A cloudy spring morning greeted the city after the mind numbing and relaxing movie night came to an end. While Hank went off to the precinct to check in with Captain Fowler and get caught up on the paperwork he needed to fill out and check in on the investigation into the fire that nearly killed Connor and Lucas, the two deviant brothers set about cleaning up the house to thank Hank for his kindness and then took Sumo for a walk. The journey out to the dog park was thankfully uneventful as the duo made their way to the park with Sumo leading the way. Lucas was holding onto the leash and had seemingly gotten over his fear of the large dog, and was more willing to talk about everything he had experienced between his deviancy and his unexpected reunion with Connor inside the now destroyed press building.

The two newly acquainted brothers were able to talk about what they had gone through and find comfort in having a confidant as opposed to keeping everything they were feeling bottled up inside without an outlet. While Lucas wasn't quite ready to tell Connor what had happened to him leading to his time in The Arena in Chicago, he did tell Connor about his regrets and struggles with his own existence beyond what CyberLife had programmed him to be.

"I know what it's like to feel as if you'll never overcome your past decisions." Connor admitted as he and Lucas watched Sumo running around the park and playing with the other dogs in a gentle and surprisingly energetic manner. The cloudy skies had keep most people home and the smell of an approaching rainstorm ensured that the park would remain relatively empty. "I had been challenged to kill an android in exchange for the information needed to finally locate Jericho and succeed in my mission. I didn't do it. and I know that if I had I wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt."

"Even as a machine you refused to kill another android?" Lucas's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a beat as he rubbed his left palm over his still bandaged chest beneath his white t-shirt and white hoodie. They had both made full recoveries from their injuries but Lucas wasn't ready to remove the bandages and see his own chest out of fear that he may have actually scarred his body during his failed self destruction. "It sounds like Hank was correct. There was something different about you compared to the other androids."

"Maybe. Even if that were true I can't narrow down what it was that made me choose to spare a life and disobey orders beyond feeling, what I later learned to be, empathy."

"You felt emotions before you truly deviated. Perhaps that was a part of CyberLife's plan." Turning to look his older brother in the eyes Lucas began to wonder if deviancy was an inevitability that CyberLife failed to acknowledge. "Maybe they designed you to deviate so they could study the phenomenon closer and potentially find a way to prevent it."

"I wouldn't put such a sleazy, underhanded tactic beyond CyberLife." Closing his soulful brown eyes Connor thought back to his time under CyberLife's control only to have his memories of a machine stop the moment Markus pushed him to finally deviate entirely and break down his red walls within Jericho. The memories regarding the escape from the sinking vessel and fleeing to the church were cloudy as the memory corruption still hadn't been fully remedied. "Regardless of what their original plan for me may have been I'm just relieved that it's over and I'm free."

From above the heavy clouds began to darken as a soft rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. A chill filled the air as the rain threatened to fall at any moment and drench the city under the springtime deluge.

"We should return to the house." Pulling the black hood from his hoodie up and over his hair Connor patted the side of his right leg to call Sumo back over so they could leave the park together. "I'd rather not get caught up in a cold rain."

"Agreed." Kneeling down Lucas clipped the leash back onto Sumo's collar as the massive dog returned the moment he was called. Putting up his own hood of his white hoodie Lucas tightened his grip on the leash in his right hand and nodded at Connor. "I'm not fond of the cold."

"Once we're back at the house we'll finish taking care of our clothing and stay one more night with Hank before we return to my brownstone."

"You're certain you don't mind me staying with you?" Still wary of being intrusive or overstepping boundaries Lucas wanted to make sure that Connor was truly okay with him moving into the guest bedroom of the brownstone. "It's your personal residence and I don't-"

"Lucas, I'm certain. I wouldn't have offered you the room if I wasn't certain I wanted you to stay with me. Brothers often live together and bond closer, usually while growing up. However, since neither of us had childhoods such a possibility has been proven impossible." Noting their particular relationship wouldn't be able to follow the usual milestones Connor just shrugged and continued with his thoughts. "We'll reside together so we can learn more about each other and become friends and family."

"Okay. I think I'd like that."

"I'm glad to hear you say so, brother." Smirking as he used the term Connor watched as Lucas's demeanor perked up a little as they made their way to the final block to head for home. A few stray raindrops began to fall and more thunder escaped from the clouds overhead. "We better hasten our pace if we want to get home ahead of the storm."

