Chapter Four – An Act of Kindness

Reed was sort of expecting this particular meeting to happen, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He hated meetings at the best of times. They had them once a month and he could never settle in his seat properly. It felt like literally everyone was there in the bullpen, crowding into his personal space. They were sitting at desks, standing around in groups, mingling. The air was filled with the smells of coffee, doughnuts, burgers, bacon, and a few other meaty sandwich fillings. Then there was the noise, pressing in from every side. Reed's leg was already bouncing beneath his desk as he spent the final few minutes looking over some emails before the meeting started properly. Fuck, why does everyone have to be here at once?

"Cheerful as ever I see." Tina greeted quietly as she slinked into his section and leaned on the back of his chair. Reed relaxed a little as he looked up at the young Asian woman. If there was one person he didn't mind being in his space it was Tina. She just got it. She'd always somehow known, the moment he started working with her. Any time there was a class or meeting she'd help him out, whether it was taking notes, making recordings, giving him a kick or giving him something else to focus on. She'd saved him on more than one occasion.

"You know I phcking hate these things." Reed murmured lightly as he read over a witness statement he'd been sent for one of his cases. Everything seemed to be in order, but he'd be sure to read it again after the meeting when he wasn't so agitated. It was easy for him to miss important things when he was so distracted by everything else. He was already finding it hard to keep his eyes on the bright screen while he could see movement all around him.

"I know, I feel you." Tina agreed as she dropped off a coffee for him. He smiled in thanks. That was another thing she often did at meetings. She knew Reed would be distracted and stressed by the fact there was a meeting and he'd forget to grab a coffee first. If he didn't have a coffee he'd have nothing to fiddle with, and if he had nothing to fiddle with he wouldn't sit still, and if he didn't sit still then people like Fowler noticed. Usually that ended up with some form of small reprimand or reproach.

"Alright! Is everyone here?" Fowler's voice called out for attention near his office. Gavin got to his feet, feeling the captain's eyes drift over him and acknowledge his presence. Obviously not every officer was there, but everyone on duty was ready and waiting. "Let's get started then…As you all know we've had people working for the past few weeks to put together some new training modules. The training will be based around android integration, social etiquette, and even a few basic maintenance and first aid sessions for any android victims. On that note, we have also chosen an Android Relations Representative, someone familiar to both humans and androids alike. Connor." Fowler introduced, the brunette android giving his usual warm smile as he stepped forward and took up a place beside Fowler.

"Good morning. I've spent a lot of time finding the best experts to help with this training, and I really hope you get something out of these new courses. Attendance is mandatory for selected staff members, and encouraged for all. You will receive email verification shortly, along with the times and dates of each class. I'm pleased to be your representative, and please feel free to come to me with any issues or discomforts you have. Human or android, I'll make myself available to you." He added for clarification. He was a good talker, but then it was hardly surprising. The RK800 had been designed to socially integrate with humans, not to mention his advanced interrogation and negotiation skills. Reed had seen him in action more than once. He was annoyingly efficient. Reed sipped his coffee, trying not to shuffle from foot to foot. He was getting agitated. He looked away as he felt Connor's eyes find him in the crowd. He focused on the heat of the cup in his hand instead of the clicking of pens, rustling of papers and tapping of feet on muffled carpet.

"Thank you Connor. Now, onto the day's business…" Fowler continued, moving the meeting on to deal with a few of the larger cases, assigning officers to help. Reed tuned out a little at that, knowing he was unlikely to be called on. He was right. The rest of the meeting went without a hitch. They were dismissed and Gavin could finally sink into his seat with a worn sigh, tilting his head back to look at the bright ceiling lights. People were finally moving away, giving him space to breathe.

"Are you quite well Detective? I couldn't help but notice your heightened stress level." Connor asked in his usual genuine tone as he approached Reed's desk. Reed would have reminded him about their deal for him to stay away, but since the android was now a liaison it was unavoidable that they'd have to deal with each other. It didn't stop the human being somewhat annoyed with Connor's general prying.

