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Author's Notes: Hi everyone. Starting the last third of this story. I'm so excited to get it finished and out there. Thank you so much for those of you who have been with the story thus far. I appreciate it. I hope you are still enjoying it.

Chicago: Become Human

Chapter Sixteen: Ships in the Harbor

Late September 2038- One month three weeks until the android revolution

"Samantha, get up." Connor was shaking her shoulder urgently, his words a harsh whisper. "You have to get up right now!"

Sleep was like a dark, heavy blanket in a deep, silent cave under the ocean. Being pulled from such depths was like being dragged out of the grave for Samantha. Unless a nightmare sent her directly to the land of the living with a shot of heavy adrenaline, she slept like the dead.

Even with Connor's urgent voice, it took everything she had to pull herself out of that deep, darkness of sleep. Her eyelids and her limbs still felt like heavy weights. She could see his solid red LED in the darkness and nothing else. In the back of her mind, she knew red meant something bad, but the rest of her couldn't catch up to her thoughts. It was so hard to keep her eyes open. She closed them, even though she remained awake.

"Connor, what is it?"

"We have to go," Connor told her gravely. "We have to leave this place. Tonight. I will help you pack but we have to hurry."

Samantha struggled to sit up in bed. Her eyelids were still too heavy to open, so she blindly pawed in the direction of Connor's voice. She felt him take her hand and then touch her shoulder.

"Why are we leaving? Where's Garrett?"

"He can't know. No one can. We have to sneak out of here, quickly. Before anyone knows we're going."

Samantha forced her eyes open at this point. Still, all she could see in the darkness was that glowing LED. It remained solid red. No blinking, just a solid, distressed color. "I don't understand, why-"

Connor grabbed her arms and shook her. He had never done anything like that to her before. It got her full attention. His face was close to her now. Samantha could see the light of the LED reflected red in his eyes.

"Samantha, you are in danger! I am trying to save you and I need to get you out of here!" He shook her with nearly every word, driving them home.

"Danger? Is there someone in the house?"

Connor looked desperate as her eyes adjusted better to the darkness. "I can't explain right now. I need you to trust me. Pack up everything. We're leaving here, just like we said we would. And we are not coming back."

Though still trying to get her brain up to speed, Samantha turned on the bedside lamp. She stood, but only made it a few paces before she dropped to her knees on the floor.

"I don't have anything to put my stuff in," she realized. She owned one bag that was barely large enough to be considered luggage. A day bag at best. She had never had use for luggage before. She had never traveled anywhere. She looked up at Connor. "I could put stuff in the kitchen trash bags."

"I'll go get them," he told her. "Get everything ready."

He left the room and Samantha was alone. The solitude pushed her brain into the here and now. There had always been a little corner of her mind where she kept her plan. That little piece of her that imagined the day she just walked out the door, flipped this place the bird and never looked back. That daydream came with a mental list of the things she would take with her and what she would leave behind. She got to work.

Connor returned to find Samantha changed into a pair of sweat pants and a sweater. She understood they were going outside now and she dressed the part, sneakers on her feet and ready to run.

Immediately she yanked out the first trash bag and stuffed in the essentials: toiletries and clothes. She had many clothes. Some she would have to leave. There wasn't time to take her whole closet. She had a secret money stash tucked away in the back of her closet. She took her ID and bank card, though she didn't know how long the latter would be good for when they found her gone.

That was it. Two trash bags contained all of her life she was willing to take. She didn't own much more, but this was all she was allowing for herself: one bag for each of them to carry.

"How are we getting out of here?" she then asked. "Are we running?"

"I have the car keys," Connor said, and she wanted to kiss him right then. "Follow me and do everything I tell you. I can get us to the garage without getting caught."

He led them through the dark house and—Samantha was surprised—right through the lab. The door to the surveillance room remained closed. Garrett's office was empty. The lab was dark and no one interrupted their escape route. Connor was replaying another night's video footage on all cameras. The night's watch in the surveillance room had no idea when they entered the garage and piled into the car.

The garage door was the only thing of worry. Connor could alter footage, but he could not make the massive door remain silent. Whether they heard or not, Samantha wasted no time backing out without her lights on and driving away. She waited until Connor said they were beyond the five-mile radius of the security team before she turned them back on.

For a while, they drove in silence. Samantha shivered the entire time, though not from cold. It was three in the morning. She was the only one on the road and it felt like her headlights were a veritable beacon screaming about their escape. Both fear and excitement made her shiver and she couldn't decide which one she felt more.

When they neared the city, she asked, "What are we doing now?"

"Park somewhere. I need to remove the tracker on the car."

Hell, she had completely forgotten her car could be tracked. It made her shiver harder. She pulled over to the side of the dark road and turned off the lights again. She sat silently, gripping the wheel with white knuckles as Connor checked under the car. It only took him a few minutes to remove the tracker and break it.

When they began driving again, Samantha didn't ask Connor before choosing the next stop. She parked at an ATM and removed as much cash as it would allow.

"Only three hundred at a time," she lamented as she climbed back into the car. "They did that on purpose when they set up my account. There's no way I'll be able to pull out all my money before its shut down."

"We shouldn't be wandering around the city in front of all these cameras," Connor told her. "I'm taking care of your bank account."

She blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I scanned your card. I've been inside the systems of your bank. And various others. I opened an alternate account with another banking institution under your name. I am authorizing a wire right now from your old account to the new. Then, I will transfer that money to another bank. Tomorrow, you will need to go to that bank, Samantha, and withdraw that amount. Then they will never be able to take it from you."

"You're amazing," she said to him with awe.

Connor did not respond to the praise. His LED had now gone from red down to yellow, but he was still grim. "We need to get off the streets. I have a place we can go. I will direct you the route with the least amount of traffic cameras."

Samantha didn't have the sense to ask where. This was all still surreal. She drifted in and out between practical clarity for their situation, and the foggy dream-like circumstances she never thought she'd be in. Her thoughts became more focused when she realized where Connor was leading them. The car pulled up in front of Angela's cute, little yellow house. The lights were on inside.

"Did they... know we were coming?" she asked. "How?"

"I have been in radio contact with Derek since you no longer had your phone," Connor said, also watching the house. "I told them we needed a place to stay. He said we could come here."

"What did you tell him about why we needed a place?"

He turned to look at her. "I told him you were trying to get away from an abusive and controlling situation with your family. That you had been locked in the house after your phone was destroyed. I said they would come looking for you and try to recover you if we were found, so we needed to hide."

Samantha started at him for a while as her feelings roiled. What Connor said was true. All of it was true. She had never thought of her situation as an abusive one. But he was right. The word was just hard to hear for the first time.

As Connor finished explaining, Derek and Angela stepped out of the house. She walked up to the passenger side window and Samantha rolled it down. Angela told them to drive around the house to the garage where they could hide her car. It felt even more surreal with the inclusion of her two new accomplices when Samantha drove into said garage.

She stepped out of the car as Angela and Derek approached.

"I'm really sorry about this," Samantha said. And she meant it. Suddenly, contacting these two felt very overly-dramatic for what was going on. Connor shouldn't have involved them. She knew that at some point they were going to ask the type of questions that neither she nor Connor could answer. At least not without being looked at like they had lost their minds.

"It's fine, I promise," Angela said. She looked like she wanted to offer a hug, but Samantha stepped back. This whole thing felt like an out of body experience. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said pragmatically. And that statement made the situation seem even more ridiculous. What were they doing here?

The two, with Samantha's embarrassing collection of trash bags, were guided into the house and Angela showed Samantha the guest bedroom on the second floor so she could get some sleep. Angela looked exhausted, too. She promised they would talk in the morning when the humans had a chance to get proper rest. Samantha had no idea what she was going to say.

There was a bathroom directly across from the guest room. Samantha merely stood in the harsh light, alone on the second floor. She stared at herself in the mirror, hair wild and unbrushed. She tried to will her spirit back into its body so she could stop feeling like a scarf caught in a stiff breeze. What happened tonight?

"Samantha?" Angela was back. There was an odd tone in her voice when she stood in the bathroom doorway. Samantha watched her through the bathroom mirror's reflection. "Why is Connor sitting out on my front porch with a gun? Where did he get that?"

Samantha's stupid brain didn't even realize Connor hadn't followed her up the stairs. She couldn't think critically at all. Everything was on automatic. "That's his gun. He's always had it."

Angela gave her a sharp look. "Are you serious? Every time we've seen him, he's had an illegal weapon on him?"

"It's legal. Both him and his gun are registered as lawful weapons. He used to work for the police department."

"He's not police anymore! Why the hell does he need a gun in my house?" Angela demanded, her voice rising. "What exactly do you use that android for?"

Samantha was far more calm. "He's my bodyguard. He keeps me safe."

"Safe from what?"

"I'll talk to him and see if I can get him to put the gun away, or maybe leave it in the car."

Angela huffed, pulling her robe tighter around herself. "Please. He's freaking me out."

Samantha found Connor camped out on the stairs of the front porch, fingering his weapon as he kept a sharp eye on the street.

"Connor."

He whipped around at her voice. "Samantha, you shouldn't be outside. Stay in the house."

He stood and approached to guide her back in, but Samantha stood her ground. "You need to put the gun away, you're scaring everyone."

"I need it. I'm trying to protect you," he insisted.

"I'm sorry, Connor," Angela said, standing in the doorway. Derek was right next to her, hand on her shoulder. "I will not have any guns in my house."

Connor looked at her, nodded, and then turned and walked off the porch and down the sidewalk.

"Connor!" Samantha called after him.

"Stay in the house," he replied. "I'm going to keep watch tonight."

Samantha sighed after him as he strolled off into the dark.

"So, he going to go hide in my bushes now?" Angela complained.

"I'm sorry. He's so stubborn. I don't know why he's acting like this."

"Let's leave him alone for now," Derek suggested. "If he does decide to come in, I will collect his weapon." He guided both women inside and shut the door, blocking out the night chill. Angela went to the picture window to glare out at the night. She didn't see the android.

"So Connor's your bodyguard, you said?" she then asked Samantha.

"That's why my dad purchased him." Samantha paused, then decided to come clean with at least a little information. "A while back, I went through something... really bad with some bad people. It messed me up. I wouldn't leave the house for months. My dad purchased Connor so I would feel safe. So I would be safe." She tiredly leaned against the wall. "I think he was also supposed to be my jailer, in a way. Or at least a new way to monitor what I did. But all he's ever done is try to protect me."

Angela walked over to her. "And what was he protecting you from tonight?"

