The streets were still covered in snow but were now beginning to glow with multicolored lights that lined windows of houses and businesses alike. The holiday spirit was slow to return to Detroit in the aftermath of the Revolution, but at least it was returning in general. Seeing the red ribbons and glowing lights made the white and cold streets seem so much warmer and inviting, and in turn it made the citizens feel more at ease with a comforting aura reviving the frozen city from the inside out. Even the deviants seemed to be willing to celebrate the holidays alongside the humans, and were decorating the refurbished and rebranded CyberLife stores to reflect the surrounding cheery atmosphere.

Even the precinct was trying to show a more cheerful light that only seemed to confuse Connor as he had never experienced any holidays before, and was still unsure of how to handle human customs and traditions. Focusing more on his current cases and cybernetically checking for available android unique apartments Connor just barely noticed Tina putting a small white mug with a shiny red ribbon wrapped around on his desk. Inside the mug were three bright blue candy canes; one cane had a red stripe running down its side, while the second had a white stripe and the third had a green stripe.

"...What's this, Officer Chen?"

"I grabbed everyone a brand new coffee mug as a Christmas gift and since I know you don't drink coffee," she motioned to the candy canes with a sincere smile on her face. "so I got you some Thirium based candy canes instead. Each one is a different flavor."

"...You didn't have to do this."

"I know I didn't, but it's part of the Christmas season to give a gift simply for the sake of wanting to give a gift."

"I didn't get you or anyone else a gift."

"That's okay! You don't have to."

"But I-"

Hank had seen the gesture from behind his own terminal screen and just answered Tina on Connor's behalf. "He appreciates it, Tina. Just give him time to get used to holidays and traditions."

"Right." Giving Connor a quick pat to his shoulder as she walked past his desk to return to her own Tina kept a smile on her face. "Enjoy, Connor. Don't worry about returning a gift or anything, I wanted to give that to you."

Realizing that the gift was going to stay Connor decided to switch from politely trying to decline to thanking Tina for her kind gesture. "...Thank you, Officer Chen. That was very kind."

"You're welcome!" Tina beamed back as she sat down across from Gavin and gave her partner a smug look of 'I told you so.'

"Kid," Hank looked at the deviant around his terminal screen and gave him a tired look. "passing out gifts is just what people do. Tina is an absolute elf this time of year, and always hands out gifts. She doesn't do it because she wants anything in return, she does it because the act of giving makes her feel good and it makes everyone else in the precinct feel cheery."

"...I don't know what 'cheery' feels like."

"Yeah? That's fine. I haven't felt 'cheery' around this time of year for over three years now, it's not a big deal."

"Oh." Noticing that Hank also had a brand new coffee mug on his desk courtesy of Tina the naive deviant gave the gift an odd glance. "...Did you get anything in your mug, too?"

"Yup. It's a special brew of coffee called 'Death Wish'. It's super strong and super expensive."

Scanning over the contents of the coffee Connor's brow arched and his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment. "That has approximately 728 milligrams of caffeine per twelve liquid ounces."

"Which is why this coffee has that particular name. Don't worry, I only drink it in absolute desperation to either keep up with a case or kill a hangover."

"That type of caffeine wouldn't just kill a hangover, it'd cremate it and cripple its descendants."

Laughing at the comment Hank gave the deviant an impressed glance. "Did you just crack a joke?"

"I attempted to do so, yes."

"I liked it. That type of wit is sorely lacking in this place, so keep it up."

"Noted."

"What about your candy canes? Anything good?"

Picking up the candy cane with the red stripe Connor read the side of the plastic wrapping over the treat and noted the flavor. "Cinnamon." Checking the green stripe Connor confirmed its flavor as well. "Spearmint." Checking the final cane identified the third flavor. "And this one is peppermint."

"Sounds about right for the holiday season. At least it isn't eggnog."

"...Eggnog?"

"Trust me. It's full of calories and a lot of disappointment unless someone 'spikes' it."

"I'll take your word for it."

"That's probably for the best."

Captain Fowler exited his officer and approached Hank's desk to hand the Lieutenant a tablet with a new case that had just been reported already on the screen's display. "Got a new case for you."

"Ah, fuck me." Taking the tablet Hank sighed and began reading over the details. "We have six deviant cases open already, why push a seventh on us?"

"Because you two are the only members of the only deviant division in the city. Besides, this one is arguably the most important."

As Hank took in the details his posture visibly stiffened and he hesitated in giving the tablet over to Connor to take. "Figures."

Accepting the tablet Connor read over the details and his eyes narrowed for a moment. "...This is a case regarding the officers who shot Markus."

"With that one deviant now gone after her killed fourteen other deviants, we-"

"Ralph." Connor suddenly interrupted with an offended tone as he gave Captain Fowler a stern glance. "His name was Ralph and he was damaged by humans which made him unnecessarily dangerous."

"...Right. At any rate," turning away from Connor and back to Hank it was clear Captain Fowler wasn't up to discussing the matter with a deviant. "the deviant's death at the hand of a cop, even after killing other deviants, isn't sitting well within the deviant community. Ensuring that the cops who shot Markus are disciplined will help smooth things over."

"So you want us to pander to the deviant community." Hank responded with a snippy tone. "Got it."

"It's not pandering, it's-"

"Jeffrey, this is fucking pandering at its finest. Don't try to deny it."

"Fine, whatever. Just fuckin' handle this case and get it closed before the end of day."

"You better have the payroll for overtime then."

Brushing off the comment as he returned to his office Captain Fowler gave Hank two more orders before disappearing into the private space for as long as possible. "Shut up and work, Hank."

Feeling slighted and and insulted Connor just stared at Captain Fowler through the transparent wall of the office as his L.E.D. settled on yellow with visible disdain in his soulful brown eyes. "...He doesn't see deviants as equals."

"Huh?"

"He refused to acknowledge my comment, and only spoke directly to you."

"Hey, remember what I said about not putting up with discriminatory behavior?"

"Yes, I remember everything."

"Good. Then also remember that includes Fowler and any other asshole who happens to have a higher rank."

"I won't let people like that push me around of make me feel any less important."

"Damn right. Now, as much as this sucks, we need to handle the case efficiently as possible."

Begrudgingly Connor agreed and set about examining the case at hand, and reviewed the report filed by the two officers who responded to the scene of the emergency call on that fateful night over a month ago. With his coin now anxiously juggling over the back of his right knuckles Connor pushed aside his bias for the moment and remained professional for Hank's sake, and out of respect for the senior detective.

It took Connor only twenty minutes to analyze the report from the two officers and compare it to the facts that he had been provided by the deviant community in regard to that fateful night. Speaking on a cybernetic level with David, the current personal caretaker for Carl Manfred, Connor was able to get a statement from Carl himself without needing to intrude on the elderly artist's home or drag him out into the cold to directly speak to the officers in the precinct itself. It would've normally taken Connor only two minutes to work on the report and confirm that two officers' reports were falsified, but he was dragging his feet (by android standards) as he didn't want to work on anything regarding Markus.

