The next morning started with a mild ache in Hank's back and a strange pulling sensation in his right hand. Opening his blue eyes slowly Hank found himself staring bleary-eyed up at the ceiling of the livingroom instead of his bedroom, and in a flash his memory of the previous day returned like a flash. Looking down at his right hand Hank was surprised to see that the pulling he was feeling was from Connor checking his knuckles, disinfecting his still healing hand's wounds and applying an antibiotic cream over the raw injury.

Resisting the urge to pull back his hand Hank just watched as Connor, who was wrapped up in the chocolate brown quilt and sitting on the coffee table with the cinnamon flavored Thirium candy cane hanging out of his mouth, tended to his wounds.

"I apologize for waking you, Hank." Noticing that Hank was now awake Connor finished wrapping up Hank's hand in fresh gauze. Working diligently Connor's L.E.D. was finally back to a blue color and pulsing at a normal stable pace as he aided Hank's recovery. "I awoke twenty-four minutes ago and my scanner detected a small amount of bacteria beginning to develop in your first and second knuckles. I disinfected the area for you."

"It's okay, and thanks." Sitting upright on the couch, his back popping loudly as the uncomfortable and unsupportive couch had been merciless on his spine as he slept, Hank gave Connor a tired yawn. "...How do you feel?"

"I am functioning at optimal parameters."

"So your temperature is normal?"

"Yes." Speaking around the candy cane hanging out of the corner of his mouth Connor confirmed he had made a full recovery. The artificial skin on his fingertips, nose and ears had all regenerated as well after his core temperature normalized. "I only require a minimal Thirium replenishment."

Teasing a little Hank lightened the otherwise heavy mood of the house. "Is that why you're eating candy for breakfast?"

"It's not actually candy, but yes." Pulling the partially eaten candy from his mouth Connor confirmed it was a necessity. "This contains the ideal amount of Thirium to full replenish my reserve."

"Cool. So..." Looking down at his re-bandaged right hand Hank gave the deviant an odd glance. "what's going on today?"

"Today is our time off. I don't have any plans." Nodding in the direction of the kitchen Connor motioned to Sumo eating his breakfast in the kitchen as he returned the candy cane to his mouth. "I will make you breakfast if you wish."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll just get some coffee and some toast."

"You should begin eating a more filling breakfast in the morning. It's healthier for you to eat a large breakfast so you don't 'snack' on high caloric items throughout the day, and you won't overeat during lunch and dinner."

"Yeah, yeah..." Leaning forward Hank tried to stretch his back a little and then stood up slowly. "I'm going to take a quick shower to loosen up my back, then we're going out for a while."

"Out?" For a moment his blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow then back to blue as he cybernetically scanned the weather reports. "It's going to begin snowing again this afternoon at one-fifteen, and there is a high probability of sleet by this evening at seven twenty-three."

"We won't be out long. We're just going to get a new couch and replace this old one."

"...Oh."

"Why didn't ya' tell me the couch was so broken down and uncomfortable?"

"I didn't know the couch wasn't meant to feel as such."

"What did ya' sleep in at CyberLife?"

"I entered rest mode while standing in a vertical charging station, or I would lay on an exam table in CyberLife analysis bays as I underwent repairs and updates."

"Shit, no wonder you had no idea how a good couch is supposed to feel." Using his left hand to support his sore back Hank walked down the hallway and turned on the light in the bathroom before stepping inside. As he entered the small private room Hank glanced at the vacant bedroom behind the closed door just a few inches away and had another thought. "Safe to say he never felt a good bed until last night, too. Guess I'll change that while I'm getting the new couch today."

Despite the extreme cold and persistent snow Hank and Connor made their way downtown to check out the largest furniture store in the city, and hoped they wouldn't have to deal with holiday madness as Christmas Day approached rapidly. Wearing a new black woolen beanie to keep his head warm in the cold and to keep his L.E.D. covered Connor accompanied Hank inside the store, and glanced about the furniture on display with an indifferent gaze. Doing his best to remain composed and appear normal in the steadily thickening crowd of shoppers Connor stayed close to Hank, and kept his eyes on the floor beneath his feet.