"Isn't it rude to do that? I mean, I don't walk around probing you like a wireless heart monitor." Reed huffed lightly, watching Connor's hazel eyes widen a fraction as if he hadn't considered it before. He really hadn't either. His scans were always running in the background, he'd never thought that he may need consent to run them. It was just part of his design.

"I apologise, I wasn't zoning in on you specifically…My scans run continuously, and I happened to notice during the meeting that you…" He trailed off in response, his expression lost somewhere between guilt and concern. Jesus Christ, when is Hank going to come back? It's got to be just one or two days, right? Reed thought, quietly convinced that the android would finally forget about his existence once the old man was back. He'd thought Hank would be back a couple weeks ago. The old man had certainly expected to return back then. Connor had been working alone for a couple weeks now, working on cases as well as compiling these lectures. It was odd, seeing him work without the old man.

"Look, I don't like crowds. It's not a big deal." Reed replied with a shrug as he rolled his chair forward, not enjoying the scrutiny he was under. Can't a guy just get on with his job? He wondered as he returned his gaze to his emails, noting a new one from Connor. It was the schedule for the new training classes. He groaned lightly as he opened it. There was a solid two weeks of them, starting on Monday. In two days. He was in every single class, at least one a day, sometimes two. This was on top of the pile of work he already had.

"Is there a problem?" Connor asked cautiously as he regarded Reed. He was standing in front of the human's desk, so he didn't know what he was looking at. He could guess though. Reed sighed as he looked at the schedule. He'd at least been given the morning classes, two of which were on his days off, so he'd have to come in for them. That worked for him well enough. It meant he could get them out of the way and then get to work, and having them on his days off would mean they didn't interfere with his job so much.

"No, I'm just…I'm pretty snowed under right now Tin Can. I'll get over it." The human replied dismissively, watching Connor's LED flicker yellow for a few moments, his eyes twitching slightly as he looked up something on some database. Reed didn't know what he was doing, but he'd seen it happen enough times to know it was some android thing. It used to creep him out a little, like the android was having some sort of small fit. His hazel eyes soon refocused to take in the piles of files in Gavin's tray. He had a lot. More than many other officers he'd noticed.

"You have accepted a lot of new cases…Your workload is almost triple its usual level. Why?" The android asked curiously, the human shrugging in response. He didn't really have a reason for it. It wasn't like he had a lot of choice either. They were short staffed, he was a good detective, he had a lot of experience, and he was probably a little too dedicated to the job. He also had a hard time saying no when asked to do something.

"Can't be helped." He replied evasively, pulling out his schedule and jotting down the classes and times. This was something else Connor hadn't expected. He knew Reed had a good record with being on time and completing work efficiently, but he'd never struck him as the type to keep a written work schedule to organise his time and remember to do things. As he looked down he saw that things had even been colour coded and highlighted. Even as he watched Reed fished out a blue highlighter and highlighted all of Connor's classes so that they stood out. Cyberlife blue…

Connor left him alone after that. As he damn well should. Reed slowly worked through his pile of papers, his eyes straining after a few hours of endless typing. He ran a hand over his face and winced, a small ache forming right behind his eyes. That was a sure sign he'd been sitting for too long, and he was right. He'd worked straight through lunch, and there was almost two hours to the end of his shift. All he'd had all day was a single coffee, the cup still sitting empty by his hand. He lifted it and looked at the black stain at the bottom of the cup. Coffee…Coffee and maybe two more reports. That seemed about right for the end of his shift.

"Reed! My office!" Fowler called from his door, seeming annoyed but not overly angry. Reed figured whatever it was he'd done wrong had only made the man slightly pissed. He held back a sigh as he dragged himself into the glass office, not noticing the way Connor's hazel eyes raised from his own desk curiously. He shut the door and sat down, trying to keep his eyes away from the glass wall. It was so easy to get distracted by the movement outside. "How many times do I have to tell you? This has to stop!" The larger man almost sighed as he turned his screen to show Gavin one of the reports he'd sent over. Reed winced. It was laced with spelling errors.