Samantha furrowed her brows. "I honestly don't know. He didn't tell me. All he said was that it wasn't safe and we needed to leave." A chill came over her. She couldn't fathom what Connor could have possibly seen as a threat so extreme they had to steal off into the night. What if he overreacted? What if they left for no reason? Yet, his LED had been flickering from red to yellow since he woke her. It had never gone back to blue. Was it a malfunction? She shivered. "I'm sorry. I... maybe there wasn't a need to come here."

"This place you came from, did they hurt you there?" Angela asked. "Did anyone put their hands on you?"

Samantha's knee-jerk reaction was to say no. The part of her that was a fantastic liar could say it so easily. But she had been emotionally unprepared to hear such a question. No one had ever asked her that before. Suddenly, she couldn't speak. Her throat was too tight. Her eyes stung as they watered. Weirdly, her mouth wanted to smile to assure them. It wasn't that bad. She had been through worse. Samantha didn't want them to feel sorry for her.

She didn't need to give a verbal response, Angela and Derek both understood the answer.

"Then that's enough of a reason for you to come here," the former said. She put a hand on Samantha's shoulder and steered her toward the stairs. "Get some sleep, we'll all talk about it more in the morning."

.

Samantha tried to sleep. She was exhausted, but it was so strange laying in someone else's bed in someone else's house. It was nothing like her one-night stay at the hotel. Everything in this room was imbued with the personality and energy of the owner. Perhaps the previous owner as well. It wasn't welcoming or comforting to lay among another person's things. Having slept in her own bedroom her entire life, Samantha struggled with this new experience.

Now and then, she would get so tired she would start to dose, but then a dog would bark or a car would drive by. A siren wailed in the distance. Sounds of the city; an entity that never went fully dormant. Samantha was used to the stillness and night bugs of the country. Her bedroom back home didn't even have a window. In this place, a street lamp shone in, irritating her. It was near deathly silent in her room at night. This. It was too loud, too alive all around her and it made her heart pound.

No longer able to tolerate how the night kept her awake, Samantha sat up. The stiff, tiny mattress and the musty smell of the blankets repelled her. There was no rest to find here. She couldn't handle laying down anymore. She took the knitted blanket from the foot of the bed and slid into the corner. Even the blanket felt like it was telling her she didn't belong there. It was made of stiff and scratchy yarn. Most likely a decoration meant to be looked at, but not handled. Samantha had a soft, comforting blanket that she loved to drag around the house and curl up in. She had stupidly left it behind.

A very loud motorcycle drove by the house and then parked next door. Samantha thought once the engine was off, that would be it. But then the man actually started talking on his phone as he stood in his driveway in the middle of the night. How did people live like this? How could they be so close to each other? Didn't anyone sleep? Why did they have to make noise all night long?

Samantha's body was so tired, it seemed to have lost its ability to generate heat. She remained curled up in the corner, cold and shivering. Her frustration turned into tears and she longed to go back home.

.

When the first hint of twilight hit the sky, Connor finally considered going inside the house. He had been patrolling the area and watching the streets for several hours. The security team would have known they were gone by now. Once Connor was out of range, he could no longer manipulate the video feeds. They would see Samantha's car was missing from the garage and Connor was nowhere on the property. One glance in Samantha's room and they would find her closet cleaned out.

If they had any way to track the car, Garrett's team would have found them by now. Connor had successfully hidden Samantha from them. Good. It was merely the first step in his plan.

When he walked up the porch steps, the front door of the little yellow house opened. Derek stood in the doorway and told him he would not be allowed to enter with his weapon.

"But I always have my gun," Connor told him pragmatically. "I am licensed to carry it."

"Not in this house," the larger android informed him.

This was so odd to Connor. He lived surrounded by people with weapons, both at the DPD and at the facility. To be told he now had to go unarmed made him feel like he was missing a practical piece of himself. But he wanted to check on Samantha.

"Will I be allowed to have it back?"

Derek had a feeling Angela wouldn't like his answer, but Derek told him that yes, were he to leave the house, he could request the weapon be returned to him.

Connor found this to be an acceptable compromise and handed it over. He was pointed toward the stairs and Connor approached the only bedroom on the second floor. At first, all he noticed was the empty bed. Maybe Samantha was already up somewhere? But then his sensors picked up a living body on the other side of the bed.

He found her curled up against the wall, face pressed to her knees.

"Samantha."

He knelt in front of her as she lifted her head. Samantha looked terrible. She was not as he had left her. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, lined with dark bags. The rest of her was bloodlessly pale. Connor's hands hovered over her helplessly, unsure of how to help her. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Her lip quivered. "I don't know if I can do this. I want to go back home."

His yellow LED shot to red. "No! Samantha, you can't ever go back there."

"Why?" she demanded, her eyes watering again.

More helpless gestures from the android. He moved his mouth up and down. "I can't... you don't need to hear it. All you need to know is that it's dangerous and we can't go back there."

"That's bullshit Connor!" she cried. His sensors picked up on her increased heart rate. "There has to be a reason you dragged me out here in the middle of the night!"

"There is."

"Then why won't you tell me!? Why can't I go home?" She was visibly shaking now.

Connor sat back on his heels, fists clenched on his knees as he looked at the floor. "Please don't make me say it," he whispered in a weak voice. "I promise you, you don't want to know. You don't ever want to know what I know."

Samantha was dumbfounded. What could he possibly know that she did not about her own house? "Are you sure it's so bad? Maybe if you tell me what it is-"

His head snapped up. Samantha gasped at the drop of clear liquid running down his cheek. She didn't know androids had the ability to make tears.