"You're right." Lucas quickened his gait and gave Sumo some slack on the leash to ensure he didn't accidentally pull too hard on the dog's collar as he and Connor walked home. "I imagine Sumo would dislike being caught in the rain as well."

"From my experience Sumo doesn't dislike the rain, puddles or mud. He dislikes having to get shampooed and rinsed off in the bathtub since it washes off his own scent and he feels compelled to roll around on something to get a new scent in his fur. He doesn't mind the towel though since he seems to think he's getting pet all over his body in the process of being dried off."

"Makes me grateful that androids do not have to worry about such an aesthetic or daily necessities such as showering off mud or odors."

"As am I."

Rounding the corner of the final block Connor and Lucas monitored the storm overhead while Sumo began whining a little and tugging at the leash. Curious about Sumo's behavior the two deviants considered that Sumo was nervous about the storm and increased their pace yet again. By the time they reached the front walkway Sumo was whimpering really loudly and trying to pull the leash out of Lucas's hand to get to the front door.

"What is upsetting Sumo so much?" Lucas wondered out loud as he held tightly onto the leash. Trailing after Sumo up the front walk Lucas honed in on a strange cardboard box sitting in front of the door and suddenly froze at the sight. "...Did Hank order another package?"

"No." Slowing his pace Connor scanned over the mysterious parcel and didn't detect any explosives or other dangerous chemicals. Instead he detected something completely unexpected and jogged up the walkway to kneel down beside the box to peer down inside. "Lucas, come over here!"

Joining his older brother by the front door Lucas held onto Sumo's leash to keep the massive dog from trying to climb all over the box as he also ran a scan over the small brown item. He too detected the same unexpected contents of the box and took a single step backward. "...A baby?"

A small cry and whimper from the box confirmed what the two deviants had found, and they now realized that what they found had been what Sumo was reacting so bizarrely toward. It seemed the large dog could smell the blood still covering the baby and hear the crying from the distance.

"Connor, what do we do?"

Another rumble of thunder and more rain helped Connor make his decision fast. "We take her inside and tell Hank what's happening." Unlocking the front door Connor picked up the box very carefully and entered the house with Lucas and Sumo following after him. Gently placing the box down on the coffee table in the middle of the livingroom Connor visually examined the baby without even touching her. "According to my scans she was born just barely one hour prior."

"A newborn who's been abandoned." Feeling Sumo tugging at the leash in his grip Lucas led the worried dog away from the livingroom and into the laundry room to keep Sumo from getting in the way. Unclipping the leash from Sumo's collar Lucas placed the dog's water bowl inside the room to ensure Sumo could get a drink if he was thirsty after his walk while he stayed in the enclosed space. "Stay in here, boy. We'll take care of the baby."

Inside the livingroom Connor gingerly pushed aside the thin, blood covered towel from around the baby and gave her a more thorough visual examination. Her umbilical cord was tied off with a shoelace and crudely cut by someone who used a dull knife or just tore the cord loose. The baby was Caucasian and both of her parents were of the same descent. Based on her size and weight Connor determined that she was full term at birth and had adequate prenatal care.

"Where did you come from?" Whispering to the baby as she began to cry in discomfort Connor very slowly picked up the distressed newborn and wrapped her up in the same thin towel from the box, and carried her into the bathroom. Hearing Lucas following after him Connor then carefully placed the newborn down inside the bathtub and unwrapped her from the dirty, bloody towel. "She needs to be kept warm."

Grabbing one of the clean, fluffy white towels from the rack Lucas laid it down on the edge of the bathtub and then placed a fresh washcloth in the sink to run under the warm tap. "Why would someone abandon their child on the doorstep?"

"I do not know." Cybernetically Connor sent a message to Hank's phone to let him know what he and Lucas had discovered after their walk. Accepting the now warm and damp washcloth from Lucas's hands after his little brother wrung out the excess water in the sink Connor gently cleaned off the blood from the newborn, and made sure the cord was tied off properly. "She's healthy and I cannot detect any sign of chromosomal abnormality or illness that would deter parents from tending to their own child."

