volume to help fill the air as the duo set out for a well earned vacation.

"How's your chest, kid?"

"It's fine." Pulling his hand back inside the car Connor pressed his palm over the bruise to test his pain threshold. "I haven't been in pain for almost two days now. It's essentially just a muscle cramp now." Covering his nose and mouth quickly caught a sneeze and grimaced as he pulled a tissue out of the glovebox to clean up his face and hands. "...I'd feel even better if I could stop sneezing. Where did that even come from?"

"Allergies. You're getting a full dose of pollen now that we're away from the city and surrounded by nature."

"I don't like it."

"Me neither. I got some allergy pills in my dufflebag." Hank smirked at the way Connor's eyes were a little red and his nose was pink from the pollen starting to get to him. "You can have a dose after we stop to eat, but if they make you drowsy let me know."

"I will." Disposing of the used tissue in a small plastic bag to use as a temporary trashbag until they stopped, Connor sniffed once to clear his sinuses and keep his throat from sounded congested. "And I'll be sure to not attempt to drive if I feel tired or suddenly sleepy."

"That's good, don't ever try to do something your body can't handle. Think you'll be able to handle some heavier food while we're on vacation?"

"Yes, my stomach hasn't been upset since the day after I was able to return home to finish recovering."

"Even better. There's some pretty interesting restaurants on our way out to the coast and I've been dying to try some."

Focusing on their journey again Connor began wondering where Hank had traveled during his life before he settled down as a detective, husband and father to his tragically passed family. "Have you ever been to the beach before?"

"Once when I was a very young kid. I don't remember much beyond the long-ass car ride with my parents."

"Did you like it?"

"I think so." Hank hadn't really thought about whether he liked the beach or not, he just knew it would be great place for Connor to visit. "It's hard to dislike a place that's warm, isolated and usually pretty quiet. At least when it's not tourist season."

"Aside from going to the beach," turning away from his window Connor gave Hank a curious stare. "where else would you recommend I visit?"

"The entire world, kid. There's really no bad choices beyond anything that's war-torn or on fire."

"I suppose that's true. But, where would you go?"

"Me? Well, I haven't really thought about it. Maybe I'd go and see Hawaii." The tropical paradise was a safe bet for any weary traveler. "It'd be interesting to see the untouched jungles and walk about with active volcanoes under foot." Shrugging his shoulders a little Hank smirked at another thought. "Then again, wandering the Australian Outback to see if I could survive it would be a pretty interesting experience, too."

"You don't want to go someplace historic or cold?"

"Cold? Hell no!" The very idea of willingly going to someplace cold was ridiculous to the senior detective. He loathed the cold. "Historic isn't impossible, though. My ancestors came from Germany, so maybe I'll go and see Germany some day."

"Interesting. I have no ancestors, so I couldn't do that."

"Why not? Your name is Irish and your complexion is fair enough to pass as Irish. Go see Ireland!"

"I have no objection to seeing Ireland, I'll mark that as a new place to go."

"Cool. You gotta' plan for the future after you get sick of saving Detroit."

"Do you really think I should spend more time traveling and less time working?"

"Absolutely. Son, what you're doing in Detroit is important, but you living your life for yourself, and leaving the tiny little spot of that one city to enjoy yourself, is more important. Travel, explore and accept that you don't have light yourself on fire to keep other people warm."

"I'll remember that." Pressing his right fingertips against the bruise beneath his dark green t-shirt Connor gave Hank a kind glance. "And you need to remember that you don't have to dedicate your free time to protecting me or worrying about me. You should live your life for yourself as well."

Grinning at the suggestion Hank agreed and checked the G.P.S. mounted on the dashboard to locate a nearby restaurant. "I'll do that."

"What're you looking for?"

"Lunch. I'm hungry, how about you?"

Though he wasn't particularly hungry Connor decided it'd be best to get some lunch and take some medicine to keep his new found allergies at bay. "I could eat."

"Then let's find... Hey! There's a pizza joint about four miles up the road." It wasn't a chain restaurant and that immediately held Hank's attention. "It looks like it's a 'mom & pop' type of place, so I bet the pizza is better than anything you've tasted so far."

"I'd be willing to test that theory."