Despite his reluctance and intentionally sluggish pace Connor finished the analysis in a professional manner and sent over his collected results to Hank's terminal screen to allow the seasoned Lieutenant to view the details for himself.

"Damn, son." Hank finished sipping at his coffee and gave the report a review. "That was fast."

"...It was?"

"Well, yeah. I can't completely read over a report, interview the key witness, find the faults in the original report and put together all the crucial details required to get a warrant to bring in the two officers in question. That's damn efficient work."

"...Thank you."

"This is impressive to say the least. This you can break it down just as efficiently for the sake of my patience?"

"Yes, of course." Reciting his work regarding the analysis Connor finally stopped juggling his coin and responded accordingly and with a level voice. "The case revolves around a reported breaking and entering complaint on November 5th, 2038 at approximately 9:42 p.m. at 8941 Lafayette Avenue. The residence of one Carl Manfred. That night the call to emergency services was placed by Markus himself." Recounting the details Connor eloquently explained the concerns regarding the police report. "He identified himself, the address of the house and the nature of the call. And yet when the police arrived at the scene they opened fire on Markus without any provocation."

"Shit... That's how he ended up at that old android junkyard, right? They shot him and dumped him off like a piece of garbage."

"Correct. According to the police report that had been filed Markus was in the process of attacking Leo Manfred while Carl Manfred was trying to fend him off. The two officers at the scene; Kendra MacClaine and Timothy White, claimed that they heard Carl Manfred shouting for help after Markus struck Leo in the back of the head and was attempting to strangle him. Their account doesn't line up with not only with the fact that it was Markus who called for help, but Carl confirmed that Leo was the one who broke into the house and Markus and was just defending himself after being physically pushed around and insulted."

"And the two cops were never questioned?"

"Correct again. They filed their report and were commended for saving two lives from the malicious intent of a 'malfunctioning android'."

"Fuck. Can we prove that they had fired on Markus without provocation?"

"Yes. Not only has Carl Manfred delivered a statement from the night of the incident confirming Markus's innocence in the supposed attempted murder..." The concept made Connor trail off for a moment as he realized the true irony of the assignment at hand. Markus was innocent of one count of attempted, but guilty in the murder of another person; and that very person was working to prove his innocence of the primary report in question. "...Carl Manfred has provided a second statement regarding that night, and his detail and account of that night has remained consistent."

"Alright, that's a good start."

"Also, Leo Manfred has admitted that he broke into the house and assaulted Markus. Carl isn't going to press charges against his son as long as he remains in rehab and remains clean. Leo has too provided a confession to the report and had filed it the morning after the Revolution before checking himself into rehab."

"Okay, that's good enough for me." Slipping his phone out of his pocket Hank made a call to Fowler just to bug him with a phone call instead of speaking to him directly, and requested the necessary warrants to bring the two officers into the precinct for questioning. "We'll get our 'guests of honor' down here and settle this matter once and for all."

The air was tense as the two officers, both of whom worked at a neighboring precinct, were requested by Captain Fowler himself for questioning at his precinct to discuss a past case. The duo had been honest cops and had reputations as two loyal and dedicated officers, however their previous behavior toward deviants had made them relatively disliked by the deviant community well after the success of the Revolution. Intimidated by Captain Fowler's presence the two officers obediently went into the interrogation rooms; Kendra being interviewed by Gavin and Timothy being interviewed by Captain Fowler, and awaited the outcome of their since closed and fictitious case being reopened.

Observing the interrogation through the window to keep a seeming bias out of the reopened case Connor stood by the far wall as Chris made notes on the interrogation as requested.

It was interesting to say the least to observe the line of questioning and watch Tim's uncomfortable body language.

From the other side of the glass Captain Fowler recited Timothy's previous cases and of his rather impressive arrest records. After explaining to the officer why he had been requested to come to the precinct for questioning Captain Fowler slid an electronic tablet screen over to Timothy to view. The screen showed Carl speaking to David and having the statement cybernetically uploaded to Connor, and then downloaded to the tablet to use as evidence against him. Pressing 'Play' Captain Fowler let the memories from Markus's past play out, and watched Timothy's facial expressions and body language very closely. As the witness testimony regarding the confrontation between Markus and Leo played out, Leo being the instigator and the person who had broken into the house being proven true, Timothy slumped down in his chair and his hands began to tremble a little.

'Do you remember that night, Officer White?'

'...Yes.' Turning away from the screen Timothy pushed it back toward Captain Fowler's hand. 'I remember.'

'Do you recall what you wrote in your report regarding this particular incident?'

'...Yes. I stated that the android on the premises had assaulted one person and was attempting to assault a second.'

'That's right. At what point did you feel the need to open fire on a deviant with his hands in the air to surrender was warranted?'

Timothy fell silent as he realized there wasn't a single answer he could give that would be acceptable under any circumstances.

'When the call to 911 was placed Markus identified him as the caller and as Mr. Manfred's android. Why did you open fire on the first android you had seen without identifying them first?'

'...I don't know. I just reacted.'

'Uh-huh, I can see that. Any particular reason you ran into the house with your weapons already drawn? There was no shouting for help, no report of an armed suspect by Markus after he placed the call, and it's evident that Markus had been defending himself from the home intruder that he had called 911 to report.'

Falling quiet a second time Timothy paled and his eyes trailed down to the surface of the table guiltily.

'This is a blatant case of police brutality, Timothy. The fact that you opened fire on an unarmed and surrendering person is bad enough, but the fact that you AND your partner both falsified your reports is even worse, and knowing that your commanding officer signed off on your reports without investigating the shooting himself makes me seriously question the validity of every detective in your precinct.'

'I can't excuse my behavior from that night, Captain.' Lifting up his gaze a little Timothy admitted he was at fault. 'I was responding to the call as I had been ordered by Captain Burns.'

'Burns?'

'The call came in at the height of the deviancy scare. He ordered the entire precinct to shoot first and ask questions later regarding any and all calls regarding androids.'

'So Captain Burns ordered you to shoot all androids regardless of the situation?'

'Yes, sir. I'm not the only one who was ordered to do so.'

'Alright, we'll look into this claim.' Making a note on his own report as he continued the interrogation Captain Fowler brought the line of questions to an end. 'For now I want you to give us a true account of what happened that night, and then you're going to talk to Internal Affairs. Also consider yourself suspended without pay for an indefinite period of time that will be determined by Internal Affairs later. Understand?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Good. Wait here and right your report.' Pushing a second tablet and stylus over to Timothy to use Captain Fowler rose from his desk and gave the reprimanded officer a stern look. 'Someone from I.A. will be in to speak with you shortly.'

'What about Kendra?'

'You worry about yourself. Kendra is being spoken to as we speak, and if her story corroborates your own then it could save both of your careers.'