The storm outside began to build in intensity and Lucas decided it'd be best to monitor the weather and examine the cardboard box that the baby had been found in. "I'll go keep tabs on the storm and investigate the contents of the box."

"Okay, I'll take care of her as best as I can in here."

Finished with cleaning off the newborn Connor used the provided clean towel and wrapped up the baby a second time to ensure she was warm. Once the newborn was clean, warm and dry she settled down and stopped crying almost immediately. Remaining entirely gentle Connor picked up the baby and carried her out of the bathroom and into the livingroom to sit down on the couch with her cradled in his arms.

"The storm is settling over the city and estimated to dissipate within the next four hours, twenty-six minutes and forty-three seconds." Lucas recited as he looked at Connor sitting on the couch with the wrapped up newborn. The way Connor seemed to instinctively know how to hold the newborn and tend to her needs impressed Lucas on an unspoken level. "I've also located a handwritten note in the box from the mother."

Curious about the note and the baby's origins Connor needed to know what had been written on the note. "What does it say?"

Picking up the note from the box Lucas read over the note verbatim as he carefully analyzed the note as any professional detective would do:

'-I'm sorry. I love her more than anything in the world, but I can't take care of her.

I'm fourteen and I was assaulted. My family won't believe me or understand me and I ran away from home.

Please take care of her and find her a good home.'

The note was left without a signature or name behind to give the two deviants any further information.

"That's tragic." Lucas lamented as he placed the note back down inside of the box to be collected as evidence later on. Seeing the way the small baby was squirming about with her uncoordinated arms being stretched out in all directions made Lucas's head tilt to the side and caused his blue L.E.D. to flash to yellow again as he had never seen a newborn baby before. "Her mother cannot take take care of her and there is no mention of the father. I don't understand how something like this could happen to a race of people who declare themselves to be superior and just."

"Neither do I." The baby began to make discontented noises again and Connor tried readjusting his arms so he could hold her closer to his chest to keep her warm without her becoming too hot. "I'm also unsure of what to do with her right now."

"She should be taken to the hospital to have a thorough medical examination."

"Agreed." Raucous thunder and the rain now coming down in icy sheets made the two deviants hesitate at their only idea. It was far too dangerous to drive anywhere with a newborn baby, especially without a proper car seat to use. "...After the storm passes."

"Yes, of course." Sitting down on the couch beside Connor without jostling the furniture Lucas stared at the newborn's face and tried to understand how someone so small and helpless would eventually grow up to become someone as potentially violent and unpredictable like the other adult humans he had encountered over time. While not all of the humans were violent they were the ones who left the lasting impression Lucas's psyche. "I'm finding it very difficult to not hold any grudges against humans as of right now."

"I can understand that." Empathetic to his little brother's turmoil Connor didn't judge him or shame him in any way. After all, he had his own negative experiences with humans that had left him scarred as well. "Hank was very cold to me during our first encounter, but he eventually warmed up to me and over time I understood why he was so angry. I've also encountered one particularly aggressive human who threatened to kill me inside the precinct, twice."

Such a declaration made Lucas's brow arch inquisitively. "Twice?"

"From what I understand he is on his last chance." Not letting the past indiscretion cloud his judgment Connor explained everything to Lucas honestly and rather casually. "Any further incidents will result in immediate termination and he'll be charged with the two counts of menacing and threatening physical harm with intent to kill if I simply request it."

"Will you do so?"

"No." Not wanting to have Gavin's career ruined Connor refused to press the matter unless it was actually necessary. "I firmly believe that everyone deserves a second chance and I won't be the one to take it away from him."

Sinking down where he was sitting Lucas's green eyes darkened as he thought about the prospect of a second chance. "It's too bad CyberLife didn't believe in such a generous notion with their own androids. They sicken me."

"You and I both."

The front door of the house suddenly opened as Hank returned home from his meeting at the precinct with his blue eyes wide and full of shock. The sound of the old car pulling up in the driveway beside the house had been masked by the storm leaving the two deviants surprised that Hank was able to return to the house without either of them noticing until he opened the front door.

Hearing the small cries Hank closed the door behind himself, the sound of the storm and door jerking open startling the newborn in Connor's arms, and approached the couch as if he needed to see the baby for himself. "Connor, Lucas... What the hell?"