"Damn right. I'll pick where we stop for lunch, and then you can pick where we stop for dinner. Sound good?"

"I like that arrangement. I'll also drive after we eat so you can rest."

"Thanks, kid." Setting the new coordinates in the G.P.S. Hank leaned back a little in his seat as if trying to relax. "I appreciate that."

Spending three days traveling from Michigan to Florida was an interesting experience for both Hank and Connor to enjoy. The duo stopped at interesting restaurants, hotels and the lame tourist-traps that Hank would usually avoid like the plague just for the sake of variety. Throughout the remainder of the drive Hank took the expressway for the sake of avoiding swampy areas, and Connor's deviant brain noted how the deciduous flora had begun changing to more tropical species the further South they traveled from the colder North-Eastern area that was Michigan.

It was a fascinating observation to actually see how nature adapted and changed to accommodate the more common weather and temperatures throughout the states. Observing the palm trees now dotting the drive to Miami the keen eyed detective casually turned his coin in his left hand as he watched the city through his window. The lack of pollen was a merciful change that Connor immediately adored.

Squinting a little despite the car's auto tinting taking care of the extreme sunlight Hank decided that the first thing he'd buy once they were settled in the hotel was a nice pair of dark sunglasses. "Our hotel is right over there and right on the beach."

"That's a convenient location." Approving of the impressive and ideal hotel Connor slipped his coin into his jean pocket and felt suddenly more comfortable as Hank drove the Pace in the shady garage beneath the hotel to check into the hotel. "...I didn't realize how much warmer I'd feel in Miami, even inside an air conditioned car."

"You packed some shorts to wear, right?"

"Yes, and I'm glad that I did. Sumo wouldn't be able to stand this concentrated heat."

"Or the long drive. We'll check in, change into cooler clothes and then check out the sights. I need to get some sunglasses and I'm going to make damn sure you're covered in sunscreen!" Pointing at the younger detective's face Hank reminded Connor of his now much more delicate organic skin. "I'd hate to see ya' suffering from a nasty sunburn."

"Agreed. I've been burned before and I can confirm it's unpleasant." Stepping out of the parked car Connor smelled the salty sea air from within the garage and could feel the warmth in the air even while in the underground garage. "...Can we see the beach before we explore the city? I've never stood on sand before."

Popping open the trunk of the car Hank saw no problem with that idea and gave Connor a casual tilt of his head. "Sure kid, whatever you want to do."

Barely able to withstand the twenty minutes necessary to check into their room, drop off their luggage and change into more Floridian appropriate clothes, Connor made his way out to the sandy beach on the rear of the hotel's property and walked out toward the shoreline in his bare feet. Feeling the soft and hot sand shifting under his feet as he walked was soothing and unique compared to the hard concrete of the sidewalks or streets, the thick grass and dirt of the backyard, the hardwood and carpeted floors of the house, and especially the slick floor of the shower.

Standing on the shore just far enough to let the ocean waves roll over his feet up to his ankles Connor contemplated how different the world could be just by driving a few miles away from home. It was incredible to think that such constrastingly different locations could coexist just a couple hundred miles apart, rather than needing to travel from one continent to another.

Sensing Hank joining him at the shore Connor turned to look at the senior detective at his side and accepted the newly purchased pair of sunglasses for himself to wear. The dark tinted glasses helped protect his eyes from the intense Floridian sun as he peered out at the ocean.

"Nice view, huh?" Hank was already wearing his own sunglasses and was staring at the waves reaching out to the shore in a steady rhythm. "Bright and sunny days like this really make Northern winters seem all the more brutal."

"You're right." Taking a few steps out further into the water Connor let the waves wash over his legs up to his knees. It was as if he could actually feel the salt in the water clinging to his skin in tiny little crystals. "I think I prefer warm weather over the cold weather."

"You and me both, kid." Joining Connor in the deeper water Hank peered down into the ocean around him and saw a seashell partially concealed in the soft silt of the sandy ocean floor beneath his feet. Reaching down with his right hand Hank plucked the seashell from the sand and held it out toward Connor to see and take for himself. "Check it out."

"A seashell." Accepting the shell Connor held it in his right palm and used his thumb to trace over the grooves in the surface of the shell curiously. "I've never seen one in person before."