"Why don't you trust me?" Connor asked, clearly hurt. "Is it because I'm an android? If I were human, would you trust me more?"

She gaped at him, wanting to instantly deny it. But maybe there was truth to that. "What... what if whatever you saw, you made a mistake? What if you misunderstood-"

"I didn't," he interrupted firmly. "I know exactly what I saw. I am not mistaken. If you go back there, Samantha, you will die. I need you to believe me that I got us out of there to protect your life." He was shaking now too. Connor made a sound of pain as he went back to staring hard at the floor. "Please trust me. I love you. I'm doing the best I can."

He expected a verbal reply. When her response was a light touch to his face, Connor jerked a little in surprise. Samantha's hand caressed his check, wiping away the wet trail with her thumb.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her lip, the rest of her, was still trembling. "Everything you have ever done is for me. I'm sorry for not believing you. I'm sorry I'm so weak that I fall apart on you this fast."

He took the flesh hand that reached out to him and pressed it to his face. Her skin was so cold. "It's been a rough night, but it will get better. We're together, we can be close. We can take care of each other."

Samantha cupped his face, pressing their foreheads together. "You're right. All I need is you. I am such a spoiled girl for thinking I needed more than that."

Maybe Samantha did know what the security team said about her. That thought only added to the ache in his chest that was nearly too great to bear. Connor wilted around her, pressing his face to her neck and pulling her in. Samantha responded by tucking his head in against her and holding him tight.

"I love you, too, so much," she whispered. "I trust you. I trust you."

After a moment, Connor pulled back. He kissed her ice cold palm. "Can I take you to bed?"

A little bit of Samantha's old self came back. Finally, they were free to be together, to openly care about one another. She stood as Connor stood with her, kicking off his shoes. Samantha helped him undress and they slid under the bed covers together. Nothing was more heavenly than feeling his skin against her body, her on top of him. She was so cold. Her skin soaked up his heat like a sponge. And now, finally touching something familiar, Samantha began to relax. When she closed her eyes, she felt Connor's arms enfold her. She felt his fingers slide under her shirt to find their favorite place in the dip of her spine. Slowly, she drifted off, feeling at last, that she was home. He was her home.

Connor's eyes remained open, staring at the ceiling. He had not anticipated that Samantha would have such a difficulty with this transition. Not this soon. And certainly not with all their talk of leaving that place behind and starting their own lives together. But it had been the only home she had ever known. She was a ship kept in the harbor from the moment she had been made. It would take a while for her to remember that remaining in the harbor was not why ships were built.

.

Samantha slept in, so far into the morning that Angela, fully dressed and ready for the day, went up to check on her. Connor turned his head in her direction when she stood in the doorway. Angela still didn't look too pleased with him.

"I left my gun with Derek," he told her in a quiet voice.

"I know. You shouldn't have a gun at all."

"I need it."

"You don't. Not in my house."

Connor frowned at the ceiling, but said nothing.

"How's Samantha?"

"She had a rough night. She's exhausted."

"She's awake," Samantha muttered without opening her eyes.

"Good," Angela approved. "And she can have breakfast if she comes downstairs soon." With that, she turned and left.

Though still exhausted, Samantha forced herself to leave the warm body beneath her and sit on the edge of the bed. It was hard to even open her eyes, she was so tired. Connor sat up and hugged her from behind, kissing her shoulder and then her cheek. That made the morning a little better.

"I'm sorry I broke down on you last night," she said. "I know you were doing what you thought you had to do."

He stilled against her. "Can we not talk about it anymore? We're out now. We're free. Can we please focus on the future? We can do all the things we've wanted to do now. This is our chance."

She slid around so she could meet his face, hold it in her hands. He was right, this was their chance to finally act on those plans they talked about. Though she would not have imagined their freedom starting out like this, she had to admit that if she wasn't forced into this, it may have never happened. The first step was always the hardest and maybe she wasn't strong enough to take that first step alone.

"Yes," she agreed. "You're right. We can live our own lives now. I'm willing to put in the work to make this happen."

"Good," he smiled. "Because there is still plenty we need to do."

.

The first step was to go to the bank. Angela had graciously taken the day off from work, though she would still be fiddling on a few projects through the day, working remotely from home. As such, she agreed to take Samantha so her car wouldn't be seen driving into town.

Samantha went into the bank alone, leaving both Angela and Connor in the car. If any cameras caught her, she didn't want anyone else's face caught with her. She returned with a thick, unmarked envelope: all the cash from her emptied bank account that Connor had set up.

"Want me to drive you to a new bank?" Angela offered. "I can take you to my credit union if you like."

Samantha smoothed her fingers over the package in her lap. Nearly all the money she had in the world was in that envelope. It was a bit less than she had originally thought was in the account. Did her father already get a hold of some of it? She told herself to be grateful she had any at all. "Not yet. I'm going to give it a couple days first. I want to see what my dad is going to do to try to locate me. I don't want him to find me by the bank I'm using, or be able to figure out a way to get a hold of my money."

"I've got a safe at the house. You're welcome to use it if you want."

Samantha looked down at her money. She trusted Angela, but at the same time, she didn't want the cash someplace where she couldn't easily get to it. "I'll think about it. I'm just going to hold onto it myself for now."

"We need to go to the library next," Connor announced from the backseat. "I need to print some documents."