"That's essentially what we've been thinking." Connor noted as tried again to get the newborn to settle down in his arms. Unsure if he was doing the right thing or not Connor looked to Hank for guidance. "We've been taking care of her to the best of our ability, but we're not sure what else to do beyond getting her to a hospital once there's a break in the storm."

"'Her', huh?" Adjusting the towel that was wrapped around the baby Hank lowered the fabric so he could look at her tiny crying face. "She definitely has a healthy set of lungs, so that's good."

"Yes, she's in perfect health according to our separate scans. The note in the box indicates she was dropped off by her birth mother within an hour after the baby was born."

"She's healthy and it looks like she's warm, too." Going through the mental parental checklist Hank made his best guess as to why the baby was crying. "She must be hungry then."

"What can we do for her?"

"I got some old baby bottles and a few other things in the hall closet she can use. I'll clean one of the bottles up and get her a small amount of warm milk to tide her over until we can get her to the hospital." Walking away from the couch and down the hallway Hank began checking through the old cardboard boxes that had been labeled 'baby stuff' tucked in the bottom corner of the storage space. "I'm glad I never tossed this stuff out."

Lucas rose from the couch and stood beside Hank as he watched the senior detective digging through the old boxes. "May I ask why someone would bring a newborn baby to this residence and leave them behind?"

"Oh, uh... Some time ago me and my late wife, Barb, had set up our home to be a safe delivery site for mothers in need of help." Grabbing two bottles and tops out of the box from the back of the closet Hank carried the items into the kitchen to wash and sterilize in hot water in the sink. "We used to get a few runaway teenagers, women escaping bad relationships or women suffering from other setbacks coming here for help."

"You tended to their newborns?"

"And to the mothers." Rinsing out the sink for a moment Hank proceeded use hot water, a sponge and some detergent to clean up the bottles properly before giving them to the baby to use. "A lot of the teenagers were kicked out of their homes by their religious zealot parents or because they refused to abort or put the babies up for adoption. The women were usually trying to get away from an abusive partner and knew that a couple of cops would keep her and the baby safe until she recovered enough to flee the city. Then again," cleaning up the first bottle and top Hank helped Lucas understand why he and Barbara had dedicated their home to being a safe place to women and children in need. "some women just needed some support and love after struggling for so long to have a family, and they just wanted a hand to hold."

"You've done this before?"

"Yup. It's been about eight years since a newborn was dropped off at the house, but I don't mind." Drying off the two bottles Hank then opened the refrigerator and pulled out the carton of milk to get a small amount ideally warm for the baby to hopefully drink without it upsetting her sensitive stomach. "It's nice to know that people know they can still come here for some help."

Lucas pondered that notion for a moment before returning his attention to the laundry room door. Opening the door Lucas let Sumo out but grabbed onto his collar to ensure he didn't try to run and jump on Connor's lap in the livingroom. "Sumo, stay down."

"Big oaf doesn't know how big he really is." Hank sighed as he stirred the milk in a small sauce pan on the hot stove top. "You may want to just keep him in there until the baby's at the hospital. Sumo might accidentally get a little rough with the little baby."

Looking down at Sumo as the Saint Bernard whimpered once Lucas agreed and placed the dog's bowl of food down in the laundry room as well, then pushed Sumo back inside the room. "Sorry, boy. You'll be out of there soon."

From the livingroom the baby began to cry again and Connor was unsure of what to do besides trying to readjust her in his arms yet again. "Hank?"

Instinctively Hank reacted to the crying and gave Connor some advice from afar until he finished preparing the bottle. "Offer her your little finger to hold, kid! Sometimes babies just need to have some direct contact to feel more secure."

Unsure of how that could possibly help anything Connor listened to Hank's instructions and shifted the baby so she was resting in the crook of his right arm and then lightly put his left pinky finger in her flailing right hand. Sure enough the baby grabbed on to Connor's pinky, held tight and began to stop fussing a little as she began to feel more secure. "...I think it worked."

Tightening the lid on the clean and filled bottle Hank looked down at the baby in Connor's care and smirked at the sight. "Poor thing didn't get to bond with her parents and is a little touch starved."

"Touch... starved?" Unfamiliar with the term Connor looked to Lucas as his little brother also returned to the livingroom to check on the newborn infant. "I don't understand such a concept."