"Keep it. It'll be your first souvenir while on vacation."

"I thought the keychain in the shape of the pizza slice was the first souvenir?"

"That's MY souvenir, this one is all for you. Hell, take some sand with ya' so you can always have the beach no matter where you go."

"I like that idea." Looking down at the waves Connor dipped the shell back under the water to wash off any excess sand before taking it with him back to the hotel. The way the waves washed over his forearm was as comforting as it was inviting. "It's too bad I can't keep the ocean, too."

"If you put some in an airtight bottle it'd keep for a while, but not forever."

Agreeing with the concept Connor gently tightened his fingers around the seashell and decided he was ready to go see other parts of Miami and would return to the ocean later. "I'd like to come back here to watch the sunset. How about we go explore the city for now?"

"Sure." Using his pointed thumb over his right shoulder Hank motioned back to the hotel and city behind him casually. "We'll use an autonomous cab so we don't get lost and can save some gas for the Pace."

The warm day played out in a rather unusual way as Connor and Hank went to the Miami Zoo to walk around the air conditioned buildings and check out the gorgeous aquatic life up close and personal. The moment Connor saw the wide array of tropical fish and other creatures gracefully swimming about he decided that he was going to go snorkeling so he could swim among them and experience nature up close and personal. Hank on the other hand wanted to go jet skiing so he could explore the area without anyone getting too close to him.

Locating an ideal area to begin their little ventures separately Connor set about swimming with the fish and Hank cruised the beach in style. It didn't take long for Connor to feel a sense of peace as he swam among the indigenous fish species simply going about their business, and Hank felt free speeding over the waves for his own personal reasons.

Something about seeing the wide variety of fish all peacefully coexisting and living together was as calming as it was beautiful. Reaching out his right fingertips Connor managed to coax a few fish into coming over to him to curiously check out his hand without becoming invasive to their habitats. Swimming about gracefully Connor admired the aquatic lifeforms with a truly appreciative eye.

Resurfacing and returning to the pier Connor thanked the instructor, returned the borrowed snorkeling gear and proceeded to towel off before replacing his t-shirt and shorts over his damp swim trunks. The way the other people were staring at his bruised chest made Connor feel a little self conscious, but he didn't let their prying eyes deter him from enjoying his vacation and going about his business.

Carrying his sandals in his left hand Connor roamed the sandy shore and located the pier where Hank had rented his jet ski to wait for his return. It wasn't too much longer before Hank arrived and returned the jet ski so he and Connor could reunite for the evening. Looking a little red on the face and shoulders Hank decided it was time to head back to the hotel so he could take care of his sunburn before it got too severe.

Walking with Hank back to the street Connor had an interesting thought pop in his head. "I think I'd like to have an aquarium in my room once we return home in a few weeks."

"That'd be okay with me." Hank pressed his left fingertips to his nose and could feel a small sting from the direct contact courtesy of the mild sunburn. "Just make sure Sumo doesn't try to drink the water or something."

"That won't be a problem." Watching the bright sunlight steadily darkening as the evening crept over Florida Connor yearned for his chance to watch it set over the ocean. The sunset was a few hours away and Connor wanted to see it shining over the ocean as closely as possible. "What do you want to do for dinner?"

"I figured we could chill in the hotel room and just have some room service. These pricier hotels usually have pretty good food."

"And tomorrow we should go find a few more places to visit before moving on to the next city."

"Really?" Holding out his left hand Hank managed to wave down an autonomous taxi and hired it to take Connor and himself back to the hotel. "I thought for sure you'd want to stick around Miami for a few more days since it was such a long drive to get here."

"We have two and half more weeks of vacation and there's still many new places along the coast I'd like to see before we go back."

"All right, but you're going to be doing most of the driving if you want to do a road trip all along the coast."

"I can do that." Sitting down in the backseat of the cab next to Hank, the vehicle quickly filling with the aroma of the salty sea as the duo sat back, Connor looked out the side window and waited for the sun to set so he could see it over the ocean. "There's several locations between here and Detroit that are worth visiting at least one time."