With the interrogation over Connor looked over to Chris, his L.E.D. still cycling in yellow, and watched as his fellow officer's eyes searched over the guilty officer's face through the window as if looking for something that would give him more answers. The sight of the always kind officer looking lost and confused was a little perplexing for Connor to handle. It was as if Chris had his own personal stake in the report at hand, and was struggling to figure out how he truly felt about knowing two other officers were guilty of police brutality against deviants.

"Chris? Are you alright?"

"...Yeah, Sergeant. I'm just thinking."

Arching his brow at the comment as he suddenly saw himself in Chris's shoes Connor's L.E.D. blinked to red and then back to yellow. "Are you thinking about how Markus almost shot you only because someone else told him to do it?"

"Yeah. Markus made a choice to spare me and my partner that night." Chris admitted as he turned to look at Connor over his left shoulder. "Tim was just... obeying orders." Locking eyes with his friend Chris almost laughed at the concept. "Kind of like the same way androids were just doing what they were programmed to do. They just did what they were told without thinking about the repercussions of their actions."

"Tim didn't have to obey his orders, just as androids didn't have to obey their orders either. They both made choices on those nights."

"Yeah, you're right. Human or deviant they both were capable of pulling a trigger or putting the weapon aside. Tim made the wrong choice."

"Every choice has a consequence." Pocketing his coin Connor turned away from the window and stepped through the doorway to return to the corridor and meet up with Hank. The senior detective was sitting behind his desk and fussing with one of the dozens of available Christmas cookies as if he couldn't decide if he actually wanted to eat it or not. "Hank?"

"How'd the interrogation go?"

"Officer White admitted to falsifying the report. He also accused his commanding officer, Captain Burns, or order himself and the other officers in the precinct to actively open fire on any and all androids due to the rising reports of deviants just prior to the Revolution."

"Burns... Captain Reynold Burns?"

Cybernetically Connor confirmed the identity of Tim and Kendra's Captain before and after the shooting. "Correct."

"I know that fucker. He's the type of guy to buy you a shot and then expect you to buy the entire bar the next round."

"Arrogant?"

"Extremely." Leaning back in his chair Hank gave Connor a stern glance and emphasized his next words carefully. "If Burns has been named and accused of approving abuse of power and encouraging falsified reports then that means Fowler is going to speak him directly, and he's not gonna' like being called out on his bullshit."

"Are you advising me to keep out of his line of sight?"

"I'm telling ya' to watch your back for a while." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank let out an annoyed sigh, then dragged his right palm over his eyes and down his bearded chin. "If Fowler's going to throw every cop who's guilty of android abuse under the best then I know that Burns is going to be dragged down here and handled in a public manner, rather than letting I.A. handle it quietly. It might get really tense here for a while."

"I'm not going anywhere." Eyeing the candy canes in the mug on his desk Connor picked up the cinnamon flavored treat and slipped it into his blazer pocket to bring home after clocking out later in the evening. "I wish to stay and see this case closed properly."

"Alright, kid. If that's what you want to do then do it."

Within the hour Captain Burns was escorted to the precinct by someone from Internal Affairs, and the seasoned Captain was visibly seething. Giving the entire bullpen an indignant stare the portly Captain, a pale portly man in his mid fifties with a receding gray hairline and hawk-like hooked nose, it was clear that the arrogance Hank mentioned before was truly his most defining feature. Glaring at Hank, a sure sign that the two officers did in fact have a history together, the accused Captain was directed to interrogation to speak with Captain Fowler in private.

"Want to go eavesdrop on the interrogation?" Hank asked with a sly smirk on his face.

"No. I'd rather deal with my report."

"Think we'll be out of here at our usual time?"

"Very likely."

"Good. I don't want to deal with any fresh snow tonight."

From the neighboring corridor leading away from interrogation Tim was escorted by Chris to Captain Fowler's office where he surrendered his badge and service weapon, then quietly took his leave of the precinct with Chris walking beside him the entire way.

"Looks like Officer White has admitted he was wrong and is willing to cooperate." Connor noted as he watched the humbled officer being shown out of the building.

"Same with his partner."

Watching as Kendra was shown into the private office by Gavin, her posture slumped and eyes wide with worry, Connor genuinely felt bad knowing that the two officers were being reprimanded because of the prejudiced actions of their commanding officer. "...Is there anything that can be done to salvage Officer White and Officer MacClain's careers?"

"Huh?"

"They were obeying orders. Why should they be disciplined because of their Captain's actions?"

"Fair point. I suppose we could make a plea in their favor. After all, they were being cooperative and honest, and had no problem with surrendering their weapons as ordered after they were questioned."

"I'd like to do that. Holding every cop accountable for obeying their orders by a prejudiced Captain is very unfair."

Gavin had overheard the conversation as he showed Kendra to the front door and openly scoffed at the comment. Turning on his heels the moment Kendra was out the door Gavin returned to his desk and spoke loudly to Tina as she sat across from him with a red and white candy care swirling about her mug of hot cocoa. "You believe that shit, Tina?"

Pulling the somewhat melted candy cane out of her drink Tina tasted her treat and gave her partner a tired look. "What now, Gav?"

"That 'Tinman' acting like he's doing those cops a favor by speaking up for them."

"Yeah... That does sound like Connor is in fact doing them a favor." Unimpressed with Gavin's current temper tantrum Tina gave him a scolding glance. "If you were being checked out by I.A. wouldn't you want another cop who was looking into your file to speak up for you, and defend you?"

Giving Tina a look that seemed to reflect a sense of betrayal Gavin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "It only matters if it comes from a real cop. Not a plastic-pretender."

Knowing that comment was meant to be overheard and get under his skin Connor gave Hank a stern glance before responding to insult with his own take on the situation as he L.E.D. remained and calm and collected blue color. "Maybe if I pull my gun on a fellow officer I'll be seen as a 'real cop', just like you, Reed."

The response pulled in a lot of unwanted attention in Gavin's direction and the bullpen went quiet for a moment.

Blushing while also paling Gavin tried to slump down in his seat as if wanting to disappear.

Tina, who had been a good friend to Gavin for a few years now and was actually glad to be assigned as his partner after her old partner was transferred away, had no idea that Gavin had done such a thing. "...You did what, Gavin?"

Muttering under his breath Gavin gave Tina a nervous glance. "...Don't worry about it." Sensing all the eyes and ears focused on him in an instant Gavin had another outburst and barked an order at the nosy officers. "Hey! Get your asses back to work!"

"Jeez, Gavin..." Tina was genuinely shocked by her friend's previous behavior. "I know you hate androids, but doing that is-"

"Know what? I'm outta' here." Rising from his desk Gavin clocked-out and then stormed out of the precinct to leave the bullpen and his shattered pride behind.

Feeling as though he crossed the line Connor lowered his voice and sought Hank's guidance. "...I think my response was inappropriate."

"Actually kid, I think what you said was exactly what needed to be said." With an approving nod Hank confirmed that Connor standing up for himself and not letting Gavin push him around with his persistent poor attitude was the right thing to do. "He was testing the waters to see if he could go back to being an ass and you didn't let him."

