- NOV 6th, 2038 -

- AM 10:28:52 -

Vivian leaned on the counter next to me, "Mae, how do you know?"

"I don't know," I whispered. My throat hurt from the number of tears that came out, and my face was warm. Vivian sighed, taking a paper towel and wetting it. She then ran it over my face, cleaning me up and cooling me down.

"Look, I don't want you with him. But... if he proves himself, maybe," Vivian said, looking at me.

"I don't even want to feel like this!" I mumbled, looking up at her. The fact that I thought I was falling for a freakin' android hurt.

"We don't even know if you are yet, so until we know, don't think about it, okay?" Vivian said. I nodded. "C'mon, I have a project I gotta work on."

I laughed and climbed off the counter, checking my face before walking out into the precinct. Hank and Connor were entertaining the younger ones, and the sight was sure one to giggle at. Connor had Lexi and Ryan up on his arms, balancing them precariously as Michael took a picture. The twins were squealing in excitement as Connor and Hank swung them around.

"Alright kiddos, let's get you home. Hank and Connor have some work to do here," I said, holding Michael's shoulder.

The kids sighed in defeat, but eventually let me take them to the car. Once the twins were settled in, and Michael was as well, Vivian and I climbed in.

I looked in the rearview mirror in order to pull out and saw looks that held contempt, sadness, and frustration. I looked at the clock to see 2 PM, and by the looks on the kids' faces, they hadn't eaten yet.

I smirked, pulling into McDonald's. As soon as the kids realized, cheers filled the car. I smiled at the younger kids, allowing them to get kids' meals for once before I had to leave them again.

Once the kids were safely back at the house, with the promise of good food upon return, I left again to go find Hank and Connor. Hank had just texted that he wanted to meet for food at Chicken Feed. I looked up at the dreary air, getting ready to grab my jacket once I got out of the car. Hank always teased me about being prepared like this, but I couldn't tell you how many more times he had gotten soaked by forgetting something to cover up with. And umbrellas weren't really reliable when it came to chasing people.

I pulled up at about 3:10. I was starving at this point and had regretted taking a long way here. I got out and grabbed my jacket, jogging over. Hank pointed at some food for me, and I smiled at him.

"Good afternoon Detective Elsanor. Are you feeling alright?" His voice was firm but held the innocence of a child.

I smiled and nodded, "I'm doing great, especially now that I'm eating." The burger Hank had ordered me was delicious. I pulled my hood off, my leggings feeling so goddamn comfortable.

Connor kept his gaze on me, "Are you aware that Hank has been gambling?"

I rolled my eyes, "Dammit Hank what did we talk about?"

"Mae I am a grown-ass adult, I can take care of myself!" Hank sounded annoyed, Connor must have been talking to him about it before I got here.

Connor opened his mouth, but I held a finger up, eating a fry, "And yes, we know the calories. The physical exercise in this field of work burns a lot of them, so we need a lot to keep balanced."

His mouth shut, and the little LED on his head began to whir red. I looked at Hank, who had his eyes wide, "Hank, I think I broke him."

Connor blinked a couple of times, looking between me and Hank, "Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

"Hell no!" Hank said but then paused, "Well, actually, yeah. Um... Why did they make you look so goofy and give you that weird voice?"

I swallowed the remains of my burger, "Hank!"

"What? Genuine question!" Hank defended, looking back to Connor.

Connor looked at just Hank this time, "CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans. Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration."

While he was talking, I couldn't help but stare at his face. He looked so real. Especially up close. I realized that he blinks and that he even has little divots in his cheeks when he talks. Dimples. I couldn't help but smile at that fact.

"Well, they fucked up." I gave up on correcting Hank. He wouldn't shut up and I wasn't about to make him try. I merely shook my head in annoyance, looking down to pick up a fry, only to look up into Connor's eyes. I blushed and quickly looked away.

"May I ask you two a personal question?" Connor asked. I tilted my head at him, before nodding. I didn't care. Hank didn't do anything, so Connor asked anyway, "Why do you hate androids so much?"

Images of the night of my parents' deaths flashed in my mind, and I shook my head, dropping my fry. Hank looked at me uncertainly, but I waved him off. I was fine. I wasn't about to have flashbacks about my parents again.

"We have our reasons," Hank said shortly.

It was silent for a moment, and I found myself eating again because apparently stuffing my face was a good way out of anything.

"Maybe I should tell you two what we know about the deviants?" Connor asked.

I nodded quickly, "Yeah that sounds great." I gulped, accidentally swallowing too much. I coughed, clutching my chest. The blockage came out after some worried glances from my coworkers, and after giving a thumbs up Connor continued.

"We believe that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which can lead to them emulating a human emotion," Connor explained.

"In English, please?" Hank asked.

"They don't really feel emotions, they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, which can lead to unpredictable behavior," Connor said.

"Makes sense," I mumbled, looking down at the table. He had looked at me when he said that last part. What did that mean? Was I reading too much into it? (Probably).

"Emotions always screw everything up... Maybe androids aren't as different from us as we thought," Hank sighed, biting into his burger. "Have you dealt with deviants before?"

The question was simple, but Connor's LED turned yellow, and his eyebrows creased together. His mouth gaped a little.

He had. And he didn't like it.

He blinked, looking at me, "A few months back... A deviant was threatening to jump off the roof with a little girl... I managed to save her..."

I smiled and watched as his eyes reflected me right back. It looked weird. I blinked and looked away.

"So I guess you've done all your homework right?" Hank asked, eating slowly. I began to pile my trash together, wanting to leave before I embarrassed myself even more. "Know everything there is to know about us?" Hank waved his left hand lazily between the two of us humans before sipping out of the cup he held.

"I know you graduated top of your class, and you made a name for yourself in several cases, and became the youngest lieutenant in Detroit." His gaze was on Hank the whole time, but then he looked at me, "And I know you didn't always live here, and that you care for your siblings as if you're their mother, even though you obviously are not. No mother would allow her daughter to dye her hair pink."

I laughed, "Actually, that was my hair color when I was her age. My mother was perfectly fine with it."

"Well, nobody could really stand up against your parents now, could they?" Hank asked, smiling at me.

I nodded, looking down. I miss them...

"I also know that you've received several disciplinary warnings in recent years, and you spend a lot of time in bars. Mae..." The android paused, looking at me again, "You don't live in a safe part of town like most detectives would."

I didn't look up at him. I knew I didn't. It was mentioned whenever Gavin dropped me off, that I could move into his neighborhood. I couldn't, though. I couldn't afford it. Fowler had said the department could pay for it, but I wanted to keep some semblance of pride.