Patiently taking care of his sunburn before it got too seriously painful or inflamed Hank stood on the balcony of the hotel room and watched as Connor made his way back out to the beach to watch the sunset more directly. As the younger detective reached the shoreline Hank could see him sit down along the water and scoop up a handful of the dry sand beside him to watch slip through his fingers and blow away in the wind. It was strange seeing someone who looked as though they were twenty-six or so in age exploring something as typical and boring as sand for the very first time. The many ways that Connor was so innocent and inexperienced with the basic things that most humans take for granted reminded Hank of the neglected children he had helped out throughout his career as a detective in the most heartbreaking way.

Leaning against the banister of the balcony Hank stared out at the ocean and decided that he'd take his own advice after he finally retired. Hank wanted to see the rest of the world and experience everything that was positive, not just wallow in the negativity of the world he already knew.

"Go figure that of all the people in the world to appreciate the simplistic peace and beauty of a sunset would be a deviant trapped in a synthetic body."

A little envious of Connor's ability to experience the entire world for the very first time through the opened eyes of a deviant, Hank just stayed on the balcony to watch the sunset from the privacy of the fifth floor balcony overlooking the beach.

"Hope that kid gets to experience only the good and none of the bad for the rest of his life."

Down on the water Connor sat on the shore and let the waves wash over his feet in a gentle manner. The warm day and warm water were soothing on his skin in such a way that the artificial skin on an android's body couldn't appreciate. Just as the sun began dipping down lower and lower in the sky an impressive splash in the distance pulled Connor's eyes down and toward the water again.

A small pod of bottle nose dolphins had begun swimming near the shoreline and were now playing in the shallow water. The intelligent creatures were happily swimming through the warm water and jumping above the waves as if wanting to show off how majestic they were.

"Dolphins are swimming this close to the shore?"

Standing up from where he was sitting Connor looked out at the pod and then back over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching. Not seeing any witnesses on the beach, or even Hank on the balcony, Connor decided he needed to chance getting in trouble for getting too close to the creatures before the chance passed him by.

Pulling off his black t-shirt Connor threw it to the sand behind him and walked out into the water in just his black swim trunks to get closer to the dolphins. Swimming out a a few feet until the water was up to his shoulders Connor watched as the dolphin pod continued to play about in the waves and soon caught their attention in a non-threatening way.

One of the dolphins swam right up to him and made soft clicking noises as if it was trying to greet Connor.

"Hello. I've never seen a dolphin this close before." Holding out his right palm toward the dolphin Connor coaxed the dolphin into pressing their snout right into his hand as if to make a proper greeting more formal. It was an incredible feeling to connect to an animal in such a calm and gentle manner. "It's nice to meet you, too."

The other dolphins in the pod circled around him in the water and continued to make clicking sounds as they splashed about playfully around their guest. Despite the law demanding that humans don't interact with dolphins under any capacity humans would still play with dolphins when the chance arose. The dolphins of course grew used to humans and would enjoy their chance to play with humans who were gentle and just curious.

Swimming out a little further into the waves Connor decided to watch the rest of the sunset with the company of the dolphin pod and enjoy the rare moment to it's absolute fullest.

Still up on the balcony Hank had seen Connor disappear into the water and saw the dolphins inviting him out to play. Smirking at the incredible sight Hank used his phone to snap a relatively poor quality photo of Connor in the water with at least seven dolphins hanging out with him in the waves.

"What is it with deviants and animals?" Saving the photo for future reference Hank resumed watching the young detective truly enjoying his vacation. "I guess I can't really fault the very people who were being destroyed by humans for wanting to keep away from them, but still... Weird!"

Turning away from the balcony Hank put the phone aside and decided to order some room service before it got too late for the hotel's kitchen to cook. Selecting a specialty dish of Alfredo pasta with shrimp for himself and tomato pasta for Connor, the senior detective waited for the meals to be delivered and proceeded to watch the news on television without fear of a news story revolving around android rights butting in.

"Weather looks good. If Connor wants to leave tomorrow we'll have great road conditions in our favor."

Checking through the other channels Hank lost track of the time and didn't move until he heard Connor sliding his card key into the door to enter the room. Looking at the younger detective who was grinning to himself as he entered the room Hank realized that seeing any smile on Connor's face was as rare as being able to play with a pod dolphins during the sunset.

"Hey, kid. I ordered dinner for us and it should be up soon."

"Thank you."

