It only took Hank a single request to Captain Fowler get the full weekend off so he could hopefully get Connor out of his mental funk and back to feeling more like his usual self. With a little luck and a lot of patience Hank had managed to secure a deposit to rent the old cabin he used to spend summers at with his late wife and son to use for that same weekend. The cabin was also the same location where Connor and Hank had scattered Connor's human counterpart's ashes in the lake only a few months before, and as such it was a very personal and private place for the unorthodox group to reside. With any luck the isolated location would be able to provide the stressed out deviant with a sense of grounding and peace.

Not long after arriving at the cabin with Connor, Lucas and Sumo alongside him, Hank proceeded to check out the cabin while the two deviants explored the nearby forest with Sumo leading the way. Being able to walk on thick grass - the actual forest floor, see towering trees that weren't planted for pure aesthetics and encounter wild animals that weren't at risk of being killed in the streets, was oddly foreign to the two deviant brothers.

"I wonder if this is how humans feel when they remark about stepping into a 'new world'?" Lucas's green eyes were trailing over the massive tree canopy overhead and watching the six different species of birds idling in the tree branches and singing their unique songs. A chipmunk ran over a branch directly over Lucas's head and shook the leaves in a notable rustling sound. "This place is very different from the laboratory and tower where we were created."

Not saying a word Connor glanced about the forest as his scanner detected the presences of various birds, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, foxes, possums, deer, rabbits and skunks having been recently in the area. The wide array of creatures all peacefully coexisting with one another made the prospect of humans and androids disagreeing with one another just for being alive seem almost primitive in comparison.

"Sumo seems to have found an interesting scent." Taking notice of the large Saint Bernard curiously sniffing at the forest floor and trailing the scent to an overturned log Lucas picked up on the tiny form of a rabbit hiding under the log to keep out of sight. "A male juvenile cottontail rabbit."

Looking over at the downed log Connor detected the rabbit as well and didn't want Sumo to accidentally harm it just by being curious. Approaching the massive dog slowly Connor grabbed on to Sumo's thick collar and began pulling him back and away from the log. "...Leave the rabbit alone."

"I have his leash with me." Reaching into the pocket of hiking cargo pants along his left calf Lucas pulled the leash from the pocket and clipped the lead to Sumo's collar to help hold him back from the cowering little rabbit. "It might be best to return to the cabin to ensure Sumo doesn't get too close to the other animals or encounter any ticks and fleas."

Agreeing to lead Sumo back out of the forest and to the cabin Connor trailed after Lucas at a slower pace than his little brother. Using his right fingertips Connor tugged at the fabric of the cargo pants he was wearing and noted that he didn't like the alternate material from his usual denim jeans. He and Lucas had elected to wear the more appropriate clothing at Hank's request but Connor didn't like the change. Wearing just his usual dark jeans and a simple t-shirt was all he wanted to do, even in the intense summer heat.

Passing through the treeline of the forest outlining the side of the cabin's property Connor watched as Lucas had to essentially wrestle Sumo to the cabin's backdoor to ensure he didn't go after the hidden rabbit still safe back in the forest. The idea of someone as gentle as Sumo accidentally harming something as fragile as a little rabbit seemed impossible, but Connor knew how strong Sumo was and knew that accidents could happen even with the best of intentions trying to prevent them.

Walking over to the dock at the rear of the property Connor listened to the sound of his tan work boots rhythmically stepping over the wooden structure and noticed that with each step he took the water in the lake beneath the dock would ripple around the supports holding the dock up and out of the lake itself. Under those ripples the vegetation growing out of the lake bed would gently wave about and tiny minnows would scatter in fear at the unintentional disturbances.

As he reached the end of the dock Connor looked out at the otherwise still water and sat down slowly to sit cross-legged on the wooden surface to rest in the sun and watch the fish swimming about just a few feet away. There was something incredibly calming about watching the schools of fish swimming through the cool water without any mind to Connor's presence that it made the deviant feel at ease.

