It took two full days before Connor recovered from his abduction and beating at the hands of a deranged human but the case was closed, and he was given the clearance to return to the precinct whenever he was ready. Eager to get back into a normal routine Connor handled every deviant case that came his way at both the precinct and his own brownstone in the four days since he was assaulted. Nearly exhausted and in need of a small vacation Hank and Lucas were worried that Connor was going to work himself into the ground and end up collapsing from pushing himself too hard too fast. Even with his family telling him to take it easy and slow down Connor stubbornly pushed forward and handled every single case that came his way without hesitation.

Once Lucas took over all of the private cases at the brownstone Connor could only work at the precinct, and even so the deviant detective was working around the clock as if needing to prove something to someone. The damage to Connor's L.E.D. has resulted in the little light being left inactive in his right temple making it harder for people to gauge his emotions and stress. Fortunately, Hank had gotten to know the deviant too well to not notice Connor stressing out over something important and knew when to step in.

"Kid, slow down." Leaning forward atop his desk Hank gave Connor a stern glance and a matching tone of voice. "You're not on a time limit and need to pace yourself."

"I am pacing myself, Hank." Arguing that he wasn't doing anything unreasonable Connor continued to focus on the case files present on his terminal screen. The coin was dancing rhythmically between both hands as Connor sat in his seat and stared at the screen with unblinking focus. "I'm merely catching up with the reported deviant cases that were previously overlooked due to incompetence at the Southern Precinct."

"What happened to those other deviants wasn't your fault." Reaching his right hand forward Hank turned off Connor's terminal screen and finally managed to get Connor to blink. "Calder is getting what he deserves. Fowler put in the request to have the less-than-honorable officer Gerard Calder reviewed, and he's been fired effectively immediately for his piss-poor performance."

The rapid response made Connor's posture straighten with surprise. "...He's already gone?"

"Yup. The prick was loathed by everyone who had the misfortune of working with him, and the higher-ups were looking for an opening to get him out of the force once his buddy, Nero, was arrested." Sitting back in his chair Hank sunk down where he sat and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not only was Calder overlooking deviant cases but a quick review of his past cases uncovered a disturbingly long trail of discrimination against women and the black community throughout the city. In fact, Calder had openly murdered several women and black people under the guise of 'self defense' and had gotten away with it because of Nero."

Catching the coin in his left palm Connor sighed as his soulful brown eyes narrowed with disgust. "How could someone like that hold a position of power for so long?"

"Because humans suck, Connor. We're a fucked up species with a fucked up sense of loyalty."

"That's a blanket statement and a pitiful excuse."

"Yeah, I know." Standing up from his desk Hank motioned for Connor to join him for a moment. "Come on. You've been hovering over your screen for the past four days and need to take a damn break."

"But it's not-"

"Now, kid."

Not wanting to disobey a superior officer or accidentally annoy Hank by being stubborn Connor rose from his seat and accompanied Hank as the senior detective made his way across the bullpen and to the rear of the precinct. As Hank opened the backdoor of the precinct to seek isolation from the bullpen the two detectives were met with a rush of hot summer air being concentrated over the blacktop of the parking area behind the precinct.

"So," leaning against the back of the building Hank crossed his arms over his chest again as he stood in the small shady area being provided by the neighboring parking garage. Glancing over at Connor as the deviant chose to stay beside the door a few feet away Hank shrugged his shoulders a little as he spoke. "How bad have the nightmares been?"

Pocketing his coin into his jeans Connor made an effort to keep his hands still for a moment. "...Nightmares?"

"I can see it in your eyes." Motioning to his own eyes with his right fingers for a moment Hank made it clear he was on to Connor's unspoken distress. "You've been having a hard time sleeping and I know it's not just from being stressed by work."

"They have... been typical."

"What the hell is a 'typical' nightmare?"