"It was unprofessional to draw all that unwanted attention toward him."

"Maybe. But it was just as unprofessional of him to try to call you out for trying to do a nice thing, and mock you in front of the bullpen."

"...Is it strange that I feel guilty?"

"Nah. It means you're empathetic."

"Then I suppose I'll take this a 'small win'."

"You should. That's good."

From his own desk Ben gave the two detectives a small head's up. "Hey, I just word that Burns is going to be held accountable for every shot android reported in his precinct as opposed to his officers." Motioning to his terminal screen with a casual nod of his head Ben confirmed he had been monitoring everything happening in real time. "Burns is about to lose his mind when he's escorted from interrogation."

"Thanks, Ben. We'll keep our cool."

Not ten seconds passed before Captain Burns was led out of interrogation by Captain Fowler and the representative from I.A., and it was clear the seasoned officer was not happy. His pale face was red with anger, he was sweating and his shoulders were very tense. As he was marched through the bullpen Captain Burns honed in on the blue light coming from Connor's L.E.D., and stopped short as he found a target and began to needlessly lash out at the deviant detective who had never encountered him until that night.

"So THAT explains it!" Despite having his hands cuffed behind his back Captain Burns looked like he was ready for a fight. "You have one of those things working here!"

With his blue L.E.D. cycling to yellow Connor remained in his seat and didn't respond to the confrontational behavior.

"Should've known!" Glaring angrily at Captain Fowler behind him Captain Burns managed to pull right his shoulder from Captain Fowler's grip and began frothing at the mouth as he spewed his anger. "Race-traitor!"

"Burns, stop." Trying keep the enraged disgraced officer under control Captain Fowler grabbed onto his right shoulder again and began pushing him toward the precinct's front doors. "Don't make this worse."

"WORSE?!" Jerking free of Captain Fowler's grip again Captain Burns marched toward Connor only to have Hank quickly rise from his seat and plant himself between the angered Captain and his partner. "What's worse than this?!"

"How about you set a good example for the officers who almost had thrown under the bus!" Hank replied in a sharp tone as he defended Connor. "It might be your only saving grace."

"I know it was you and this plastic-freak who burned me, Hank! You think after one of those things killed your son you'd-"

Unable to control his anger Hank reeled back his right fist and punched Captain Burns right his teeth to shut him up, and caused him to stagger backward and right into Captain Fowler's grip again. As the fresh blood began to covered Captain Burns' teeth rapidly the quickly humbled man began to breathe in through his clenched and reddened teeth in utter pain.

"Hank!" Captain Fowler needed to maintain control and shouted at his Lieutenant for striking Captain Burns. "Back off!"

"...Gladly." Looking down at his right knuckles that were already swelling, bruising and bleeding after his skin was cut by Captain Burns's teeth Hank took a step back and didn't even try to resist as Connor rose from his chair, and began scanning over his wounded hand.

Now wounded and angry Captain Burns became twice as dangerous. "Aren't you going to do anything about that?! I was assaulted!"

"Do what?" The representative from I.A. just gave Captain Burns an odd look as he witnessed everything that happened. "Confirm you provoked a fellow officer and deserved the punch in the teeth?"

"You're a race-traitor, too!"

"Shut up, Burns. You're making this-"

"FUCK YOU!" Shifting his weight awkwardly Captain Burns managed to wrestle his shoulder from Captain Fowler's grip for the third time and approach the smaller man who still held his fate in his hands. "You're a piece of-"

Connor's hand reached out and grabbed onto Captain Burns' right shoulder in such a strong grip that he actually made the portly man stumble back and almost lose his balance again to keep him away from the I.A. representative. "Stop. He isn't responsible for your poor behavior."

"You're trying to tell me what to do!?" Moving to shoulder Connor right in his sternum the aggressive officer was again pulled back by Captain Fowler, and now Ben, as he jumped in to help. Unable to hit Connor with his shoulder or fists the out of control Captain settled with a single firm kick directly in the middle of Connor's abdomen causing the deviant to lose his breath as his legs bagan to shake. "Piece of fuckin-"

"ENOUGH." Captain Fowler hooked his arms beneath Captain Burns's arms and then wrapped his palms around the back of Captain Burns's head to put the dangerous and combative officer in a full-nelson. Literally wrestling the man to the floor Captain Fowler pinned Captain Burns down on his stomach and then used his knee against Captain Burns's spine to hold him still. "You just assaulted one of my officers!"

"It's not-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP." Looking up at the I.A. representative Captain Fowler confirmed he was going to hold Captain Burns accountable for every single one of his outbursts. "You saw everything he did, and you saw everyone he attacked. I'm filing my report and you're going to corroborate it."

"Without any hesitation, Captain."

Hank had grabbed onto Connor's right bicep to hold him steady and led him away from the desks. Connor had wrapped both of his arms protectively around his abdomen and was struggling to breathe. "Hey, are you okay?"

Shaking his head a little Connor straightened back up and kept his right palm over his abdomen as he ran a self diagnostic. "...No."

"Shit. Come on." Patting Connor's right shoulder with his left palm Hank guided Connor away from the altercation in the bullpen and toward the corridor leading to the elevators. "Let's get ya' up to see Joel." Pressing the 'call' button on the panel beside the closed elevator door Hank watched as Connor's L.E.D. cycled on a rapid yellow glow, and then watched as Captain Fowler continued to hold Captain Burns down on the floor. "Maybe he can check over my hand while he's at it, too."

Despite his discomfort around technicians in general Connor had to admit that Joel was one of the least threatening technicians he had ever encountered. As the laidback and kind technician examined Connor's abdomen for any sign of internal damage Connor himself managed to relax just enough to keep himself from wrapping his arms protectively around his bruising torso as Joel palpated the injury sight, and used the internal viewing screen to finish off the impromptu examination. Watching as Hank stayed back by the wall with an ice pack over his right knuckles Connor patiently waited for the examination to come to an end so they could finish off their shift for the night.

"That's one hell of a bruise." Joel confirmed as he noted the dark blue bruising under Connor's artificial skin just below his navel. The kick was strong enough to rupture to two small lines connecting to his thermal regulator, and throw the regulator into a spasm that would require recalibration. "Your lines have been reconnected thanks to your self healing program, but the thermal regulator still needs to be recalibrated."

"I noticed."

"I can feel your artificial skin beginning to heat up. I'm worried that with this extreme cold you're going to end up suffering from thermal fluctuation."

"I'll handle it."

"I hope so." Stepping back from the exam table Joel watched very closely as Connor slowly sat upright, his motions obviously stilted by the pain in his abdomen, and watched as Connor rebuttoned his white dress shirt before rebuttoning the gray vest over top of it. "In this weather I'd hate for you to try to rush out to a facility if your condition gets serious."

That comment made Hank step forward. "What do you mean if his 'condition gets serious'?"