Additional footsteps trailed down the dock as Hank joined Connor out on the lake. Sitting down beside the deviant Hank dipped his bare feet into the cool water and leaned back against his palms as he let the summer sun warm his skin. "Lucas is running a brush through Sumo's fur to make sure no ticks or fleas found their way on his back. Think Sumo will cooperate with another grooming if we let him into the lake to cool off?"

"I don't know." Not interested in the conversation Connor's voice lost all emotion and in turn Connor sounded more machine than deviant. "I don't think Sumo cares about anything we do to him."

"Not true. Sumo adores the way you and Lucas go out of your way to give him extra attention and affection all the time. I don't think he's been in such great shape since I lost..." Not wanting to complete the sentence Hank let Connor complete it for himself. "You know."

Feeling a little guilt about dredging up old and painful memories Connor fell silent again.

"Why don't you go for a swim?" Hank suggested casually as he moved his feet back in forth in the cool water under the dock. "Hell, I'm going to take a dip and cool off soon."

"I'm not interested in swimming."

"Well, if ya' change your mind you know where the lake is." Standing up on the dock Hank gave Connor's right shoulder a small pat and turned around to head toward the cabin again. "I'm going to find my swim trunks and put on the entire bottle of sunscreen to keep my pasty-white ass from busting into flames."

Remaining in place on the dock Connor slumped his shoulders as he leaned forward and stare at the fish still gracefully swimming about the water just under the surface. The sound of chirping birds and buzzing cicadas filled the air in a persistent chorus all around the lake. A new sound, something much louder and much closer, caught Connor's attention and caused him to lift his gaze from the lake wate and to the air before him.

A bright teal colored dragonfly with solid black wings was hovering in front of Connor as if curious about the deviant.

Equally curious about the little insect Connor extended his right hand toward the insect as he ran a scan over the creature. The dragonfly was a calopteryx maculata; a.k.a an ebony jewelwing.

"...Hello?"

The small insect hovered in the air for a moment longer before flying over to Connor's hand and landing on his thumb. Crawling about the deviant's hand as Connor slowly turned his hand over to let the harmless insect sit in his palm the shining insect extended its wings a few times to show off the pure blackness of the strong wings as if trying to make friends with the deviant.

"I've never seen a dragonfly in person."

As the dragonfly patiently sat in Connor's palm and slowly flapped its wings the deviant felt an unusual sense of trust coming from the insect. In a matter of seconds Connor could easily wrap his fingers around the defenseless creature and crush it in his strong grip, yet the dragonfly seemingly didn't care. It decided to trust Connor and rest on his hand as if it had known the deviant for its entire life and knew he'd never harm it.

"Who's your friend?" Hank returned to the dock with a white towel draped over his shoulder and wearing his black swim trunks. Noticing that Connor had the little dragonfly resting on his hand gave the senior detective flashbacks to catching fireflies with Cole every summer to watch them glow in a jaw for a couple of hours and then let them fly free before the night was over. "...I haven't seen a dragonfly up close like that before."

"Neither have I."

"It must know that you're not a threat."

Such a bold statement made Connor turn his head and look up at Hank standing behind him. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, kid. Animals, including insects, know when a person is a threat to them or not. If he's willing to chill with you by the water then it's safe to say that he knows you aren't going to hurt it."

Turning away from Hank again Connor stared at the shiny insect's body and pure black wings with a sense of fascination. "I doubt that this dragonfly has such insight into people, regardless if that person is a human or an android."

"No way. Sumo loves ya' and don't think I haven't noticed the way you'll take still edible food scraps from the bullpen out the backdoor to leave by the dumpster for the local strays to eat."

Blushing a pale blue Connor silently admitted that Hank was right about that. He had in fact been going out of his way to feed the stray animals without getting caught in the act.