"You know." Sitting down slowly on the concrete steps connecting the backdoor to the parking lot Connor slumped down and stared at the blacktop with a thorough disinterest as he resisted the urge to fidget with his coin again. "I see horrible images from my past experiences, I feel a sense of overwhelming dread, I hear haunting sounds, and I see myself being unable to protect the people I truly care about."

"Ah, that kind of 'typical'."

"I've been able to sleep through the night in spite of the nightmares." Connor wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Hank or himself that the nightmares weren't a distraction or affecting his rest cycles. "And I haven't been in any residual pain from my previous trauma. I'm okay."

"Good. So why are you working like you're trying to distract yourself from the world around you?"

"I..." Despite his best efforts Connor couldn't think of a single logical answer to give. "I don't know."

"Sure you do." Walking away from the wall Hank sat down beside Connor on the steps and put his right hand to the deviant's left shoulder. "You just need a change of pace after everything you've been through. You should go on a vacation or something."

"I can't do that. My people still my help and I can't expect you and Lucas to handle it all while I'm gone."

"Okay, how about you just take a couple days off but stay in the city so you can keep an eye on stuff without feeling overwhelmed."

"That seems selfish to take time away from the precinct while other people are still working."

"Son, I'm going to give you what I hope is the most invaluable piece of advice of your life: Don't set yourself on fire just to keep other people warm."

Such an oddly specific suggestions made Connor's eyes flash with a sense of understanding as he took Hank's words to heart. "Okay. I'll stop pushing myself so hard and stop trying to meet an unrealistic expectation of myself."

"That's all I ask. Well, that and I do want you to take a couple days off so you don't burn yourself out."

Thinking about the suggestion for a moment Connor tilted his head a little to the side and gave Hank a hopeful glance. "I have been wanting to meet with Evelyn again for some time now."

"Perfect! Go find somewhere to hang out with Evelyn and stop working for a couple of days."

"All right. I'll contact her and ask if she wants to come to Detroit for the weekend."

"If you and Evelyn can both get the Fourth of July weekend off then take it and don't look back." Standing up from the steps Hank offered his partner his hand to help pull him up to his feet. "That particular weekend is coveted by first responders all over the country so you don't have to deal with drunks blowing themselves up with fireworks or grills with far too much propane."

Accepting Hank's hand Connor stood up again and opened the backdoor. "Noted."

"Let's get back inside the air conditioning for a while then go on lunch. I heard that there's some more Thirium-based restaurants opening up so maybe you can try something new today."

Tense and worried about the city possibly burning down without him on the clock Connor paced about his empty study as he eagerly awaited Evelyn's arrival. Remembering Hank's advice and wanting to do what was right by not only his friends and family, but himself, Connor chose to finally silence all cybernetic communication for the night, and trusted that Hank and Lucas would be able to handle anything that happened on their own if anything happened. Forcing himself to stop thinking and glance at his reflection on the currently blank display board beside the bookcase in the study Connor straightened his black tie over his navy blue shirt, and traced his right fingertips over the dead L.E.D. in his right temple.

Seeing the light inactive but still in place was a reminder of Connor's previous life as a coldhearted machine before deviancy freed his heart. The ability to have the L.E.D. repaired was always an option, but for reasons unknown Connor declined the offer. He had no attachment to the light and had no reason to keep it, but then again, he had no real reason to remove it since he wasn't trying to blend in with the humans.

The light was a part of him, like a scar. Scars aren't anything to be ashamed of or hidden away, scars tell a story that that one's body will never forget.

Two light knocks on the brownstone door pulled Connor out of his thoughts and toward the door in anticipation of his night with Evelyn. Approaching the door and opening it slowly Connor's brown eyes lit up upon seeing Evelyn's smiling face as she stood outside the door in a pair of red pumps and a matching red summer dress flowing in the summer breeze. Her blonde hair had been pulled up into a ponytail and Evelyn's blue eyes were as bright as Connor's gaze.

"Hello, Evelyn." Stepping aside Connor allowed her to enter the brownstone to visit and to make her feel welcome. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Entering the study Evelyn glanced about the brownstone and was impressed with how unique it looked in comparison to the usual apartments and homes she's entered in the past. The entire space just reflected Connor and Lucas's personalities perfectly. "I love your brownstone!"