"Thermal fluctuation comes from having a poorly calibrated thermal regulator." Joel explained casually as he decided to check on Hank's knuckles out of his own curiosity. "The regulator keeps his system from overheating and warns him if he's in too cold of conditions and needs to get into a warmer environment."

Connor spoke up as readjusted his black tie and carefully slipped off the edge of the exam table to stand up again. "I'll be fine. My system has already begun recalibration and it will be complete in sixteen hours, twenty-nine minutes and seven seconds."

Cocking his brow Hank gave the deviant a worried glance. "And you don't need a technician's care?"

"Correct. I'll recover normally and won't suffer any complications."

"I hope you're right." Wincing a little as Joel flexed his knuckles Hank did his best to not jerk his hand away from the technician due to the painful response.

"You should let me disinfect your hand, Lieutenant." Joel had enough knowledge of human biology to recognize a potential infection brewing. "The human mouth is filthy."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I get enough shit from the medics in the infirmary every winter because I don't drown my fingers in hand sanitizer."

"That stuff just lets super-bacteria thrive anyway..."

Watching as Hank was shown to a small basin to have his hand properly disinfected Connor closed his eyes, ran another self diagnostic, and grimaced. Despite his self healing program working at full capacity his thermal regulator was still struggling to recalibrate. The sound of the howling cold wind outside the dispensary window made Connor subconsciously shudder with fear of the impending cold weather waiting for him once he clocked-out for the evening.

"...I dislike winter."

Filing a very interesting report for the day; a corrupt police Captain forcing his officers to commit hate crimes and then assaulted another officer after provoking a second officer, Hank and Connor decided it was time to go home and forget about the odd day. Despite getting snapped at by Captain Fowler for punching Captain Burns the gruff Lieutenant wasn't going to be punished as he was provoked under a very cruel and needless manner. As for Connor his report against the corrupt Captain would prove beyond damning, and soon the word would spread that the most bigoted cop in Detroit had been fired and would be charged for his abuse of power, as well as dozens of other charges.

The drive back to the house was uneventful although it was clear that Connor was physically uncomfortable, and seemed to be feeling warm despite the cold weather outside the safety of the car. Even the warm lights glowing in the window seemed to be enough to make Connor fidget as if he were dealing with a sudden summer heatwave.

"How's your stomach?"

"Unharmed." The deviant replied as he watched the city passing him by through his window. "It's my thermal regulator that is was damaged."

Chuckling a little Hank couldn't tell if Connor was being sarcastic or just honest. "Are ya' in any pain?"

"No. My discomfort is minimal."

"Good."

"How is your hand?"

"Sore." Flexing his right hand a little over the steering wheel Hank glanced down at the white bandages wrapped around his right knuckles Hank didn't try to deny that his hand was still hurting. "I'll be sure to clean it up again after my shower. I don't want to get an infection."

"That is a wise precaution." Reaching up to the collar of his jacket Connor unzipped the garment and then worked to loosen his tie from around his collar.

"Is it too hot in the car?"

"I'm merely struggling to maintain a consistent core temperature. The car is heated adequately."

Without any hesitation Hank reached his right palm over to Connor's forehead and did a paternally instinctive fever check. "Yeah, you feel warm."

"My core temperature is currently at one-hundred degrees even."

"Maybe we should go into fever mode until your regulator thingy is working again."

"...That might also be a wise precaution."

"You know, you've been more agreeable as of late." Turning onto the street leading back to the house Hank noted the deviant's sudden change in demeanor with a curious lilt to his voice. "What gives?"

"I'm merely trying to be more accommodating. You've been exceptionally patient with me and I know I've been stubborn."

"Hey, stubbornness is a good trait to have." Pulling into the driveway beside the house Hank gave the deviant a knowing look. "It means you won't let anyone push you around, and it means you're going to be loyal to whatever responsibility comes your way until the very end."

"Maybe."

"No 'maybe' about it, kid." Putting the car into park Hank turned off the ignition and gave Connor a confident stare. "You're the type of person to give someone the shirt off your back and deny being cold just so they'd stay comfortable."

"...Would such a scenario ever actually occur?"

"I hope not." Unfastening his seatbelt Hank opened his door and watched as Connor did the same. Walking to the front door of the house together Hank watched as the deviant endured the cold without any problems for the first time since his deviancy and knew that he was running hotter than usual. "You change into your night clothes and relax on the couch. Just let your body heal."

"Agreed."

"And don't let Sumo climb over you until your temperature comes down. The giant lug is a walking, furry space heater."

"Right." Following after Hank inside the house Connor quickly shrugged off his leather jacket and quickly removed his gray blazer over his vest and shirt. "I will changing my clothing and lay down."

"Cool. I'll get a couple of ice packs. One for your forehead," Hank explained as he too removed his coat and then his shoes. "and one for my knuckles."

Feeling himself growing hotter Connor removed his shoes and made his way to the closet in the hallway to get his night clothes to change into once inside the bathroom. Removing the layer of his uniform helped him feeling cooler but once she changed into the t-shirt and sweatpants he felt hot again. "...Shit."

Returning to the livingroom Connor smoothed out the quilt he had been using ever since Hank took him in off the streets over the length of the couch, then positioned the pillow against the arm to prop himself up slightly as he rested. Not long after Connor felt Sumo's cold wet nose press against the side of his neck and he actually appreciated the affectionate gesture.

"Good boy."

"Here." Hank put the ice pack down over Connor's forehead as he wrapped the second ice pack around his own knuckles. "Need anything else?"

"...Maybe a second ice pack."

"Already gotcha' covered." Revealing the extra ice pack he had brought with him from the freezer Hank handed it down to Connor as he leaned over the back of the couch. Watching the deviant place the ice pack down on his lower abdomen over his bruise. "What's your temperature at right now?"

"...One-hundred and one point six degrees."

"And it's at what temperature you go into your emergency stasis mode thing?"

"One-hundred and three degrees."

"Okay. If you get up to one-hundred and two and half you're taking a cold shower."

"Yes. I'd prefer to not enter such a stasis mode against my will."

"Same. Relax and rest. If Fowler calls I'll tell him to fuck off until morning."

"Please don't be rude."

"No promises, kid. He's intruding on our time OFF the clock. I can say whatever I want to him."

Making a mental note of Hank's comment Connor decided that regardless of his time either of or off with the precinct he'd be respectable toward his commanding officer. "...I wouldn't push it too far."

After an hour Connor's fever peaked at one-hundred and two point three degrees, then began to steadily lower thanks to the ice packs being provided by Hank. The sight of Connor struggling with another fever reminded the senior detective of all the winters where he'd spend the evenings on the couch wrapped up in a blanket alongside Cole and his late wife, Barbara, and how it seemed like family was the only thing that'd keep the cold at bay, and make suffering through the flu every year actually bearable.

Resting in the recliner Hank sipped at his beer as he watched the news with glee. Seeing Captain Burns with a swollen lip and a broken career being paraded on the broadcast for the city to witness was enough to make the gruff Lieutenant grin. Watching a corrupt cop being humiliated and dragged through the mud always made him feel like all of his hard work as an honest detective was all the more meaningful because he did things the right way, and he succeeded.