"Anyway," dropping the towel from his shoulder and onto the dock Hank stepped off of the dock and into the lake to check the water. It was cool but not cold making it perfect for relaxing in the summer heat. "I'm going for a swim." Wading out into the water until it was up to his waist Hank fell forward to begin swimming out deeper into the middle of the lake. "See ya' later, son!"

Watching as Hank easily swam out into the crystal clean lake to cool off from the increasing summer heat Connor sighed and wondered if the little dragonfly on his hand could suffer from the heat as well. It seemed plausible since the dragonfly was a living creature and just as vulnerable as any other living creature around it.

"Is Hank already in the lake?" Lucas asked as he too joined Connor on the dock. Wearing white swim trunks and carrying his own white towel Lucas spotted Hank's towel already on the dock. "Oh, apparently so."

"Yes." Standing up slowly as to not frighten the dragonfly in his palm Connor gave his little brother a simple nod of his head. "He's just gone out for a swim."

"I'll swim out after him." Noticing the dragonfly on Connor's hand Lucas's blue L.E.D. flickered toyellow for a moment as he scanned over the insect. "A male ebony jewelwing dragonfly. Quite beautiful."

"Yes, he is. I'm going to put him in a shady spot so he doesn't succumb to the heat."

"Afterward you should join us in the lake." Lucas wanted his older brother to be a part of the family and have some fun during the weekend. "I know you can't be comfortable sitting in long pants and a dark colored t-shirt all day."

"I'll be fine as long as I remain in the shade."

"At least remove your boots." Watching his brother carrying the dragonfly over to the shady treeline of the forest Lucas couldn't help but remind Connor of the sands of Miami during their rescue mission of Ethan a few months prior. "I imagine the cool grass and texture of the lake bed would be reminiscent of the Floridian beaches."

The positive memory of walking the Miami beach reminded Connor of how much he loved the water and of how freeing it felt to remove his shoes and socks, and just walk about barefoot. "...Maybe."

"I'll return to the dock within the hour." Placing his towel down next to Hank's towel Lucas stepped off the edge of the dock and was met with water up to his hips. Wading out a little deeper Lucas's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow as if nervous about something and began swimming out into the middle of the lake. "I hope you join us!"

Finding a large rock in the shade sitting on the sandy shore of the lake and within the shade Connor sat down on the boulder and removed his tan work boots and socks as he sat down on the heavy stone. Watching the dragonfly on his hand for a moment longer Connor sighed and reached out his palm toward a nearby bundle of cattails and let the dragonfly walk onto the coffee brown plant under its own freewill.

"You're lucky."

Speaking to the insect as if waiting for a moment to talk in private Connor pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees as he watched the teal colored dragonfly resting on the cattail bloom. Free to speak to an unbiased living creature who had never known Connor until the day gave the deviant an odd feeling of release.

"You don't have any responsibilities beyond keeping yourself alive and safe. I have to protect myself, my little brother, my best friend, my girlfriend, my clients, my colleagues and even total strangers who often bring about their own misfortune through poor decisions. It's too much to handle sometimes, and I just wish other people could understand that when I feel sad or overwhelmed it's not because I'm trying to escape my responsibilities, it's because I'm trying to find a way to handle all of my responsibilities without making any mistakes. Even then... I continue to make mistakes despite my best efforts."

The way the dragonfly lingered on the cattail and seemed to be listening to what Connor was saying was oddly comforting.

"I know that everyone I care about keeps telling me that I'm not at fault, but I am. I'm suppose to protect people, not let them down. The keep telling me I'm not at fault and it feels like they're trying to push me back into my responsibilities before I'm ready to do it. I may have done the right thing but it still feels wrong and I can't just walk away from killing someone as if nothing had happened. I want to save lives, not take them."

The dragonfly flexed its pure black wings twice more before hovering in the air and flying out over the lake with a loud buzz that became quieter as the dragonfly flew away.