"Humans, believe it or not, are social creatures." Sitting down on the couch beside Connor with the bottle in his right hand Hank handed the bottle over to Connor to take for himself. "Try feeding her."

Staring at the bottle now in his left hand, his pinky still in the baby's grip, Connor admitted that he was unsure of what to do next. "I... I don't know how."

"Not a problem, I'll show ya'." Taking the bottle back for a moment Hank readjusted the baby in Connor's arm to ensure she was laying at a comfortable angle and would be able to suckle without any problems. Once she was laying in a more supported position Hank used the tip of the bottle to press down on the baby's lower lip and soon had the baby instinctively trying to latch on. "There we go. Take hold and... There!"

Connor watched as the baby began responding well to Hank's assistance and slowly began nursing from the bottle. "Interesting. She already knows how to consume sustenance."

"Jeez, kid. You make it sound like she's a genius or something because she has healthy and normal reflexes." Motioning for Connor to take the bottle to hold for himself Hank took notice of the baby still holding onto his pinky as she nursed. "Newborns may be helpless but they're far from clueless."

"So I've noticed."

Lucas stared at the baby over the back of the couch and could see her holding onto Connor's finger as she nursed. Her tiny fist would tighten and then relax as she suckled from the bottle in a steady rhythm. "It seems as though the baby likes you, Connor."

"I think that's another reflex." Connor replied in a dismissive manner to Lucas's observation. "I doubt she's aware enough of who we are to determine whether or not she likes me."

Hank shrugged his shoulders a little and gave the deviant a coy stare. "I don't know, kid. Babies and animals are excellent judges of character since they don't have any biases or prejudices to cloud their overall judgment. She knows she's safe with us and trusts you to help her stay comfortable and well fed."

"I'll take your word on that."

"So boys, you went for a walk and ended up finding a baby." The senior detective fell into investigator mode although his voice remained paternal. "You didn't see anyone acting suspiciously before or after you left the house for your walk, did you?"

"No." Lucas replied as he walked toward the front window to watch the storm raging through the glass. There was no sign of anyone in the area since the storm drove the people who had been outside back indoors to escape the foul weather that would indicate someone else knowing of the baby being dropped off at the house. "We saw no one unusual or any pregnant youths in the immediate area."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it matters that much anyway." Hank replied almost casually as he watched Connor tending to the newborn. "Like I said earlier, this is a registered safe delivery area, so the mother technically didn't do anything wrong when she dropped the baby off."

"Safe delivery area?" Connor hadn't caught that particular discussion in the kitchen as he was too preoccupied with the baby to pay attention. "I thought only police precincts, fire departments, hospitals and some churches were designated as such areas."

"Normally yeah, but I also volunteered to have this place registered as one just after Cole was born."

"Any particular reason?"

Steadily Hank nodded in the affirmative as he let out a breathy sigh. "During my first few years as a rookie I stopped a teenager, barely sixteen, from falling into a life of prostitution and she ended up founding a discreet shelter for runaway and abused teens after she finished high school. She set up the shelter two blocks from here and she asked for my help to make sure the teens felt safe enough to stay with her, and know that if something like 'this'," Hank motioned to the baby casually as he spoke. "happens the newborns and the mothers will taken care of properly. No judgment, no worries."

"You've been through this before?"

"Yup. But it's been about eight years since I've had a newborn dropped off at my step, or a pregnant teen in labor seeking shelter."

From the window Lucas looked back at Hank and asked him a rather logical and obvious question. "Why not instruct the teenagers to go to the hospital?"

"The damn doctors ask way too many questions and they like to give their unwanted, biased opinions to these frightened teen girls and essentially guilt them into either keeping the babies they can't afford to take care of, or they make them feel like garbage for ever existing in the first place." Feeling a little at ease upon seeing the baby safe and sound Hank smiled a little at the calm baby in Connor's arms proudly. "I don't judge them. Life doesn't go the way we want it to sometimes, and the last thing those girls need to deal with while already going through one of the most difficult moments in their lives is the uninformed opinions of judgmental strangers who can't be bothered to lift a damn finger to help them out after the baby's actually born."

"...Hank?" Sensing the anger in Hank's voice Lucas dared to ask about his embittered tone. "I don't want to pry but it sounds like you're speaking from a personal experience."