"I've got a printer at home," Angela then said. "No need to take you out in public. Dressed like that, people are going to remember you."

Connor looked down at his professional work attire. She was right. He always stuck out and was always noticed when Samantha took him places. The fewer public places they were at, the better.

"Yes. Then let's go back to the house."

.

Upon arrival, Derek confirmed there were still no suspicious people lurking around the neighborhood while they were gone. Angel booted up her laptop, but Connor told her no need. He helped himself to her internet connection and turned on the printer so he could gain access to that as well. Within minutes, he had printed one single piece of paper and handed it to Samantha.

She looked it over, unsure of what he was giving her. "This... is an android proof of ownership. For... you?"

"Yes. You purchased me for nine hundred dollars. I had to take Elliot's signature from another document and doctor it onto this. I also made an actual money transaction for it to look legitimate. I hope you don't mind."

So that was why her bank account was lower than she thought. She shook her head. "I got you for only nine hundred? You were a steal."

He smiled at her. "Yes, but if you are asked, your father sold you a used, refurbished android, hardly worth anything, because he was planning on replacing me." When she didn't say anything, he added, "The transaction was altered to appear that it happened several days ago, instead of last night. I thought it would look less suspicious."

"You are a genius," Samantha praised. "I never would have thought of such a thing."

"I was programmed for criminal justice. I know what would look suspicious," he bragged.

She hugged him tightly, crumpling her new document a little. This was the fear that kept her up at night. Keeping Connor safe was the most important thing to her and she had been helpless. Connor, that amazing, cunning android, had solved the problem himself. As far as she was concerned, that piece of paper wasn't a transfer of ownership, but proof of Connor's freedom.

"Okay, we did not hear a thing about any forged signatures," Angela said with good-nature.

"This conversation never happened," Samantha agreed. If any of this caught up with her, she would never bring her friends into it if she could help it.

"So the next step, I think," Angela then said, "would be to get a makeover for this one." She motioned to Connor.

The android frowned at the insinuation that his look was not presentable.

"She's right," Samantha agreed. "No more suits. No more dress attire. You have to blend in now."

Connor's LED cycled yellow. "You mean I have to dress like..." he gave Derek's jeans and t-shirt a disparaging once over.

Derek, in turn, furrowed his brows in annoyance at such a look. Angela was laughing as Samantha tried to hide her grin.

"I think you'd look good in a pair of jeans and a nice, tight t-shirt," Samantha flirted. "In a few days, I'll take you shopping. We'll get something that looks good on you, okay?"

"In the meantime, we can check Derek's closet for something he can borrow," Angela volunteered.

Connor still didn't look happy about it, but he went with Derek when the other android invited him. The women did not follow.

"Sam, can I ask you a question?" Angela said. "This morning, when I mentioned the gun, Connor insisted he needed it. I need you to be honest with me. Why does he need it?"

"He thinks he needs it," Samantha huffed back. "He's always had it and he was being dramatic about not having his way. It's okay that you made him give it up, I promise."

"You said people have hurt you before."

Samantha didn't respond.

"Sam, I want to help you and I'm trying to respect the privacy of whatever weird life you've been living, but I have to look out for my husband, for us. Is there a real danger in this? Are you in real danger? Like, should we get the police involved?"

Samantha honestly considered the possibilities. She could lie as easily as breathing, but she never wanted to lie to those trying to help her. "If it ever feels like us being here would put you two in any danger, I promise you we will leave immediately. But I don't think it will come to that. My dad will come looking for me. He has a security team who works for him. I'm sure they'll be searching. But no one is going to come to hurt anyone. Worst case scenario is that they'll forcibly drag me back home.

"But for Connor," Samantha swallowed at the thought. "Angela, if they catch him, they will kill him. He knew that when he got us out of there. My dad threatened to take him away, to do whatever he wanted to Connor, if I didn't behave." She gestured to the document still in her hand. "That's why this paper is so important. I can't let them take him."

As Angela listened, she clenched her jaw, shaking her head in anger. She didn't know Connor was risking himself for this. For a brief second, she almost wanted to give him the gun back. "I understand. We'll take it one day at a time and do the best we can."

Samantha smiled her thanks. A few minutes later, Connor emerged wearing a different outfit and a very large frown. Samantha grinned wide at the sight. His pout was just the cutest thing ever. And it was also a little amusing. Connor was dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt. Though since they were Derek's, the clothes were too big for him and hung loosely on his frame. He looked absolutely out of sorts. Poor android.

Connor didn't have to say anything. Samantha approached him, wanting to hug him or kiss that adorable frown. But it felt weird to do it in front of others, so she merely gave him an encouraging smile. "Just for a few days," she promised. "Then I'll take you shopping."

.

The rest of the day was both a struggle and uneventful. Samantha tried to make a plan on what to do next. This was her life now, it was time to take charge of it. She knew she should eventually look for a job. No longer receiving a monthly stipend from her father, she needed to find a way to make money. Working was what normal people did. And she was determined to live a normal life.

Though at the same time, Derek and Angela soon learned that Samantha was prone to panic attacks. She had a few that day as she went up and down between confidence in her future to complete panic because she had no idea what she was doing. The fact that she was in a strange house feeling absolutely useless didn't help.