Watching as the insect flew out toward the center of the lake Connor's keen eyes noticed something unusual in the clear water. Standing up on the stone Connor scanned the curious anomaly and realized he was looking at the amber glow of an android's L.E.D. submerged under the surface. When the light turned from yellow to red Connor felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.

"Lucas?!"

Cybernetically Connor tried to reach out to his little brother but didn't receive a response.

Knowing that something was horribly wrong Connor responded to the situation on pure instinct and need to protect his family. Rushing out into the lake while still wearing his cargo pants and t-shirt Connor dove into the water and began swimming out to the source of the glow in the depths of the lake. Estimating that the glow was almost eight feet down from the surface Connor took in a deep breath to prevent any water from entering his ventilation biocomponents and dove down toward the glowing light.

Thanks to his superior android vision and the clear water of the lake Connor was able to easily see Lucas floating near the bottom of the lake bed not moving and unconscious. His arms and legs were entangled in thick weeds growing from the soft silt beneath. Swimming down to where Lucas was ensnared in the vegetation Connor worked to pull the strangling weeds from Lucas's limbs to free him from the natural noose. Once Lucas was clear of the thick flora Connor wrapped both arms around his little brother's chest and pulled Lucas's back up against his own chest before he began frantically kicking toward the surface.

Breaking through the calm surface of the lake Connor let out his breath and proceeded to call for Hank's help as loud as he could while holding Lucas against his chest. "HANK!?"

Fortunately, Hank hadn't been too far away and quickly responded to Connor's voice. "Connor?"

"I need help!" Swimming back to the dock easily twenty feet away from where he he had found Lucas at the bottom of the lake Connor used his left arm to support Lucas while using his right arm and both legs to swim forward. Making sure Lucas was floating on his back with his head out of the water Connor swam as fast he could to get his little brother out of the water. "It's Lucas!"

Hearing the actual fear in Connor's voice Hank swam as fast as he could and was soon swimming as quickly as Connor and helped the deviant carry Lucas through the water and back over to the dock once they were in shallow enough water to stand up. The two detectives worked together to lift Lucas up and place him down on his back over the surface of the stable wooden dock.

"I don't know how long he was submerged." Connor noted as he put both hands on the edge of the dock and pushed himself out of the water and knelt down on Lucas's right side. Bending down Connor pressed his right ear down against Lucas's chest while running a quick scan and confirmed that Lucas was in emergency stasis mode and had massive amounts of the lake water in both of his ventilation biocomponents. "He's suffering from ventilation effusion."

"From what?" Pulling himself up and onto the dock to kneel beside the deviant's left side Hank grabbed on to the two towels left behind on the dock and began to dry off Lucas's face and chest while Connor proceeded to lay both of his palms flat over Lucas's upper chest over top of where Lucas's artificial lungs were located. Connor pressed down as hard as he could in a rhythmic pattern to try to force the water out of Lucas's ventilation biocomponents. "What the hell-"

"He's drowned and has water congesting his artificial lungs." Breaking the compressions just long enough to lower Lucas's jaw and give him two rescue breaths Connor explained what was happening while trying to revive his little brother. "Until the water is removed he won't be able to reboot from emergency stasis mode and he'll suffer from numerous complications."

"Ah, fuck..." Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of Lucas's neck Hank instinctively checked for a pulse without actually remembering that Lucas had enhancements that gave him human pulse points, and that Connor received enhancements that gave him the same physical reactions. It was just an instinctive reflex "Come on, Lucas. You gotta' wake up."

After completing the second round of compressions Connor gave Lucas two more rescue breaths to help force the water out of his artificial lungs. A sputtering cough and a gurgling of water erupted from Lucas's mouth in a white foam as his red L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a beat and returned to red as it cycled faster and faster in his right temple.

"Roll him!" Connor shouted as he and Hank rolled Lucas onto his right side and shifted his arms and legs to put him in the recovery position. Waiting for Lucas to finish coughing up the water the two detectives supported the deviant and patted his back in a comforting manner. "That's good, Lucas. Keep coughing."