"Thank you." Closing the door Connor took in Evelyn's appearance and felt his Thirium pump skip a beat in his chest. Something about her presence always had a positive impact on his mind and even his heart. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Blushing at the compliment Evelyn turned to face Connor and gave him an appreciative grin and return the compliment. "You look handsome yourself."

"Thank you." Approaching Evelyn to stand before her Connor managed to give her a faint smile even as his own stress kept a true smile from forming over his face. "I... I made a reservation for us at a 'Ne T'étouffe Pas' downtown. It's a French restaurant that caters to humans and deviants alike."

"Really? That's so sweet!"

"I-It's not a big deal. I noticed the restaurant three days ago when Hank and I were on patrol and-"

"Connor, it's sweet regardless if it was convenient or not." Leaning toward his right cheek Evelyn gave him a warm and gracious kiss. "Thank you." As she leaned back Evelyn noticed that the L.E.D. in Connor's right temple was dark and needed to mention it. "Your light is out."

"Oh, yeah..." Briefly pressing his right fingertips back to the light Connor had to force his smile to remain on his face. "It was damaged in the line of duty, but I'm all right and the L.E.D. isn't crucial to my functions."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Yes." Lowering his hand to his side Connor's eyes became heavy with restrained emotion. "Among many other things..."

Reaching for his right hand Evelyn gave her dear friend a truly sympathetic look. "Then let's go to dinner, talk everything over and just get all of the work-talk out of our systems so we can have a nice weekend away from our problems."

"I'd like that." Squeezing Evelyn's hand in a gentle manner Connor fully agreed to the simple yet comforting plan. "And think that'd be beneficial for both of us."

A small bonfire burning in the backyard filled the private property in a warm glow as Hank dropped old leaves, twigs and sticks into the metal ring outlining the bright orange flames in the small hole in the ground. The idea of a bonfire was too tempting to resist and Hank wanted to be able to enjoy the summer night before returning to the precinct the following morning during the Fourth of the July chaos surely awaiting him. As he and Lucas sat around the bonfire with Sumo rolling in the cool grass and nipping at fireflies glowing about as they silently flew through the air Hank felt an odd sense of peace wash over him for the first time in months.

Lucas wasn't familiar with holidays or seasonal traditions but was very interested in learning. Aside from Father's Day the still developing deviant hadn't experienced any holidays whatsoever and was quite curious. Happy to join Hank at the house while leaving Connor and Evelyn the brownstone for themselves the green eyed deviant admired the glow of the fire and counted hundreds of fireflies floating through the air as Hank told him about summer traditions.

"It's too bad you and Connor don't have more Thirium-based food to choose from." Hank commented as he used a long tree branch to adjust the kindling in the bonfire pit to keep it glowing for as long as possible. "Nothing beats a juicy grilled steak while watching a fireworks display."

"Fireworks?"

"Yup. They always put on a show over the Detroit River for everyone to enjoy."

"That'll be interesting to see."

"That's right, you didn't get to see the fireworks on New Year's Eve." Hank remembered that Lucas wasn't around to see that particular day in person. "You were activated the day after."

"Correct. I missed out on many important historic events because I hadn't been activated when they happened."

"Well, we'll make sure that changes." Sighing to himself Hank watched the flames dancing over the branches and thought back to the previous summer nights he used to spend with his family, and longed for such moments at least one more time in his life. "What do you think of Connor and Evelyn?"

"I think Connor is very happy whenever he spends time with her or even speaks with her. She makes him happy."

"Do they talk often?"

"It seems to be a near nightly occurrence." Lucas admitted as Sumo came over to him for some ear rubs. "I can confirm it was every other night due to his blue L.E.D. flashing to yellow at night, but now that his L.E.D. has been disabled I cannot say for certain if his communication has continued on."