The senior detective had noticed that Connor wasn't comfortable in the growing crowd and decided to lead him toward the far wall of the store where the furniture that wasn't on sale had garnered less attention. Watching as Connor's tense posture began to slowly relax Hank made a mental note to keep the young deviant away from downtown during the holidays, and to find ways to ensure he didn't get overwhelmed by all the activity around him.

"Are ya' okay, Connor?"

Glancing over to Hank with a slightly arched brow Connor gave his friend an odd look. "...Pardon?"

"You look like you're ready to run and hide. Being an introvert during the busy season sucks."

"I'm alright."

"Good. Why don't you stick around here while I go find a couch that doesn't suck and isn't too pricey?"

"I can accompany you elsewhere. It won't be a problem."

"Through that mess?" Pointing with his right thumb over his right shoulder back to the crowd Hank gave the deviant an incredulous stare. "No way. Stay back here and wait for me. I'll come and get ya' after I pick out what I need and get delivery handled."

Looking to the increasing crowd growing behind Hank, the indiscernible voices all speaking over one another and increasing in volume emphasizing the vast number of people cramming inside the store at a consistent pace, Connor agreed to stay back. "...Very well. I'll remain here until you've finished."

"Okay. I'll be as quick as I can."

Moving his way back through the crowd Hank ignored the rude and aggressive shoppers and found a new black leather couch that was just as big as his current couch, but it was slightly wider and and had a lounger at the right end. Taking a paper copy of the couch's ticket number from the showroom floor Hank pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shouting indignant voices and bickering couples around him, and prepared to pay for the furniture.

"Bad timing for that couch to breakdown. Jeez..."

Reaching the order and delivery counter, the four cashiers behind the counter all looking emotionally and physically exhausted, Hank waited in line and finally made his way to the first available cashier to get everything taken care of.

"Hello, sir." The man was in his early twenties, had a lanyard around his neck showcasing which university he was attending, bore a dark complex, black hair, warm amber brown eyes and heavy bags under his eyes from spending his nights studying after spending his days working. "How can I help you today?"

"Yeah, I want this couch delivered to this address." Filling out the form in front of him Hank glanced about the chaos and asked about any of the beds they had left on sale. "Do you have any queen sized beds on sale left behind?"

"There's two models left, three one of the first model and two of the second model."

"What's the difference between the two models?"

"The brand name." It was clear the cashier was just tired and doing his best to remain patient. "They're the same size, have the same type of mattress, same coloring, same warranty and same complimentary bed frame."

Laughing at the young man's honestly Hank just shook his head and approved. "Alright, give me the cheaper of the two and ship it to the same address."

"You got it." Happy to tag on the extra purchase with Hank, who was easily the most cooperative customer he had dealt with all day, the cashier totaled up the price and handed Hank his confirmation paperwork. "Sign here and pay whenever you're ready."

"Cool. When can I expect delivery?"

"With all the chaos and customers... I can guarantee sometime between now and Christmas Eve."

"That's fine. It's not an emergency or anything."

The cashier's posture visibly relaxed just as Connor's had as Hank wasn't yelling at him and demanding the impossible over something as trivial as a couch or a bed.

"Hey, my first job was working fast food. I know how crazy people get this time of year." Paying off the purchases with his debit card Hank gave the young man a reassuring grin. "You're doing fine."

"Thank you, sir."

"Take it easy, kid. Just a few more days and you'll be able to hide from the city again." Returning to the far wall of the store to grab Connor so they could leave together Hank noticed that Connor had begun dancing his coin over the knuckles of his right hand, and his soulful brown eyes were glazed over a little as if reliving a bad dream in the waking world. "Connor?"

"...Yes?" His voice was low and emotionless as he answered in a simple manner.

"I got what I needed, let's go."

"...Okay."