Hank let out a sigh of relief then winced as Lucas threw-up some dark blue Thirium to rid the dirty lake water from his artificial lungs, his artificial stomach and his throat. "Fuck, that's a lot of blood."

"It's necessary." Fearless about the reaction Connor didn't even blink at the excess Thirium be thrown-up. "It's removing any potential contaminants from his system."

"As long as he's still alive after this I don't care how much Thirium he has to puke up."

"Lucas?" Gently turning Lucas onto his back again after he stopped coughing and throwing-up Connor pressed his right palm over the center of his little brother's chest to check his vitals through direct contact. "Lucas, please respond."

The red L.E.D. cycled into yellow and slowed its pulsing beat as Lucas took in a single deep breath and then fell into a steady breathing pattern.

"Lucas, open your eyes!"

Turning his head slightly from side to side Lucas's cracked opened his green eyes and looked up at Connor and Hank as the two detectives hovered protectively over him. Running a self diagnostic Lucas confirmed what had happened to him and confirmed that his Thirium volume was now much lower than it had been before he had gone out into the lake. "...Connor."

"You're okay." Responding to Lucas's voice in a reassuring manner Connor slipped his left hand beneath Lucas's hair and cushioned his head from the hard surface of the dock. "Your system will recalibrate soon."

Hank used the two damp towels to cover Lucas's chest and abdomen from the intense sunlight until the deviant could get up and move around. "What the hell happened out there, son? One minute you were swimming a few feet away from me, the next minute Connor's carrying you back to shore."

"I... I detected some rare underwater flora and wanted to examine it." Lucas admitted as he caught his breath and slowly regained his strength. "I got too close and my left ankle became ensnared in a strong weed. When I dove down in an attempt to free myself I... I panicked."

"Panicked?" Using his strong hands Hank helped Lucas to sit upright on the dock and checked over Lucas's legs for any sign of damage from being tangled in the strong plants. There was a faint blue bruise around Lucas's left ankle where he had been snagged. "You don't seem like the type of person to panic."

"I'm not sure what caused it." The confusion was thick in Lucas's tone as he took in deep breaths and let his system recalibrate. "But once my head was submerged under the water's surface my system tried to override my actions and force me to resurface. The two conflicting responses caused me to seize up in the water and begin to sink as the weeds wrapped tighter around my legs."

"Weird. Sounds like you got a little hydrophobia."

"Hydrophobia. The fear of water..." Lucas considered the suggestion as his yellow L.E.D. blinked a little quicker then resumed its slower pace. "I have no reason to fear the water."

"I have no reason to fuckin' hate pigeons, but I do." Hank's response was as casual as ever. "Fears don't always make sense, kid."

Taking hold of Lucas's right arm Connor pulled the limb around his shoulders and stood up from his kneeling position slowly to help his little brother stand up on his own feet. "Lean on me, Lucas. You need to get inside the cabin to rest."

Agreeing entirely Hank took hold of Lucas's left arm to help carry him toward the backdoor of the cabin across the grassy property. "We'll get ya' inside and into some dry clothes. Do you need to go see a technician?"

"No." Lucas's self diagnostic confirmed that no foreign contaminants were left in his system and that he hadn't sustained any damage to his biocomponents that would require immediate technical assistance. "I just need to replenish my Thirium volume."

"That won't be a problem." Opening the backdoor Hank let Connor take all of Lucas's weight and carry the recovering deviant inside the cabin to rest. Following after the two brothers Hank made sure neither deviant stumbled or needed any help walking. "Go upstairs and shower off. I'll get ya' some Thirium from the refrigerator and some clean clothes to wear."

"Thank you, Hank."

Connor guided Lucas upstairs and into the large bathroom on the second floor, and made sure Lucas had enough strength to stand upright in the shower before letting him alone. "What's your Thirium volume currently at?"

"Down to eighty-two percent."