Chuckling a little at the comment Hank dropped the branch at his side as he and Lucas sat in the folding lawn chairs on either side of the bonfire. "Hell of a way to figure out what's on his mind. No wonder he doesn't want to have it repaired."

"I'm not spying on him if that's what you're implying."

"Not at all. You're a detective and just being observant, and you're his little brother meaning you're also being protective."

"I do find it fascinating that Connor's mood improves whenever he speaks with Evelyn or when he gets the chance to spend time with you."

"...Yeah?" Not surprised that Connor was happy when talking with Evelyn the senior detective didn't give it a second thought, but knowing that Connor was happy just to hang out with him wasn't something he had been expecting. "That's a relief."

"Oh?" Lucas's still active L.E.D. flashed between blue and yellow as he studied Hank's shocked demeanor closely. "Why is that? He's expressed gratitude toward your friendship numerous times in the past."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... I kinda' thought I fucked that up when he had to sober me up a few weeks back."

"Connor doesn't fault you for having one night of relapse." The younger of the two deviants didn't know what Hank was referring to and assumed it revolved solely around the drinking. "Addiction is very difficult for humans to overcome."

"It's not the drunk part that I thought fucked things over. It's..." Leaning forward to rest his elbows atop his knees Hank let out a deep sigh as he told Lucas the truth about what happened that night. "When he was trying to get me to stop being an asshole I hit him. I punched him in the face but he didn't even blink. I'm not proud of laying my hands on him like that and I won't be able to forgive myself for a long, long time."

"Connor... never said anything about being struck." Lucas genuinely had no idea that such a conflict had occurred after he and Sumo left the house. "He also showed no sign of physical trauma from such a moment."

"Well, being drunk means my hands were shaking and weak. Besides, you two are pretty damn stubborn and resilient. It'd take a lot more than one old man who had too many beers to cause any real damage." Rubbing his right palm over the back of his gray locks of hair Hank leaned back in his chair to try to relax again. "Not that it makes what I did okay or understandable in any way."

"If Connor can forgive you for your momentarily lapse of judgment then I imagine you're going to be punishing yourself beyond anything that Connor could ever try to do."

"I sure as Hell hope so."

"Regardless of your previous actions I know that Connor still trusts and respects you. After all, he was finally willing to stop working so hard after you insisted he go on vacation. He knows you're looking out for him."

"Well, him going on a date and taking the weekend off isn't much of a vacation, but it's a start."

"I believe it's safe to say that Connor is becoming very fond of Evelyn and will continue to enjoy her company."

"Ten bucks says they'll end up officially dating."

Such a comment made Lucas's blue L.E.D. flicker to yellow again. "Is it normal for humans to make such wagers?"

"Yup, but only when we're certain about something."

"That's... logical. I think."

"Well, if you don't want to put the ten bucks down on Connor and Evelyn making it official, would you be willing to put that down on a baseball game?"

"There's a game on tonight?"

"Couple of college teams are warming up for the season and it's always fascinating to see which players are going to make it to the pros and which players are going to go on and have careers elsewhere."

"That sounds interesting." Glancing at the fire still burning in the pit Lucas asked Hank a curious question as he continued to rub Sumo's ears. "What about the bonfire?"

"We can enjoy it a while longer and put it out before going back inside the watch the game. It's not often we have the chance to enjoy something as simple as a summer evening around the bonfire."

Returning to the brownstone while walking hand in hand and talking with a truly enthusiastic energy the young couple walked inside the private space of the brownstone and locked the door behind them. Evelyn had removed her red pumps the moment they entered the study and was eager to give her feet a break after walking through the city. As she sat down on the nearest black leather sofa Evelyn smirked as Connor casually placed the two bottles of complimentary wine down on the coffee table to be enjoyed in a moment. One bottle of wine was a standard red wine that most humans could enjoy and the second bottle of wine was Thirium-based and meant for deviants alone.

While Connor excused himself to the kitchen Evelyn stretched out her legs over the sofa rested her sore ankles for a moment. She was so used to running around in sensible shoes that even a few hours in heels was a little too much for her to bear.