"My best friend in high school." The senior detective admitted with a heavy heart as he rose from the couch and walked over to the front window to watch the storm outside as he stood beside Lucas. "She got pregnant after a one night stand with her douchebag of a boyfriend who dumped her the next morning after he got her in bed. He got what he wanted and she ended up with a broken heart and a 'little surprise' afterward. When she told her parents what happened they kicked her out of the house, she wasn't allowed to talk to her siblings or any extended family, and she had to drop out of school because the other students kept bullying her; calling her names and telling her that she had it coming because her ex-boyfriend had spread lies about her. She was devastated and ostracized all because of her ex's lies and deception."

"What happened to her?" In a whisper Connor asked the question with his L.E.D. now cycling yellow with emotional empathy as he subconsciously began rocking the newborn back and forth in his arms at a slow and gentle pace to keep her calm. "Your friend was treated very unfairly."

"Well," Hank continued his story with a jaded tone as he stood before the raindrop dotted window. "after she dropped out of school I told her to come home with me. My dad agreed to shelter her since I was an only child and my mom had just died, so the house already felt empty. She stayed with us until the baby was born. But like I said, the doctors kept prying into her personal life and made her feel like a slut all because of one night and one bad decision. They even went after me because they couldn't accept that I was just her friend and looking out for her, not the father of her baby trying to feign innocence or escape responsibility."

Connor and Lucas waited for Hank to finish the story although they were both reluctant to hear what was sure to be a sad ending.

"After the birth, a little girl by the way, my friend gave the baby up for private adoption, moved out of the city to finish school, and that was the last time I ever saw her OR the baby. They were the victims of selfishness from one other person and yet they were blamed and labeled as the ones who were at fault. She was in love, but her ex just wanted to bang her." Hank was almost growling as he recounted the sad moment from his long gone childhood. "The baby wasn't planned, but everyone acted like it was somehow at fault just for being born... I can't stand that one-sided, judgmental thinking!"

Feeling a little worried Connor looked down at the newborn in his care and let out a weary sigh. "Do you think this baby's mother will be able to return home and finish school?"

"I honestly don't know, kid." Looking at Connor's faint reflection on the window's glass Hank addressed the deviant without stepping away from the window. "But I sincerely hope so."

"As do I." Watching as the bottle was finished off Connor took it away from the baby's lips and wondered what to do next. "She has consumed the entire bottle."

"Okay, I got her from here."

"Got her?" Letting Hank take the baby from his arms Connor watched as the senior detective and experienced father draped part of the towel wrapped around the baby over his right shoulder and held the baby against that same shoulder. As Hank began to slowly pace and rub the baby's back Connor tried to understand what was happening. "Hank?"

"You gotta' make sure that whatever a baby eats or drinks doesn't upset their stomachs, and you gotta' make sure that they didn't inhale too much air by accident while they ate."

Lucas just stared at the baby's dark blue eyes as she began to slowly fall asleep against Hank's broad and warm shoulder. "It seems like caring for an infant is a truly time consuming endeavor. Now I understand why humans requested android assistance with childcare."

"Yup. I didn't need to rely on androids since I had Barb in my life. We took turns with Cole and fell into a natural rhythm of love and care without saying a word about it."

"It also seems cruel for humans to try to force teenagers into caring for infants as teenagers don't have a consistent means of taking care of themselves, let alone an infant."

"You have no idea how right you are, Lucas." A tiny burp followed by a small amount of spit-up escaped the baby's lips and was caught on the towel draped over Hank's shoulders. "I bet that'll help her sleep easier." Hank commented as he continued to rub the baby's back. "I still got that touch that stops crying before it starts."

Connor could see that Hank was truly in his element and despite everything that happened he seemed content and calm. Picking up the empty bottle Connor carried it into the kitchen and placed it down in the sink to be washed again later on, and potentially put right back into storage. Watching as Hank happily carried the baby back over to the couch to sit down Connor internally wondered what Hank's life would've been like if he had been able to remain a father to Cole if that horrific and tragic car accident never occurred.

Stepping away from the window Lucas noticed that the baby had fallen asleep and lowered his voice accordingly. "The storm will be over in four hours, eight minutes and fifty-five seconds. We can transport her to the hospital then."