Angela informed her that it was okay to just lay low for the day and watch TV, to which both Samantha and Connor both perked up. No, of course the weird white girl with her weird gun-toting android—locked in their castle at an unknown location—were not allowed to watch TV. Samantha was completely okay with hitting the ID discovery channel and the two watched murder documentaries all day. Connor was enraptured with the clues. Samantha was in heaven by being able to openly lean against him on the couch while he watched.

That night, Connor still insisted on doing at least a few patrols. Angela informed him that he better be careful about looking too creepy while prowling around after dark. All her neighbors knew her and she didn't want to have to hear about some stranger creeping around at night. Connor claimed he understood and he would be mindful of such things.

While he was out, Samantha showered as was her usual routine. Connor came into her room as she finished dressing for bed. This was not his usual routine. Samantha looked at him expectantly, as if he came to her to tell her something.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes."

She still looked at him, expecting something else.

Connor took a step closer, seeing as how this wasn't the greeting he expected. "Samantha, we're free. We can spend our nights together. Every night we have."

Samantha felt silly it took her this long for that revelation. All day long she hesitated about showing him any affection in the house. Most of the time she chose not to engage. She was too used to hiding it, as if it were a private shame. And for some reason, even though they were free, she found it a little surprising that Connor would choose this option.

"Every night?" she tested. "Are you sure? You don't always sleep. Wouldn't that be boring for you?"

Connor raised a curious brow. "Are you kicking me out?"

She laughed at her own doubt and pressed against him, chest to chest. "Certainly not. I just wonder, won't it get old pretty fast to just lay there while I sleep? Every night?"

"I will be there when you fall asleep and when you wake up. But perhaps in the interim, I will do other things. Derek does this as well. We sometimes talk at night."

"You do? How?"

"We have each others' radio frequencies. We can communicate that way. Just like I did last night when we needed a place to stay."

"Aw, you two are friends." Samantha realized for the first time that she had always thought of Angela and Derek, and even Calvin and Jace, as just her friends. But they were Connor's friends, too. Connor deserved to have friends. He needed friends that were androids, that understood what it was like to be like him. And she was so happy to hear that he had that in his life.

"You're still my best friend," he reminded with a warm look.

"Oh good," she laughed, sliding her arms around his trim waist. "I'm glad you haven't replaced me just yet."

"Never," he vowed, and immediately swept her off her feet and into his arms. Samantha made a small squeak of surprise, trying to cut it short as best she could so those downstairs wouldn't hear. She was very used to doing things quietly, secretly.

She made soft noises of happiness as he effortlessly carried her over to the bed. Placing one knee on the mattress, he allowed them both to tumble into it. Connor was still getting used to the new arrangement as well. The bed was so much smaller than the one in Samantha's room. She nearly fell off the other side and scrambled to stay on while laughing soundlessly into his shirt. Connor hooked her knee and pulled her back. They remained tangled in each other, laughing quietly together while that knee now hooked around Connor's leg.

Connor rolled them over so he was mostly on top. He brushed their noses together so she would continue to make those happy noises. Then, as her fingers caressed his face and neck, he kissed her, slow and thorough. He always liked how she breathed in deep when he kissed her this way. How she closed her eyes and made soft noises as if she just tasted something sweet and decadent. How her body would warm and melt against him.

He kissed her again and again as his own body warmed in response to hers. One hand brushed her face, then moved down to slide under her shirt. That was where Samantha caught his wrist, taking over. He thought she would move his hand to whichever place she wanted his touch the most. But she merely kept it still and she stopped kissing him. Connor pulled back to curiously look at her.

"We can't, not here," she whispered. "We're guests in this house. It's rude and disrespectful. We're also right above them. They might hear us."

Connor dropped his head onto her shoulder in defeat. Samantha swore she nearly heard a growl from somewhere in his chest. She laughed again, lightly scratching her fingers through his scalp.

"I will still thoroughly touch you all over while we're in bed if you like."

"I'd like to do the same to you," he insisted.

She kissed the tip of his nose. "Another time." She paused to appraise him. "You really are just the cutest android on the planet, you know." With that, she gave him a comedic smattering of a dozen more kisses all over his face. That immediately sweetened Connor's mood, as she knew it would.

The light was turned off and Samantha went through the unfamiliar motions of tugging a t-shirt off Connor's body. She missed the dress shirt a little. It was so fun to slowly remove it, button by button. That hardly mattered when they were both in very little clothing and snuggled skin to skin in the tiny bed. In the dark Samantha indulged him with her touch. She ran her fingers lovingly over him until he was a purring, boneless puddle of android contentment against her.

Samantha loved that sound. If she pressed her ear to his chest, she could focus on the mechanical sound and block out all the other distracting noises of the sleepless neighborhood. She was so close to dozing off when that damn motorcycle roared into the driveway next door again. The sudden noise caused Samantha to pop wide awake, her heart rate picking up. Connor didn't respond. He was possibly still trapped in some sort of pleasured stupor. Samantha sighed. It was going to be another difficult night of trying to sleep.

.

When Angela heard of Samantha's rough transition of sleeping in the city, she offered a fan Samantha could turn on during the night. The white noise helped block out most of the various sounds when she tried to sleep. That motorcycle, however, always woke her up. It always roared in at a ridiculously late hour and rudely jarred her from sleep every time.

During the day, it was still going to take some time getting used to living at the house. The back yard was a nice size, but the neighbors were right next door. Despite the fairly high privacy fence, Samantha still felt like strangers could stare in and watch her from every angle. It made her miss the facility, surrounded by beautiful woods. She couldn't remember why she hated it so with its lush backyard and beautiful surroundings of trees and wildlife.