"Look at that, Connor." Watching as the deviant opened his soulful brown eyes and turned his head to face the television screen, his yellow L.E.D. now visible as he moved, Hank made sure the deviant was aware that their work had paid off. "The asshole is being disgraced, and all of his previous cases with deviants are being reviewed."

"...Then that means other deviants who were devoid of justice will finally get what they deserve."

"Yup. Not a bad day's work after all." Taking another sip of his beer Hank watched Connor carefully. "How's your fever?"

"Technically I'm overheating not feverish, but my core temperature is beginning to drop."

"What're at you at right now?"

"One-hundred and one point nine degrees."

"Yeah, that's better. Not much, but an improvement is an improvement." Finishing off his beer Hank rose from the recliner and passed by the couch to walk down the hallway. "Since you're recovering I'm going to go ahead and take a quick shower. You keep resting and just shout if you need anything."

Nodding a little Connor returned his attention to the news and took in the details of the report regarding Captain Burns's arrest and of the properly closed and handled case regarding Markus being shot, which in turn led to the deviant becoming a leader and allowing the Revolution to succeed. The chain of events, while tragic, did seem to have a far more optimistic ending. It was strange to think about how one man's cold and cruel decision had such a drastic domino effect that ended in a peaceful resolution and the deviant Revolution in itself.

"...One man's tragedy is another man's triumph."

The news of the police officers being arrested spread quickly and circulated through New Jericho Tower at a rapid clip. Markus of course was entirely stunned to know that the two officers who shot him and left him for death had confessed to the unprovoked shooting, and were attempting to atone for their errors by helping to condemn their bigoted Captain and ensure he never abused his power to harm another innocent person anywhere in Detroit. Speaking with Carl on a cybernetic and verbal call Markus stood outside the tower along the harbor and watched the dark water gently lap against the sandy, snowy shore with a rhythmic serenade.

It was nearly nine in the evening and the sun had long since set on the chilly day, and yet Markus couldn't bring himself to return to the warmth of the tower just yet.

"I don't know why I feel so confused, Carl." Admitting his emotions were conflicted and he wasn't sure what he should be feeling or why, Markus stared out at the harbor as if seeking the answers from the water itself. "I've received justice and a corrupt cop has been removed from his place of power. And yet I don't really feel like anything has changed."

'Give it time, Markus. Very few things can just happen overnight that changes your view on the world.' The elderly artist's voice was alert despite being ill and needing to rest. 'You may not be able to feel it or see it but having justice for you is going to bring about justice for the other deviants in the city.'

"Yeah. I know many more deviants are going to get justice now, but personally for me it feels somehow empty."

'Maybe it's because a few nights ago that one deviant who going around killing the other deviants was labeled as defective and dangerous, but the cop going around and killing who knows how many more deviants was labeled as disgraced, and just got canned instead of killed.'

"That might have something to do with it, but you also taught me that 'an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind'. I don't want to see that cop executed or anything like that."

'Well, there's one other thing that could be bothering you.'

"What's that?"

'That one deviant that you... Well, he's working as a detective now. Maybe you feel guilty because there's a good chance that he's the one who handled that cop and put his ass in the fire. Now you feel like you don't deserve justice because he can't have justice without you suffering the same fate. We both know he won't do that to you, and you know that unless you're willing to come forward and risk losing everything you built he'll never get justice.'

"I already made the decision that his life was less important that the rest of the deviants." Lamenting his deepest regret Markus realized that Carl was entirely right about his emotional conflict. "And now I'm deciding that his sense of justice is just as worthless."

'The fact that you admit that it's unfair means you know his justice isn't worthless at all. You just don't know how to give him what he deserves without losing everything you earned for yourself, and for the rest of your people.'

"What do I do, dad?" Defeat was prevalent in his every word as he spoke from the heart. "I'm so lost."

'You need to stop worrying about the past and move on with your future. By all account that's what he's doing, so you should do the same.'

"But I can't just act like I hadn't made a huge mistake that took the life of a deviant who was just trying to do the right thing, and had tried to earn my trust. I dismissed him with a bullet."

'Live and learn, Markus. That's what it means to truly be alive. To experience new moments, new feelings and countless new people. Whether or not those moments are positive or negative, whether those feelings are good or bad, and whether those new people will be friend or foe, is all up to you and you own decisions. Learn from your mistakes and live on with those experiences to have good feelings with new friends.'

"You make everything seem so simple."

'Well, that comes from decades of experience and a life full of regrets. I recommend the experiences and not the regrets.'

Smirking a little at Carl's infallible wisdom Markus slowly began to feel the weight crushing his heart begin to lighten. "I'll remember that."

'And remember this: You may have made a mistake but that doesn't mean every one of your decisions will be the same. Regardless of what you do or where you go in life I'll always be proud of you and equally proud to call you my son.'

"Thank you, dad. I'm proud to be your son."

'Damn right. I'm brilliant and famous.'

"Can I see you tomorrow morning?"

'Of course you can, you're always welcome home. We can play chess again, it's been too long since I kicked your butt across the board.'

"I'd like that. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

'Goodnight, son. And don't worry about that deviant detective anymore. He's taking care of himself and you need to do the same.'

"I will, dad. I won't linger in the past anymore."

'That's what I wanted to hear.'

Ending the call Markus let out a weary sigh and watched the water lapping against the shore just a few inches from his feet. It was such a calm and tranquil night, and despite Carl's kind words he still felt turmoil in his heart.

"I will move on from my past once I figure out how to make peace with it."

Feeling much better after his shower Hank changed into his own night clothes and proceeded to clean up and re-bandage his right knuckles to keep a possible infection at bay. Picking up his dirty clothes from the floor Hank noticed that Connor had neatly folded his uniform and left it on the bathroom sink rather than put it in the hallway closet as per usual. Picking up the clothes from the sink Hank felt something in the right pocket of Connor's blazer and remembered that the deviant had put one of the candy canes Tina had given him in the pocket.

The candy cane was one of the few new things in Connor's life that he was willing to accept and try. It was a simple gesture in itself but for someone as unique and stubborn as Connor the willingness to try something new was a huge milestone.

"I wonder how deviants celebrate the holidays?" Hank asked himself as he opened the bathroom door and stepped out to get to the hallway closet just across the way. Placing the uniform down on the shelf where it was often kept during Connor's time off Hank pulled the treat from the pocket and walked into the livingroom to check on the deviant. "Connor, are you still awake?"

The deviant had curled up on the couch under the thick quilt and was completely concealed under the warm layer. Noticing the partially melted ice packs down on the coffee table beside the couch Hank realized that Connor's fever must've broken and was now trying to sleep. Sumo was also asleep and snoring a little as he napped away on his pillow in the corner of the livingroom.