"Sorry Sir, it won't." Reed began.

"Happen again, yeah-yeah, you say that every time. Would it kill you to use a spell checker?" The older man asked in frustration, knowing it annoyed Reed just as much as it annoyed him. That was one of Reed's only problems with his work. He was an excellent detective when it came to putting the pieces together, hunting down perps, interrogations, dealing with witnesses, and even taking the stand in court. His paperwork, on the other hand, was abysmal. He was quietly sure that even his eleven year old daughter could write better.

"Sorry Sir…" Reed mumbled in response as he looked at his lap. He couldn't argue, and there was no way in hell he was about to admit that he did use a spell checker, but he still fucked up. Luckily Fowler was in a patient and forgiving mood. He had to be considering the amount of strain everyone was under with all the extra work, and he knew Reed had taken on more than his fair share.

"You're going to have to re-do the lot…and for God's sake, have someone check them over for you!" His boss added dismissively, allowing Reed to head off and get that coffee. He was going to need it now. There was no way he was going to go home and leave all of his work for the day unfinished. Shit, I'll be here all night! He thought with a resigned sigh, ignoring the tight pinch in his stomach. A cigarette would probably hold off the hunger. He stepped out front and lit up, taking a frustrated breath as he leaned on the wall and tapped one foot in agitation.

"You don't look so good." Connor observed as he joined him, the thick black coat telling Reed the android was heading out for the day. Usually he'd shrug the android off, but the day had worn him down somewhat and he could actually do with the company. The android seemed to recognise this momentary weakness as he outright stopped, hands in his pockets. Reed hadn't actually looked at Connor properly. The coat was some sort of wool, very neat, with a collar and smart lapels, buttoned up with a thin belt buckled at his slim waist. It just about reached the android's knees, and had a small split at the back to make it easier to move in. It looked comfortable, and smart.

"I fucked up on my paperwork…again. Phck! I just can't get anything right the first time. Now I have to re-do everything and have someone else check it over." He replied, hating the shame that coiled in his chest. It was like being back in school again. His teachers always refused to look at his work until one of the other students had gone over it first and made sure Gavin's answers were at least legible. It was a wonder he'd managed to get high enough grades to get into the academy in the first place.

"I could do that…If you like? If I do it that would cut down the time at least. I could do it within thirty minutes." Connor offered with a tilt of his head. Reed gave him a confused look. Why the fuck would you do that? He wondered, unsure whether the android was playing him somehow. "It would be more efficient." He added hopefully, surprised as Gavin nodded and grumbled out a small thank you. They headed back inside, Connor removing his coat while Reed grabbed his coffee.

Once at his desk Reed sent an email attachment with all of his files to Connor, watching curiously as the skin of the android's hand drew back while he interfaced with the terminal. Reed had never actually watched closely before when Connor did that. He'd always found it creepy. He could see the screen blinking rapidly as the android flicked through various files, everything moving faster than Reed could follow. While the android worked Reed returned to his final two reports, just about finishing with one as Connor stood from his seat.

"I have corrected the errors and sent the files to Captain Fowler." Connor reported, watching Reed blink in bewilderment as he looked at the clock. It had barely been thirty minutes. Re-writing and checking would have taken Reed at least six or seven hours, not to mention he'd then need someone else to check them over. "When you finish those just send them to my inbox. I will check them tomorrow morning." The android added as he pulled on his coat and looked at Fowler's office, seeing the older man also preparing to leave.

"Right…Thanks Tin Can." Reed replied, the nickname sounding a little softer than usual. Connor gave him a small smile in response and headed for the exit, pausing for the older man to join him. His hazel eyes rested on Reed just a moment before continuing his chat with Fowler. Reed didn't notice, already burying himself in his work once more.

"Reed! I expect you to clock out in exactly forty-seven minutes!" Fowler's voice bellowed from somewhere down the hall. Reed yelled an acknowledgement and set a timer on his phone for forty-five. That should be enough time to finish what he was doing, send it to Connor and maybe start looking through a new case file.