While they were laying low, Samantha looked into the possibilities of employment. Angela explained to her about putting together a resume—of which Samantha had no idea how. Nor did she have any work experience. This very much limited her to entry-level positions of certain kinds. But Samantha wasn't bothered by any of that until she realized she would have to put her social security number and her address on the paperwork. What if Elliot Hall found her that way? Angela assured her they would figure something out, but Samantha was discouraged enough not to look into it further.

.

On the third day, Connor informed them that Samantha's car had been reported stolen. He had been keeping an eye on the Chicago PD's internal system for any reports regarding them. Samantha had wondered what kind of legal action the Hall Foundation would take. She tried to prepare herself for any situation. This, she was sure she could handle. Angela offered to go with her, but Samantha didn't want any public indication of Angela's involvement in helping her. She took her own car and Connor directly to the police station.

It was a small, local station as opposed to the large city police building downtown. A uniformed officer was at the front desk when Samantha approached.

"Hello," she greeted. "I was informed my car has been reported stolen by my father. I wanted to tell you that this is a false report. The car is right outside and I am the only registered owner. He has no right to report it stolen."

She offered the paperwork to the officer. He was an older man, bored and tired-looking as if there was nothing Samantha could tell him that he hadn't already heard. But he was also polite enough as he looked up the license plate on his computer.

"Did you pay for the car yourself, ma'am?"

"Yes. With my own money. The car is mine."

The officer checked her registration in the system as well and then looked up at her again. "Why would your father report the car stolen?"

Samantha sighed in irritation. "He's very controlling. He's had me practically under lock and key my whole life. But I'm in my twenties now. I'm a legal adult." She offered him her drivers license. "I moved out of the house very abruptly and didn't tell him where I was going. He reported the car stolen in order to try to find me. He's an abusive and controlling man. I would rather he not know where I am. Is that possible?"

The officer softened at her story, as well as her calm and polite tone. Apparently, he did not receive many civil interactions such as this in his line of work. He looked over at Connor who had been standing quietly by her side the entire time.

"The android has been reported stolen as well."

Inside, Samantha's heart thudded. On the outside, she sighed and pulled out the proof of android ownership. "Here's the registration for the android. My father used to own him. I bought the android from him shortly before I left, so I'm sure he's especially irritated about that."

"I can imagine," the officer said, looking at the document. "If you were trying to cut ties, why give your old man something like this to be bitter about? Why not get a new one without any emotional baggage?"

"I know, I shouldn't have," Samantha agreed. "He's just an old damaged model that we repaired." She glanced over at Connor, not showing any outward affection. He took no offense. He understood the story she was trying to sell. "But I like this one. Dad never used him for anything. Always threatened to throw him away because he knew I liked this android. I've got all his settings the way I want them. I would have rather had this android than get a new one."

The officer gave a bit of a smile before handing back all of the paperwork. "I can understand that. We bought an android for my wife a few years back to help her get around the house. She was a great little bot. We loved it. Then Cyberlife came out with an upgraded model and I regret replacing our old android every day. Trying to get that new one to learn everything the old one already knew was a pain in the ass."

Samantha, who was smiling at the beginning of the story, had to pretend the ending did not bother her. Like phones or computers, some people who had the means would purchase a new model of android nearly every year. Samantha never understood that mindset. Why replace something that already worked so well? Even if it were a device incapable of feeling. That poor android. Samantha hoped it was not one of the androids that had evolved enough to feel. Or maybe they all felt from the beginning, at least a little. She didn't know and she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it now.

"So, is there something I can do about this?" she asked. "I don't want to worry about being arrested when driving my own car. But I also don't want my dad to know where I am."

The officer began typing on the computer. "I'll flag the report as false and put some notes that I have talked with the registered owner if anyone calls about the car or the android again."

Samantha sighed in relief. "Thank you so much! This is... you have just made my day."

He smiled at her. "If there is further harassment involved, you may want to consider filing a restraining order."

Samantha blinked in surprise. That was something she could do? If she had the law on her side, maybe this would work out after all.

.

In celebration of this small victory, Samantha took Connor out to purchase some new clothes. Though they went to a different android clothing store than their usual. No going back to the places they used to frequent. At least not for a while.

With no money currently coming in, they had to be frugal. No more buying the very best, high-end products for Connor. Still, they managed to find two pairs of jeans and a few shirts that fit better to the android's body type for a very modest price. Connor was still not happy with the casual dress, but he kept it to himself. Especially when he caught Samantha admiring how well his backside filled out said jeans when he tried them on. Maybe he could get used to it.

When they returned home, Samantha told Angela and Derek the good news and then gave Connor the big hug she had been wanting to give him ever since they left the police station.

"Ah, there's the PDA," Angela approved as Connor held her back. "I was wondering if I'd ever see it between you two."

"You wanted to see it?" Samantha snorted.

"Not in a pervy way," she insisted with humor. "But the last time you were here, you both wanted all the dirty details of making it work. And yet, I've barely seen the two of you even touch each other. I was starting to wonder if maybe... it didn't work out?"

"It worked... just fine," Samantha insisted, unable to make eye contact.

"Only fine?" Angela raised a questioning brow.