"I think we can hold out with this little lady until then." Looking at her face as she snuggled in for a nap Hank continued to rub the baby's back to ensure she remained comfortable as she slept. "There's worse places for her to be right now."

"Such as out in a cold rainstorm." Lucas concluded as he sat down in the recliner beside the couch. "I'm glad she was dropped off before the storm hit and not after. We didn't hear your vehicle return to the house due to the loud rain and I fear we wouldn't have heard her crying outside the door."

"Try not to think about those things, they'll just break your heart." Carefully folding over the tower where the baby spit-up Hank made sure none of it got on the baby as he slowly readjusted her so she could nap on her back and in his arms. "Poor thing needs all the direct contact and support she can get."

"I wish there was more we could do to help her before she's taken to the hospital."

"Not much that can be done beyond holding her, keeping her warm and keeping her safe." Glancing up at Lucas as the deviant stared at the baby Hank realized that neither he or Connor had ever been around a child before, let alone a helpless newborn baby. It was a brand new experience for the brothers to learn from. "Lucas, do you want to hold her?"

"I- No, please." Leaning away from Hank and the baby Lucas crossed his arms over his chest as if to ensure the senior detective didn't try to put the baby in his arms regardless of his answer. "I've never held a baby before."

"That's okay. A lot of people are really anxious about holding a baby for the first time."

"Please, I just... I don't want to hurt her."

"Ah, son." The fearful confession made Hank's heart ache. "You wouldn't hurt her. I know it."

Looking away from Hank as if still unsure of himself and his own behavior Lucas continued to decline the offer. "I can't do it."

"Okay, that's not a problem." Continuing to support the baby Hank made sure Lucas knew there was nothing wrong with being unsure of holding the baby for whatever reason he may have. "You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, and she won't take it personally. The fact that you and Connor got her to safety is more than enough."

Staying quiet Lucas only watched as Connor sat down beside Hank on the couch and continued to observe the baby. In a way Lucas was jealous that Connor was seemingly fearless when it came to new experiences and challenges. The deviant could only hope to overcome his past traumas and become a stronger person after enduring his hard trials.

"I've contacted the Saint Mercy Hospital." Connor stated as his L.E.D. cycled in yellow slowly before returning to blue. "The staff is preparing to receive the baby and are keeping watch for any new mothers being admitted to the hospital without any newborn to be accounted for."

"Okay then. Once we get a break in the storm we'll take the baby to the hospital and make sure she gets there in style."

"What'll happen after that?"

"Well, she'll be taken care of staff to make sure she's one-hundred percent healthy, get a nice name and be put into foster care until someone comes along and takes her in."

"What if... There are already so many children in the foster care system."

"It's hard, I know, but try not to worry about that. The system isn't perfect but it's better than her living on the street."

"I suppose that's true." Noticing the way the small baby was making small noises as she slept Connor ran another scan to ensure she hadn't developed some type of lung infection due to being exposed to the cold. By all account she was fine, and yet he couldn't understand her behavior. "Hank, why is she making noises?"

"That's what babies do, kid. She's fine."

"I hope so."

"Well, you're the one with the fancy-schmancy scanner thingy. What's the prognosis 'doc'?"

"My scanner detects completely normal and healthy vital signs."

"Which means she's being a normal and healthy baby." As he spoke Hank felt his phone buzz in his jean pocket and sighed. "Damn. Connor? I need you to hold her again."

"All right." Showing no fear Connor let Hank place the baby in his arms while Hank took his phone from his pocket. Noticing that Lucas was watching his every move in a very guarded manner. "I'll be gentle."

"I know, kid." Checking the caller I.D. Hank sighed loudly and shook his head as he walked around the couch slowly. "Fowler and his amazing timing once again. I'll take this in my bedroom so I don't bother her nap."

Connor didn't say anything as Hank took his leave of the livingroom and entered his bedroom for some privacy. Relying on his cybernetic connections Connor spoke to his little brother in a reassuring manner. 'Lucas, you seem upset about something.'

'I'm not upset.' Responding honestly Lucas gave Connor and then the baby somber glances. 'I just don't want to make another mistake.'

'By holding the baby?'

'I've never been around infants and I admitted that I am struggling to not hold grudges against humans. I won't risk accidentally harming the innocent baby because of my own personal sleights.'