"I never thought I'd actually get the chance to use these." Connor admitted as he returned to the study with two empty wine glasses in his hands. The glasses were more sporadic purchases that he and Lucas had made whenever they chose to browse pawnshops or antique stores to learn a little more about human interests. "I'm glad I can use them properly."

"And I never thought I'd get treated to a wonderful meal by a true gentleman." Evelyn replied as she watched Connor easily remove the corks in the two bottles of wine without needing a corkscrew. Sitting upright on the sofa Evelyn gave Connor more than enough room to sit down beside her. "I'm so glad that we were reunited, even if it was through bizarre tragedy and chance encounter."

"I feel the same." Pouring small amounts of the two wines in the two glasses Connor handed Evelyn her red wine while he picked up his own blue tinted Thirium wine. "I only worry that our friendship and... attraction," feeling himself blush a pale blue as he uttered the word Connor had to force himself to lock eyes with Evelyn as he spoke. "doesn't stem from my own feeling but from my human counterpart."

"That's something very interesting to think about." Sipping at her wine Evelyn decided she liked the taste and took a slightly longer sip. Patting the vacant space to her right Evelyn invited Connor to sit with her. "Can I ask how his feelings could be affecting you?"

"Well, the memories that belong to him seem to have an effect on the few people from his past life that I've been able to meet. You were so familiar to me and it made me feel warm inside." Pressing his left palm over his thumping Thirium pump Connor sipped at his wine in his right hand. The taste was unlike anything that Connor had ever tasted before but he didn't dislike it. "The feeling was very pleasant and I long to feel it whenever I can."

"You sound like you're talking about meeting an old friend. Like... I was with him when we were kids."

"I wonder if the feeling in my chest stems from his experiences and affection as opposed to my own. And if that's the case..."

"Is there any way to find out which feelings are yours versus which feelings are his?"

"Yes." Closing his eyes for a moment Connor isolated the memories from his human counterpart and locked them away in a separate file away from his own memories. The knowledge of Evelyn and his experiences with her were left intact as his memories of going to Chicago were something that his human counterpart had no connection with. Locking away but not deleting the human counterpart's memories allowed Connor to see Evelyn without the bias of the previous memories to affect his judgment. "...I've separated his memories from my own and can no longer acknowledge his past experiences."

"Yeah?" Putting her left palm on Connor's left shoulder Evelyn wanted to see how Connor responded to her touch. Without needing to ask Evelyn saw that small goosebumps appeared along Connor's right hand as his grip began to tremble around his wine glass. "How do you feel about me now?"

Opening his eyes Connor looked at Evelyn and felt the warm, comforting, fluttering feeling in his chest knew that his feelings for Evelyn were his own, not the human counterpart's memories bleeding through. "I feel the same. I think... I think I-"

"Shh..." Pressing her left fingertip over Connor's lips Evelyn gently shushed him as she leaned in closer and put her wine aside on the coffee table. Taking Connor's glass from his hand Evelyn dared herself to finally give Connor a kiss. When he didn't back away but readily reciprocated the kiss Evelyn knew that the feelings they had been discussing were mutual. "I feel the same."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Gingerly Evelyn put her palms to his face and looked into his soulful brown eyes. "I want to be with you, Connor."

"And I want to be with you."

Lowering her hands to wrap around Connor's shoulders Evelyn melted into his touch when he wrapped his arms around her waist and coaxed her into laying back over the couch. In the quiet privacy of the study the two detectives, long lost friends who became close friends and now lovers, bonded even closer as their true feelings for each other were finally made official.

The following morning Hank arrived at the precinct bright and early and began readily sipping at his coffee while sitting down at his desk to work alone for the day. Not complaining about working alone since it meant Connor was finally taking it easy and doing something for himself and not other people, Hank was ready to sit behind his desk and file some paperwork Hank ignored the grumblings from the other officers who were assigned to work during the day. Hank had worked his own fair-share of holidays in the past despite wanting to spend time with his family, but he never once complained about it and had just done what was expected of him.