"Oh, well, I guess I'll..." Trailing off for a moment Hank noticed that the quilt was trembling and immediately realized that Connor was now suffering the other extreme of the thermal fluctuation. "Connor? Connor, look at me."

The deviant muttered the name 'Amanda' and was breathing frantically as if in a fight for his life.

"Not another nightmare... Connor!" Raising his voice to get the deviant's attention Hank tried to get him to wake up. "Connor, you're safe you're having a nightmare and Amanda isn't here!"

"A-Amanda... Please!"

"Connor!"

Hank's voice cut in through the nightmare and managed to pull Connor back into the waking world. Fighting back against his fears to control his breathing Connor responded to Hank's voice in a low whisper of his own. "H-Hank?"

"Right here, son. It's okay, you just had another bad dream."

Refusing to uncover himself from his warm cocoon Connor continued to shiver under the blanket out of Hank's sight. "...C-Cold."

"Shit." Putting his hand down on the deviant's trembling shoulder atop the layer Hank could feel the chill that was causing Connor to shiver right through the quilt. "What's your temperature at?"

Connor was quiet for a moment before he answered the question. "...N-Ninety-two p-point four d-degrees."

"That's too damn cold." Moving around the side of the couch Hank put the candy cane down on the coffee table for a moment and peeled back the quilt to look at Connor's face. "Oh, man..." Connor was pale, his L.E.D. was blinking bright red and cycling slowly, there were dark blue circles under his eyes and it looked like the artificial skin on his fingertips, ears and nose had been eaten away by frost bite. "We need to get you warmed up and fast!"

"C-Can't move!"

"Now with the way you're trembling..." Making a quick decision Hank wrapped his arms around the deviant's shoulders to force him to sit upright on the couch, then stooped down enough to pull Connor up and over his own right shoulder to carry. "I gotcha'..."

"H-Hank?"

"I'm going to get ya' warmed up. A hot shower should do the trick." Opening the partially closed bathroom door with his left foot Hank knelt down on the floor beside the tub and sat Connor down beside him. Turning on the hot water in the shower Hank pulled up the plug in the drain to keep the water from draining away as the shower poured the hot water into the tub. "You need to get undressed and in the water."

"...T-Too cold."

Begrudgingly Hank pulled the quilt down from Connor's face to look at him again and just grimaced at the odd cold-induced damage to his face. "How'd you get frostbitten hiding on the couch?"

"...N-Nightmare. Blizzard. Very v-vivid."

"Holy shit. Your nightmares can give you real world effects if they get bad enough?"

"...Y-Yes. I... I s-suspect it's c-connected to d-deviancy."

Lightly Hank pushed the quilt back further to look at Connor's fingers clutching to the fabric like a lifeline and winced. "Maybe you should have your skin bandaged up or something before you go in the water."

"I-It will heal as I w-warm up."

"I hope so. I don't want to risk running you outside into the cold air to see a technician if you get worse because of my stupid mistake."

Curling as tightly as he could around himself, his legs pulled up to his chest with his forehead resting atop his knees, Connor looked like he had fallen into a frozen lake and was desperately trying to not succumb to the cold.

"It's going to suck but you have to drop the quilt and get undressed now."

"...I c-can't move."

"Then I'll help you." Reaching his hands into the folds of the quilt wrapped around Connor's shivering body Hank fuond the hem of Connor's t-shirt and began to pull it up and away from the trembling deviant. Waiting for Connor to let got of the quilt just long enough to pull his arms through the sleeves Hank tossed the garment aside for the moment, and waited for the deviant finish what he started. Meanwhile Hank began grabbing every available clean towel from the rack to pile up on the floor. "Can you move at all?"

"B-Barely." Connor's words were trembling as much as his body, and his teeth were beginning to audibly chatter. Working to get off his warm sweatpants, boxers and socks under the shielding quilt Connor truly looked miserable. "...S-So c-c-cold."

"I know you are. Fuckin' winter sucks enough as it does... Being hypothermic is a whole new level of bullshit."

Despite his modesty Connor was willing to admit his current state of hypothermia was limiting his movement and couldn't move alone. "H-Help?"

"Yeah. Come on." Slipping his arm right through the quilt to get around Connor's shoulders and his left arm under his knees Hank managed to lift up the shivering deviant from the floor, and away from the quilt just long enough to put him down in the filling bathtub. Despite the hot water rising in the tub Connor was still cold and resumed pulling his legs up to his chest as he wrapped his arms around his legs and pressed his forehead back down atop his knees to resume his frozen position. "You look pitiful, kid."

"S-S-Sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's that damn thermal thing and that bitch in your nightmares."

"I h-hate being c-cold."

"I know you do. I hate the cold, too." Grabbing onto a fresh washcloth sitting on the edge of the sink Hank let it soak up the hot water as it showered down over Connor and then placed the heated washcloth down between Connor's shoulder blades. Noticing that Connor's L.E.D. was still red and blinking slowly Hank was beginning to worry that Connor was getting worse and needed a technician's aid. "How's your temperature?"

"It's... N-Ninety degrees e-even."

"Damn it, you're getting colder."

"...I c-can't help i-it."

"I know you can't, just sit there and stay under the hot water for as long as you can stand it until you start warming up."

"I-I'll try."

Giving the deviant a sympathetic glance Hank shifted his weight and sat down on the floor beside the bathtub with his back pressed up against the side in a somewhat casual manner. "How's your bruise?"

"H-Healing."

"That's good. Uh, I put your uniform in the closet for ya'. I also pulled that candy cane out of your jacket's pocket so you wouldn't forget about it."

"Th-Thank you."

"I stopped checking in on the news regarding Burns." Keeping the Connor distracted was Hank's way of making the time pass by faster. "Do you have an update from the precinct or anything?"

"...N-No."

"Okay. Uh... You just stay here and I'm going to find all the extra blankets in the house, and see if I scrounge up a heating pad for you."

"Y-You don't h-have-"

"I know I don't have to do anything, but I want to. You're my friend, you need help and I'm going to help you. Got it?"

Nodding a little Connor confirmed he understood Hank's decision. "G-Got it."

"Good." Standing up from beside the bathtub Hank made his way out of the bathroom to go on his scavenger hunt. "Just stay there and warm up."

Entering his own bedroom Hank turned on the light and then opened up the sliding closet door and located a large red quilt from the shelf above his shirts, and then rummaged around for any sign of a heating pad or a water bottle. There was nothing up there and it made Hank grimace with disappointment.

"Shit. The kid needs more than blankets and a couch right now."

Looking over at his own bed Hank decided that in the moment Connor needed it more than him, and pulled back his own quilt to make it easier for Connor climb onto the mattress and warm up. Leaving the extra red quilt at the end of the bed Hank made his way down the hallway and into the kitchen to check under the sink, and then inside the drawers to locate a hot water bottle at long last.

"Ha!" Pulling the red tinted rubber pouch from beneath a collection of hot pads and old plastic bags Hank held it in his hands like a prize. "Knew I had one of these little bastards still laying around the house."