"How was your swim?"

"My... Uh..." Blushing a pale pink Connor gave Hank a worried glance. "What do you mean?"

"Son, your hair's wet, your swim trunks are dripping and your t-shirt is soaked like you jumped out of the water and threw it on before you had the chance to dry off." The seasoned detective wasn't one to be fooled easily. "Why deny it?"

Realizing he was busted Connor decided to answer honestly and opened up the bathroom door to shower off the ocean from his skin. "Because it's illegal to swim with dolphins."

"Who am I going to tell?"

"I guess no one."

"Did someone see you?" Sitting more upright on the bed Hank gave the younger deviant a mischievous smirk as Connor entered the bathroom. "Is that why you so hastily got dressed and booked it back to the hotel?"

"A patrol on a jet ski was heading out and I didn't want to get into trouble. So yes, I grabbed my shirt and I ran."

"Good for you!"

Peeking around the bathroom door frame Connor gave his friend a truly perplexed stare. "...Good?"

"Yeah! You had some fun, didn't care if it was illegal despite it being harmless, and then took off instead of trying to talk your way out of it. THAT'S how you have some fun!"

"I guess... you're right." Thinking back to his evening swim Connor realized how much he enjoyed it and how much he liked being able to have such an extraordinary experience. "I did have fun."

"And you should keep having fun instead of working."

"I promise I'll do my best to remember that. I'm going to shower off and go to sleep after we eat."

"Cool. By the time you're finished room service should be up here."

Ten minutes of enjoying the quiet of the private hotel room passed before room service arrived with the two requested meals, and Hank tipped the bellhop generously since he remembered how hard it was to work in restaurant back when he was a teenager. Setting the two meals down on the small table between the two queen sized beds Hank heard the shower turn off and knew that Connor would be joining him soon.

Picking up his bowl of pasta Hank kicked back on his bed and rested his back against his stacked up pillows to relax as much as possible. As he took his first bite of the pasta the bathroom door opened and Connor emerged freshly showered and wearing black sweatpants with a gray t-shirt in place of his day clothes. Showing a moderate tan on his now organic skin Connor yawned a little as he sat down on his own bed and picked up his own bowl to have some dinner before he went to sleep for the night.

"The weather's going to be great throughout the area for the next three days." Hank stated as he watched Connor climb into his own bed and taste the provided meal with a small bite. "We can leave tomorrow if you want to keep exploring the coast, or we can stay here to explore the city. You choose."

"I think I want to keep exploring the coast tomorrow." Looking over to the balcony Connor could smell the salty air billowing about in a gentle breeze. "But I can't leave without collecting my sand from the beach."

"Sure, we can get ya' a glass bottle or something so you can take it back home." Taking another bite Hank decided he'd always be sure to get some kind of seafood when he was along the coast. It tasted so much fresher. "How's your dinner?"

"I like it." Connor confirmed as he bit into a perfectly stewed tomato wedge. Being able to stick to food that was familiar while also trying something different, like pasta, helped Connor really define what he liked and disliked. "It's different from what we can get back in Detroit, but it's still good."

"I think the Southern states have a secret to adding spices and herbs that the Northern states just can't figure out."

"Maybe that's why there are far more family diners in the South than there are back up North."

"We need to stop in New Orleans and hit up Bourbon Street on our way back home. That food is legendary for a good reason."

Finishing his dinner fairly quickly Connor laid back against his pillow and put his bowl aside as he pulled up the quilt over his legs, stomach and chest right up to his shoulders. Closing his eyes the young detective was suddenly aware of how much of a workout swimming can be, and realized just as quickly that he was exhausted. Slipping into sleep within seconds of closing his eyes Connor slept deeply throughout the night without any worries in the world.

Hank finished off his own meal and noticed that Connor had fallen asleep. Chuckling to himself Hank put his own empty bowl down on the table next to Connor's empty bowl, and then turned off the light in the room. Pulling his own quilt up and over himself Hank turned down the television to a dull noise for the next few minutes before he turned it off and went to sleep as well.

"Goodnight, son."

Whispering softly Hank was steadily feeling more relaxed as he dozed off.

"Glad you finally got to have some fun in your life, even if that fun was from a few minutes of swimming with some dolphins."

-next chapter-