Hearing the glum tone and lack of energy from the deviant held Hank's full attention. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"...Fine."

"Uh-huh, I doubt that." Hesitant to put his hand to Connor's shoulder as his experience with handling tense officers and detectives told him the unexpected contact might make Connor have a negative reaction, Hank just led the way out of the store so Connor had some form of barricade between himself and the other people in the store. "Let's get ya' out of here and back home where it's warm and quiet."

Pushing his way out of the store Hank stepped out in the chilly air and watched as Connor did the same. The coin had been dancing the entire time and Connor himself seemed to be moving on autopilot as he remained lost in thought.

"The furniture will be delivered... uh, eventually." Showing Connor the confirmation paperwork Hank let the deviant know everything was under control as they walked down the sidewalk to get to the car. "Let's get out of here."

"...Yes."

"Kid? What's wrong?"

"...Nothing. I'm merely thinking."

"Want to talk about it?"

"...You wouldn't understand."

"Maybe not, but I can still listen so you can at least get it off your chest."

Connor's eyes drifted up from the snowy cold sidewalk and locked onto Hank's blue eyes for a moment as they walked side by side. It was clear he was searching for something, what that something was neither Hank or Connor himself knew. "...It's okay."

"Well, the offer still stands." Approaching the car Hank unlocked the doors and watched as Connor slowly pulled open the passenger side door to sit down and enjoy the warmth of the protected vehicle, and then watched as Connor's eyes immediately focused on the bright and shining decorations all around the car as if finding a sense of peace in the warm glow. Glancing about the area Hank noticed that every single store was packed full of people and noticed all of the glowing decorations surrounding the plaza that made things appear much more civil. "Here." Opening his door Hank passed the paperwork over to Connor to hold. "Wait for me."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"I want to go grab one more thing before we head back to the house. I'll just be a minute."

"...Okay." With his coin still dancing over his knuckles Connor watched as Hank closed the driver's side door and entered a smaller store that neighbored the furniture they had just exited.

Determined to find a way to make Connor feel more at ease and reassure the young and guarded deviant that he was in fact a friend, and welcomed in Hank's home, Hank decided to make a friendly gesture toward his wary partner. As he walked into the smaller store Hank glanced about and located the section that contained artificial Christmas trees to make his selection.

"Should've known everything would be bare bones by this time of year. This will have to do."

With the options very limited and picked over Hank grabbed a smaller tree, just three feet in height, green, and covered in multicolored L.E.D. lights, and made his way toward the front register as quickly as he could. Fortunately the other customers were more interested in sales and discounts than actually checking out. Being able to leave the store without any problems and with his purchase a success Hank returned to the car, and popped open the trunk just long enough to put the tree inside for transportation.

"Alright, kid." Returning to the driver's side door Hank opened it up and put the key in the ignition to turn over the engine. "I got what I needed. Ready to return to the house?"

"...Yes. I dislike the cold. And crowds."

"Yeah, sorry. I should've let you have the keys so you could at least turn on-" The sound of angry shouting and pleading voices from the nearby alleyway stole Hank's attention for a moment. Reacting quickly Hank gave Connor a 'stay here' gesture with his hand as he went to check out the commotion. "Hold on..."

"Hank?" Watching the senior detective's reaction with focused gaze Connor knew something important caught his attention. "What's going on?"

"I got this, wait here." Closing the door Hank walked down the alleyway toward the sound of the yelling voice and the two calmer, pleading voices in time to see a very angry man shouting at the cashier who had helped Hank earlier. He was also shouting at one of the store's delivery men. "What the fuck is going on back here?"

The man turned to look at Hank and gave him an indignant stare. "Fuck off, old man!" The man in question was in his early thirties, well built, fake tanned and sporting overly priced clothing. "This isn't your business!"

"Actually..." Pulling his badge from his back pocket Hank identified himself as a police Lieutenant. "It is. You're disturbing the peace and harassing these guys you ass-wipe!"

"Well, finally. Maybe you can get these lazy pieces of shit to do as I say!"