Filling up the bottle under the hot tap in the kitchen sink Hank closed it up right and quickly placed it down on the middle of his bed for a moment. Returning to the bathroom Hank sat down on the floor beside the bathtub again and put right his hand on the back of Connor's neck. The water had filled the tub enough to reach up to the middle of Connor's shins, but the deviant was still shivering slightly. "Hey, feeling any warmer?"

"I'm b-back up to n-ninety-two degrees."

"Okay. Sit here until you're up to about ninety-five. Then we'll get you buried under quilts and Sumo to keep you warm."

It didn't take long for the massive dog to plod into the bathroom after hearing his name from the distance. Stretching out his body as he yawned in the opened bathroom doorway it was clear Sumo had been sleeping throughout the entire ordeal without a care in the world. Laying down in the doorway Sumo rested his chin atop his outstretched paws and watched the detectives from afar.

"Let me see your hands." Prying Connor's right hand from the side of his left leg Hank inspected Connor's fingertips and sighed at the still exposed plastimetal frame on his fingertips and face. "I hope your skin heals soon. This looks painful."

"...D-Doesn't hurt."

"Good." Turning off the shower Hank pulled one of the fresh towels over to himself before draping it around Connor's shoulders in a comforting manner.

The extra warm layer was much appreciated. "...Thanks."

"No problem. I've been meaning to ask for a while now, how's your search for a new apartment going?"

"...S-Slow."

"Not any places available? Or just nothing in your taste?"

"...P-Plenty of places. But I-I'm not w-welcome in the d-deviant c-community."

"That's bullshit."

"...It c-cannot be helped."

"Hey, you're a valuable member of the community, deviant or not. You should be able to live wherever you want to live without feeling like you're intruding. You did all the deviants a huge favor and the least they can do is let ya' live in the neighborhood."

Not responding to the comment Connor just continued to shiver in the hot water.

"Well, no matter where you go or when you want to go, if at all, you'll always be welcome here. This house is a safe place for you." Pressing the back of his left hand to the right side of Connor's neck, the deviant momentarily flinching at the contact, Hank noted that Connor was feeling much warmer. "You feel like you're really warming up fast."

"U-Up to ninety-four p-point six."

"Okay, let's get you out of the water and dried off. If your thermal thingy is starting to kick back on I don't want you accidentally overheating again."

Nodding again Connor agreed and let Hank help him climb out of the hot water to sit on a towel on the floor. Burying himself under all of the provided warm towels to conceal himself and keep the cold at bay Connor let out a shuddering breath as he tried to keep himself from trembling, and resisted the urge to keep curling around himself as if that could somehow stave off the cold that was coming from his own being.

"I found an extra quilt and I found a hot water bottle, so you should be able to stay warm without the shower."

"...Thank you." Using the covering provided by the towels to redress himself discreetly in his nearby clothes Connor pulled the quilt he had been previously using over to himself, and wrapped back up before making a move to stand up on his still trembling legs.

"Come on." Putting his left hand to Connor's right shoulder Hank guided Connor out of the bathroom, around Sumo, and promptly directed him to his bedroom at the end of the hallway.

Noting that the senior detective was taking him away from the livingroom Connor spoke up curiously. "...Hank?"

"You get the bed tonight."

"...N-No. I can't do that to you."

"Yes you can, and yes you will." Practically pushing Connor into the bedroom Hank guided Connor over to the bed and made him lay down on his right side in the middle of the large and warm bed. Within seconds Connor had curled up into a tight ball on his side with his quilt keeping him warm, and grabbed onto the hot water bottle to press to his core beneath the quilt. "If you're not better in the morning I'm taking you to see a technician."

Connor nodded again and peered around the chocolate brown quilt covering his face to look at Hank as the senior detective pulled the covers of the bed up and over him to add a new layer of warmth. "...Why are you l-letting me sleep in here?"

"You've spent every night you've been here on the couch without a complaint." Hank stated as he patted the side of his left leg to call Sumo into the bedroom. "And you've been having a rough few weeks." Sumo obediently came into the bedroom and sat at Hank's feet with his tail wagging slowly. "Sometimes being able to sleep in a nice soft bed is all someone needs to start feeling better after having a shitty time."

"...Where will you s-sleep?"

"If you can handle the couch for five weeks then I can handle it for a night. Maybe two."

"N-No. I won't-"

"Kid. Lay down and go to sleep." Patting the foot of the bed Hank signaled Sumo to hop up, to which the massive dog happily obliged, and watched as Sumo settled down next to Connor's legs for a moment. Watching Sumo's ears perk up Hank knew that the Saint Bernard's instincts as a rescue breed had kicked in and wasn't at all surprised to see Sumo lay down closer to Connor near his abdomen to help him keep warm. "Trust me, this won't be the first time I crashed on the couch."

"...Y-You're certain?"

"Yup. Now, shut up and go to sleep." The red L.E.D. finally flickered back to yellow as Connor's vitals steadily improved. "I'll check on ya' in the morning, but if you need help just wake me up."

"Th-That won't be necessary."

"I hope not." Picking up the extra quilt now that Connor had two quilts, a hot water bottle and Sumo to keep him warm Hank decided that the deviant would be okay as he was for a few hours. "Goodnight, kid."

"...Goodnight, H-Hank."

Exiting the bedroom Hank turned off the light and pulled the door partially shut behind himself. Wrapping the red quilt around his person Hank walked down the hallway and gave the closed door to the second bedroom near the end of the hallway a mournful look. Unable to stop himself Hank put his right hand on the doorknob and sighed as he realized he hadn't set foot inside the second bedroom since the day after the funeral.

"...Still hard to walk past that door."

Retreating to the couch for the night Hank propped up the pillow Connor had been using and sat down on the couch and shifted his weight so he could fall over and lay on his right side. Within seconds Hank felt immediately uncomfortable and decided that laying on his back would be more comfortable. He was right, but only marginally so.

"Holy shit." Pressing his palm down over the cushions beneath himself Hank could feel all the broken down and loosened springs beneath the thinned out and old fabric. "This thing is worn the fuck out..."

Sitting up again Hank huffed and made his way back down the hallway and opened up the medicine cabinet to retrieve a bottle of sleeping pills. Dropping two tablets into his left palm Hank popped the pills into his mouth and chased the dose with a small gulp of water. Returning to the livingroom with quiet steps Hank laid back down on the couch and did his best to ignore the lumps and worn out springs pressing uncomfortably into his hips and shoulders.

"How can the kid sleep here without complaining? I should drag this couch out back and burn it down. Put it out of its misery..."

Remembering quickly that Connor was an android and didn't know any better Hank sighed to himself and peered over the back of the couch to the closed door of the second bedroom for a moment again.

"...Or maybe I should just give Connor his own bed to sleep in."

Closing his tired blue eyes Hank did his best to relax and get some sleep before checking in on Connor's condition in the morning.

"Funny how one idea sounds a lot easier, and far less felonious."

-next chapter-