"You should be able to recover without technical assistance as long as your Thirium volume has been replenished and as long as your system successfully removed all the water from your system."

"I'm certain it did." Turning on the shower Lucas stepped into the enclosed space and remained in his swim trunks to remove the lake water from his skin and hair. As the water poured through his dark hair Lucas turned to look at Connor on the other side of the shower door and gave him his appreciation. "You saved my life today, brother. Thank you for being there for me when I really needed it."

Processing what Lucas was telling him Connor realized he in fact had saved Lucas's life. In that moment of realization Connor felt a crushing weight lift from his heart and swore he could finally take in a deep breath without feeling guilt behind doing something as harmless as existing.

"...Y-You're welcome." As the veil of darkness was lifted from his eyes Connor took a step backward and toward the bathroom door. "I'll find you some clean clothes." Nearly bumping into Hank as he stepped out of the bathroom Connor gave the senior detective a stunned look. "He's... He's okay."

"I know he is." Holding a bottle of chilled Thirium in his right hand Hank clamped his left hand down on Connor's right shoulder. "How about you?"

"I'm fine. I didn't nearly-"

"Kid, I'm not asking if you almost drowned." Being more specific about his concerns Hank gave the deviant a knowing look. "I'm asking if you're okay after what just happened."

"I... I think I am."

"Okay." Giving Connor's shoulder a small shake Hank handed Connor the Thirium to give to Lucas. "I'm going to go and get you both some dry clothes. After he's finished his shower you're going to take one, too."

Glancing down at his soaked clothing clinging uncomfortably to his skin Connor sighed and nodded at the suggestion. "You're right." Accepting the bottle of Thirium Connor returned to the bathroom and placed the crucially needed elixir down on the sink. "Hank will return with your clothes in a minute. I'll be outside the bathroom door if you need me and your Thirium is on the sink."

"Thank you." Lucas replied from the shower as he finished rinsing the lake water from his hair. "I'll be fine on my own for a minute."

"I know you will." Closing the door behind himself Connor pressed his back against the wall to the left of the door and slid down to the floor. Pressing his right hand over his eyes Connor only became aware of his hand trembling from residual fear once it was directly in front of his vision, and soon had Hank's palm resting on his damp hair. "...He's okay."

"Yup. And so are you." Kneeling down beside Connor on the floor for a moment Hank gave the shaken deviant some much needed reassurance. "Everything is going to be okay. Just sit there, breathe, take your shower, change your clothes and go down into the livingroom to unwind while Lucas gets some rest. I'll take care of everything else."

"Okay, Hank."

Standing back up Hank knocked on the bathroom door and placed Lucas and Connor's clean clothes inside the bathroom for the two deviants to change into after they showered off. Exiting the bathroom just as quickly as he entered Hank gave Connor a proud smirk and headed toward the staircase to get to the ground floor. "I'll shower off after you two finish, then I'll go and start a bonfire out back. Hopefully we'll have more luck with fire than water tonight."

Evening fell over the lake and a bright red sunset glowed over the crystal clear water causing it to shine like a crystal. The three detectives were sitting on two fallen logs positioned around the roaring bonfire and wearing dry jeans and t-shirts compared to their previously soaked clothing. While Lucas had nearly drowned and Hank got a slightly sunburn on the back of his neck, Connor managed to escape the day without any physical pain. Watching the fireflies glowing over the lake and watching as Sumo lazily plodded after a few of the little bugs floating in the air trying to sniff them or nip at them, Connor sighed and felt a sense of contentment he hadn't felt in months.

It was peaceful and quiet over the lake save for the buzzing cicadas in the trees. The air was cool, the grass was soft and the stars were beginning to dot the steadily darkening night sky.

"Not the best start to a vacation." Hank admitted as he looked over at Lucas beside him and then to Connor sitting to Lucas's right. "But not the worst, either."

Lucas's brow arched as he gave Hank a perplexed look. "Do I dare ask what was the worst start to a vacation?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna' know."