As Samantha tried to come up with an appropriate answer, Connor cupped her face and steered it in his direction. He tilted her chin up so his mouth could claim hers at the perfect angle. He kissed her soundly for several moments before finally letting her go. Samantha was now a little flush and weak in the knees. She tried to come up with a comment, but her brain had completely turned off.

Angela made a noise of satisfaction and walked off.

.

That night, Connor joined Samantha in the shower. This shower, being just a tub with a curtain, was certainly far more cramped than the full shower Samantha had. There was room for only one person under the spray at a time and hardly enough for two bodies at all. It was a good thing Connor didn't mind standing in the chill while Samantha enjoyed the brunt of the warm water.

She let him massage shampoo into her hair and then continued to let him have his way as he kissed her and then trailed more kisses down her throat. He worked his way down until he was on his knees, nipping at her hip bone. Samantha clutched his hair, trying to fight the thick haze brought on by the hot water and his affections.

"Connor, we shouldn't," she murmured when he kissed her inner thigh.

He peered up at her, hands rounding her hips to cup her backside. "They'll never know if we're quiet."

She was about to argue that it was the principal of the matter when his nose brushed against that bundle of nerves between her thighs and all thoughts flew out the window. What the hell kind of move was that and why was it so fucking hot? Her body responded instantly in a flood of heat and pleasure at the firm pressure where she had not been touched in quite a while.

On reflex, she gripped his hair tighter and pressed his face into the core of her. In nearly the same second, she wanted to apologize for yanking him around so lewdly. But Connor was already otherwise occupied. Hands still on her ass, he kept nuzzling firmly against her, just in the right spot. Samantha shuddered, nearly collapsing from her weak knees.

Connor pulled back and looked at her through thick lashes. Looked at her nude form all over before pressing a kiss to her stomach. She breathed out his name, her fingers now gently threading through his hair. One of his hands slid down her thigh to the back of the knee. Samantha allowed him to lift her leg over his shoulder, her brain already on vacation. She didn't realize what he was up to until he buried his face in the core of her.

"Ah! Connor!" she hissed, trying to keep her volume below the rush of the shower. The sensation of his tongue sent her world spinning. Her heel bumped into the side of the tub, and she stumbled against the wall. "Shit. I'm going to slip and die in here."

Connor's response was to merely readjust so he could keep her steady. He then continued to thoroughly taste her. The introduction of his fingers to nerve endings that had been neglected had Samantha biting back her cries. She clenched around him, back pressed against the cold wall. She felt like she was going to lose her balance at any second, but Connor firmly had her supported.

She closed her eyes, trembling and panting as he worked her over, doing everything so right. Doing it exactly as she needed him to. It was too intense and too good all at the same time. She felt her end rushing up on her and then not quite making it over. She arched and whimpered, biting her lip in frustration. Almost there. God, she needed it so bad.

A glance down to check on Connor found him with his eyes closed. Face still buried between her thighs, she saw his LED. It glowed a patient light blue. Connor was perfectly content where he was and happy to be there. That sight pushed Samantha over the edge. She gasped and then clenched her jaw as the waves washed over her. Her body stiffened in pleasure as she came hard, and then nearly collapsed in a boneless heap. Connor was there to catch her before she fell.

For a while, all she could do was pant and tremble against him. His arms around her were the only things keeping her standing. When she finally came to her senses, she looked up to see the android looking quite satisfied with what he had done.

"I told you, we shouldn't be doing this in someone else's house."

"It's a special occasion. We're celebrating," he returned with a smirk.

"You are so proud of yourself," she accused, playfully annoyed.

"I have it on good authority that I am, in fact, the cutest android on the planet," was the cheeky response. "You can't be mad at me."

He was right, she couldn't. Especially not after he just rocked her world. Her body was still blissfully singing his praises. "I'm sure you didn't hear that from me," she teased back.

Connor's response was to back her under the water and finish rinsing out her hair. Samantha closed her eyes, in heaven once again. She loved any time Connor brushed or ran his fingers through her hair. Which wasn't often. He said he loved the color of her hair, but it wasn't one of her features that caught his attention the most. She would have been happy to let him wash and rinse her hair over and over again if he wished.

But he only helped to rinse before turning off the water. Once she was in a towel, Connor swept her up again and carried her to the bedroom.

"You're getting in the habit of not letting me walk anywhere up here," Samantha informed him before he set her down next to the bed.

"You seem to enjoy it," Connor informed her.

"You're not wrong. And you have a bad habit of never grabbing a towel after a shower. We're guests. Walking around in the nude, even for an android, seems like bad manners."

"Too many rules for guests," Connor muttered as he stood and went back to the bathroom. Samantha raised a hand to stop him, but he had already crossed the threshold to the bathroom. Hopefully no one down on the lower level was walking by the stairs. Connor returned with a towel. Wearing it exactly how Samantha wore her towels; wrapped around his torso as if he were wearing a short dress. Very short. Connor was so tall the towel barely reached down long enough to cover his groin area.

Samantha burst out laughing. Connor immediately frowned, his LED going into the yellow. He continued to look put out as Samantha managed to stumble over to him, holding her side. She was still giggling as she tugged the towel loose and then tucked it around his hips.

"There, that's how men usually wear their towels. I mean, you can wear them the other way if you really want to..."

"But it looks very comical," Connor finished. "At least to you."

Samantha grinned in delight. Angela had been right all those weeks ago. They liked to pretend they were so serious, but androids really were hilarious.