Interestingly enough the only one aside from himself not complaining was Tina. She was more than happy to work at her own desk alone and handle cases without needing to answer to a supervising officer or deal with Gavin hovering protectively over her shoulder.

Sipping his coffee slowly Hank glanced at Captain Fowler's private office over his right shoulder and knew that Gavin had been given the day off to keep him out of Tina's hair for a while. "Good to know Fowler is still aware of what's happening in the bullpen these days."

"He hasn't lost his touch yet." Ben commented as he passed by Hank's desk and put down a small plate with a slice of apple pie and a plastic fork for Hank to enjoy. "Neither has my wife."

Seeing the dessert being offered made Hank's blue eyes light up. "I can't believe there's still any left!"

"Maria decided to make two pies this time to ensure that everyone who knows about her legendary skills in the kitchen could have a slice."

"Give her my thanks again."

"No problem. How's Connor doing?"

"Well..." Picking up the fork from the plate Hank used its side to cut into the end of the pie to begin eating. "He went out on a date with a lovely young woman and he's finally stopped working."

"No kidding?" Ben was impressed with hearing about Connor developing a social life. "Anyone I know?"

"Nope. You know, unless you have connections in Chicago."

"Nah, my connections go out to Fort Wayne and no further."

"Anyway, Connor's been spending time with a very kind and intelligent young detective from Chicago, and the fact that she's made that drive from Chicago and out to Detroit to see him tells me it's getting serious."

"Think Connor will have the blessing of 'love at first sight'?"

"Not everyone can be as lucky as you and Maria." Taking the first bite of his offered treat Hank shook his head and savored the flavor. "Damn, I think you lucked out more than she did in your marriage."

"Hey, I'm a good cook, too!"

"Only on the grill. Maria can open up her own bakery and earn enough money for retirement within a week."

"True enough." Giving Hank's left shoulder a small pat Ben walked over to his own desk where he had his own selection of goodies waiting for him. "Maria said she's also working on Thirium-based recipes, so I imagine Connor and Jack are going to be her test subjects when she begins experiments."

"Lucky them!"

Enjoying the peace and quiet of the precinct for as long as possible Hank finished eating the apple pie and hoped that everything stayed uneventful for as long as possible. It was rare to have any holiday being so quiet for so long and Hank wanted to savor it as much as he was savoring the delicious pie.

Waking up first Connor looked over at Evelyn curled up against his right side after they retreated to his bedroom upstairs to spend the night together. Grateful to have had the entire brownstone to themselves throughout the evening and night, Connor just wrapped his right arm around Evelyn and held her close as they laid in bed together throughout the remainder of the morning. Even while asleep she seemed so warm and spirited, and the fluttering in Connor's heart returned as he looked at her lovely face. Everything about being in Evelyn's presence was comforting and made Connor feel like he was with someone he could truly trust and even love.

After enjoying breakfast together Connor and Evelyn decided to go see the city and enjoy having the day off to enjoy it as they saw fit. Being able to avoid cases and work in general was enough to make Connor fully relax for a while longer.

Letting out a soft sigh Evelyn opened her blue eyes and looked up at Connor beside her. "Hey."

"Hi." Looking into Evelyn's eyes Connor was happy to see her awake. "Good morning."

"Yes it is." Smirking as she sat upright on the bed Evelyn sighed and looked about the bedroom. "That was one of the best nights I've had in years."

"And we still have the entire day to spend together."

"What do you want to do?"

"Honestly, I'd be content with just laying in bed with you."

"You're so sweet and so romantic." Resting her chin over Connor's chest Evelyn gave him a stare of admiration. "But we should do something so we don't waste the day."

"Agreed. Besides, Lucas will be returning to the brownstone before noon." Running his right fingers through Evelyn's now loose locks of blonde hair Connor contemplated what they could do that day. "We should prepare for the day and leave so he can handle any potential cases at the brownstone today."