"I believe you."

Connor looked out at the lake where he had given his human counterpart a respectful send-off months prior and where he had almost lost his little brother that very afternoon. The prospect of life and death was so bizarre that the deviant detective couldn't stop thinking about how a single choice could have such a drastic, permanent impact that'd be felt for the rest of time. Pressing his bare feet down against the cool grass before the log Connor felt more relaxed and let out a soft sigh in response.

"I see you took my advice and removed your shoes." Lucas noticed that Connor was barefoot and gave him an amused grin. "I'm glad you did."

"As am I." Realizing that if he kept his heavy boots on during the afternoon then he wouldn't have been able to swim out into the lake to save Lucas when he was drowning. Another simple decision that had a long lasting impact that didn't seem important at the time. "I'll go and get them from the shore."

Walking past the bonfire Connor rubbed his left palm down Sumo's back along the way as Sumo continued to plod about the area. Reaching the shoreline and the boulder where he had dropped his boots Connor picked them off the sandy terrain just as he spotted a familiar looking dragonfly roosting on the cattail bloom growing out of the water. Curiously Connor was about to reach out toward the dragonfly two more identical insects appeared and joined the first dragonfly on the same bloom.

"It looks like you do have a family to look after, too."

Holding his boots in his right hand Connor admired the trio of dragonflies huddled together on the small bloom. It was a kind reminder that no one was truly alone in the world no matter where they went.

"I want to get back to my family and make sure they know how much I care about them and that I want to protect them. If you hadn't flown out toward the lake when you did then I may not have... I don't want to think about it."

The very idea of losing his little brother was too painful to consider. He already came close to losing Lucas twice before and that day made it a third time.

"It may sound strange to say, but, thank you. You not only pulled my attention to the lake but you gave me someone to finally talk to and understand my own thoughts and feelings without worrying about being judged. I hope you and your family have a peaceful life at this lake for as long as possible."

Turning his back on the harmless dragonflies and the lake itself Connor paused for a moment and then turned to look out at the water of his right shoulder.

"And... I'm not sure if you can hear me considering you've long since passed away, but I hope you're at peace too. You didn't deserve to lose you life for trying to save another life. No one does."

The gratitude toward his human counterpart and even the dragonflies went unheard by anyone else as Connor walked back toward his family.

Resuming his trek through the grass and back to his family Connor began to feel as if his decisions weren't nearly as complicated, bleak or disastrous as he had tried to convince himself to be. Yes, he did kill a deviant but it wasn't out of maliciousness or a desire to harm anyone, it was to protect a fellow officer from a confirmed killer.

While Connor would never truly get over Pamela's death he would finally be able to move forward and still have a happy life.

Rejoining his family by the bonfire Connor sat down beside Lucas on the log again and stared out at the lake just in time to see the sun setting in the horizon and a falling star streaking across the inky black sky. The beauty of nature and life itself was a powerful reminder that despite Connor's hesitations and fears of the future the world would continue to spin without waiting for his approval, and he'd just have to adapt just as he had always done.

"Hank?" Putting his boots down on the grass beside the log Connor looked over at the senior detective sitting before the glowing bonfire. "Thank you for bringing us out here. This was a very good idea."

"You're welcome, son." The relief was palpable. "I'm just glad you two are feeling better and can finally relax."

"Tomorrow we should explore the lake a little more." Running scan over the area Connor realized how isolated they were and yet not entirely alone. "There's a rental shop nearby where we can rent a boat and travel through the water quickly."

"You got it, kid." Putting his hand on Lucas's shoulder Hank gave the younger deviant a confident nod. "We can't let one slip-up ruin our whole weekend, right?"

"Yes." Agreeing entirely Lucas didn't want to let his fear hold him back from his living his life. Just like Connor he was determined to keep moving forward. "We'll continue with the vacation and not let one incident hold us back."

-next chapter-