'You wouldn't do anything to intentionally harm a child.'

'I almost killed you and Hank, and you're my own brother.'

'Lucas, you can't continue to blame yourself for situations beyond your control. I know you'd never intentionally harm me, Hank or any other innocent person. If I didn't trust you I wouldn't ask you to move in with me.'

Pausing for a moment Lucas gave Connor a skeptical sigh as he considered the deviant's words carefully. 'Maybe. That has yet to be seen.'

'There is no "maybe" about it. You won't harm me and I trust you with my life.'

'Do you truly believe that?'

'Absolutely.' Readjusting the baby in his arms Connor made it clear he held no grievances against the 'RK-900' he had taken on his little brother. 'In time I know you'll believe it, too.'

The storm passed over the city right on schedule and the trio made their way over to the hospital to drop off the baby knowing she'd be safe under the watchful eyes of kind and dedicated doctors and nurses. One of the nurses, Ada Giles, was an old acquaintance of Hank and knew him by name as she met the Hank, Connor and the baby by the hospital's private staff door. Greeting Hank with a warm hug Ada cooed at the baby as Connor carefully passed her over to the nurse to be placed in the plastic bassinet and rolled into the N.I.C.U. for observation. The hospital admission was merely a precaution and would assure that the baby was well cared for until she was placed in her new family.

With a reluctant goodbye Connor watched the small baby being taken away and into the care of other people. For a reason he couldn't explain Connor wanted to follow after the baby and stay beside her at all times, but knew he couldn't do so. The situation was no longer in his hands.

"Don't worry, son." Hank clapped his right hand down on Connor's left shoulder to lead the deviant away from the doorway and back to the Oldsmobile where Lucas was sitting in the backseat awaiting their return. "The baby is going to be just fine."

"Why do I feel so strange?"

"Strange how?"

"It feels like by bringing the baby to the hospital we're abandoning her just as her own mother had done. It feels wrong to leave her behind."

"That's because you're empathetic and a guardian. You want to protect her because you know she needs protecting."

"Will I feel like this for the remainder of my existence?"

"It only seems that way. Over time you'll stop thinking about it and recognize that there are other good people in this world wanting to help those in need just as you do. Your empathy is a positive trait, but you need to learn how to let things go so it doesn't completely overwhelm your thoughts and emotions."

Glancing at Lucas in the backseat of the car looking morose and lonely made Connor's mind shift away from the baby and toward his little brother. That compulsion to protect the baby was suddenly replaced by a compulsion to protect Lucas instead as if he had selected a new priority in his life. "...I'll try to remember that."

"Yeah, I know." Letting go of Connor's shoulder Hank opened up the driver's side door of the Oldsmobile while Connor opened up the passenger side door for himself. Sitting down behind the steering wheel Hank fastened his seatbelt and glanced at Lucas's reflection in the rearview mirror. "All right. Tonight's your last night with me before you two head out to the brownstone tomorrow. What do you want to do?"

Lucas thought about it for a moment then answered in a small voice in a faintly hopeful manner. "Can we watch another basketball game?"

"Damn right we can! Connor?" Hank looked at the elder brother of the two deviants and waited for his reaction. "Wanna' make a wager?"

"No." Fastening his own seatbelt Connor flashed Hank a suspicious glare. "Every time we make wagers on basketball games you always bet on the Gears and you always win."

"That's because you never bet against the Gears."

"Then can I place a wager on the Gears winning this time?"

"Nope!" Shifting the car from park and into drive Hank denied such a bold request. "I already called dibs."

"Dibs?" Looking to Lucas in the backseat behind him Connor gave his little brother a strange look as Lucas returned the confusion with his eyes alone. "On a game you haven't seen yet?"

"Trust me on this, kid." Smirking coyly Hank pulled the car out of the parking lot and back onto the rain soaked streets to head back to the house. "I gotta' good feeling about this game, just like I have a good feeling about that little baby finding a family. AND you and Lucas being able to bond as brothers."

Reading Hank's body language and tone perfectly Connor managed to give Lucas a small grin of reassurance that in turn made Lucas's dull green eyes brighten with a sense of renewed optimism. "All right then. I'll take that bet."

-next chapter-