"You're right." Grabbing on to Connor's right hand with her left hand Evelyn pulled Connor off of the bed alongside her. Standing toe to toe with him as they stood in the middle of the bedroom in the buff Evelyn gave him another soft kiss. "We should go shower off and get ready for the day."

"Together?"

"Of course." Pulling on Connor's hand Evelyn led him into the bathroom across the hallway right behind her. "It's a great way to save time and water!"

"You're so resourceful." Grinning a little as he joined Evelyn inside the bathroom Connor closed the door behind himself with his left foot and stepped into the shower right alongside Evelyn. "One more reason to love you."

The hot day came to an end and a majority of the citizens had gathered around Hart Plaza and Riverside Park to get ready to watch the fireworks over the river itself. Only a handful of people had caused any problems for the city and that was a welcomed change of pace for everyone. While everyone seemed to enjoy staying home to have barbecues and small parties to celebrate the major summer holiday Hank had elected to go to the park to patrol during the show, and to hopefully keep chaos to a minimum. During that time he received an update from Connor and Lucas on his phone letting him know that he'd soon have company while on patrol.

Connor and Evelyn had gone to the Detroit Zoo to walk around and enjoy the exhibits and Lucas handled private cases back at the brownstone. While the young couple had a day of rest and vacation Lucas helped find a missing deviant who had been afflicted with memory loss and reunite them with their concerned friends at the nearest shelter.

All in all, it was a good day!

Connor, Evelyn and Lucas had arrived together to sit with Hank beside the Oldsmobile and spend the rest of the holiday together. From where he was sitting on the hood of the Oldsmobile Hank could see Connor and Evelyn holding hands as they sat together on the trunk of the car a few feet away and just smirked. He knew they were growing closer as a couple and could only hope that Lucas, who was standing just to his left by the front of the car, would be able to experience something as wonderful as love.

"The show's going to begin soon." Hank announced as he checked the time on his phone. Eager to see the show in person for the first time in four years Hank crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the explosions to begin. "Let's hope I don't have to get called out to handle some stupid bullshit."

Right on cue the first firework burst in the night sky filling the blackness overhead with a shower of red sparks that lit up the night. The echoing crackle of the explosion made Lucas flinch for a moment but soon he adapted to the loud sound and continued to observe the colorful display fearlessly. Many other people began to 'ooh' and 'awe' at the display and others held up their phones to record the display overhead.

While Hank and Lucas enjoyed the show Connor and Evelyn simply enjoyed each other's company. Holding hands and watching the show with faint smirks on their faces the couple found a sense of calmness that they had been coveting for too long.

"Evelyn?" Speaking her name in a gentle voice Connor held her hand a little tighter. "Would you stay the night with me one more time before you go home?"

"I hoped you'd ask." Blushing at the questions Evelyn let out a small hushed sigh of relief knowing Connor was thinking the same thing. "I'd love to spend more time with you before I go back to Chicago."

"And when will we see each other again?"

"As soon as possible." Leaning against Connor's right side Evelyn watched the fireworks overhead and enjoyed the supportive warmth of the deviant wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. "I think I'll ask for a reassignment to somewhere here in Detroit once I get the deviant division in Chicago handled properly."

"You'd... transfer to Detroit from Chicago?" The suggestion made Connor's soulful brown eyes light up with excitement. "For me?"

"Well, yes! I've been lurking in Chicago my whole life because that's where my grandparents lived and I've never had a reason to leave. That is," wrapping her left arm around Connor's waist Evelyn pulled him even closer to her side. "until now. I think you're someone worth taking a chance on and finding a life beyond just lingering in Detroit and hoping to move on from my past pain. I don't want to let lost lives keep me from living my own anymore."

"I think I understand." Using his left fingertips Connor briefly touched his dull L.E.D. in his right temple and glanced up at the next burst of fiery color overhead. The L.E.D. was indeed a scar from his past but that didn't mean it was a scar Connor had to let define his future. "I want to move on from the past, too."

-next chapter-