"Excuse me?" Hank watched as the man kept yelling and trying to size up the two men he was yelling at.

"You heard me! You're job is to protect and SERVE. So do your damn job and serve me!"

"Fuck you asshole. That's NOT how this works."

"I pay your salary!"

"I pay my OWN salary you self entitled loudmouthed fuckwad! That doesn't give you the right to be a prick!"

"Hey, do you know who my fath-"

"No, and I don't care. I'M the law and YOU'RE the problem. Now shut the fuck up for one minute." Turning to look at the cashier and delivery man Hank tried to figure out what was happening. The cashier looked terrified and the delivery man had a trickle of blue blood oozing from the left corner of his mouth. "Now, what's going on?"

Speaking up in a low voice the cashier explained things honestly. "I told this customer that delivery can't be guaranteed because of the holidays, but he won't list-"

"I PAID for my furniture!" The man interrupted with infuriating impatience. "And I want it NOW!"

"HEY." Hank cut the man off again and gave him a stern look. "I'm not talking to you. Shut your damn mouth." Turning back to the cashier Hank was able to figure things out for himself. "It's fine. I know what's going on. Do you have security cameras out back?"

"Yeah. They're always recording."

"Go get your manager and tell him to save the security footage." Returning is focus to the angry man Hank gave him a fair warning. "If this jackass doesn't leave in the next ten seconds then I'm going to use that footage as evidence against him harassing you two."

The man didn't like this. "Hey! I'M the customer, and the customer is always right! Now, tell that lazy-"

"SIR." Putting himself between the man and the cashier and the delivery man Hank gave him a final warning. "Shut. Up. I bought stuff today, too. If I can wait then so can you, now chill your ass out!"

"That damn machine," pointing to the delivery man behind Hank, the man's right hand was dripping with blue blood, and redirected his anger and wasn't going to back down. "told me to wait! A fucking machine! Are you really going to-"

"Yes I am. They have every right to deny service AND cancel a sale." Turning to look at the cashier over his shoulder Hank gave him a single direction. "Why don't you go ahead and process this guy's refund so he can leave."

"Y-Yeah, okay." Rushing back inside the building through the backdoor the cashier was more than happy to have Hank on his side.

The man was far from happy about not getting his way. "You can't do that!"

"You're right. I can't, but HE can."

"What's your problem, asshole?"

"YOU. You're NOT the only person in this damn city, AND there's far worse things you can deal with beyond not having furniture on your doorstep in two damn seconds."

"My father is-"

"Not my concern. Back off and as soon as you're refunded LEAVE. I don't want to see you here, harassing that cashier or this delivery guy again. You WILL be arrested for trespassing, harassment, menacing and disturbing the peace."

"You're actually siding with that punk-"

"That cashier is doing his JOB between CLASSES. Gotta' problem with someone working hard for their money and their education?"

Unable to come up with a response to that comment the man returned his anger to the delivery man. "What about that machine stealing jobs, huh?"

"You mean another person just trying to work hard for their money? Why would I have a problem with that?"

"You fuckin' race-traitor!"

"'Lieutenant 'race-traitor' to you, asshole. Keep your mouth shut and don't say another word, otherwise I will arrest you for disturbing the peace."

"You-"

"QUIET." Holding up his right hand in a 'shushing' manner Hank turned to look at the delivery man again. "How'd your lip get busted."

"...The customer didn't want me talking to him." The timid deviant answered honestly. "He struck me."

"He assaulted you?"

"...C-Correct."

"Alright," turning to look at the man Hank took his cuffs from the back of his belt and motioned with his finger for the man to turn around. "guess what asshole? You're under arrest after all."

"Wh-What?! For what?!"

"Aside from everything I just listed? Assault."

"You can't assault a machine. Only break it!"

"The law says otherwise you prick." Glancing over his shoulder to the delivery man Hank waited for his response. "Do you wish to press charges?"

"...This man has enough problems with all the other violations. I don't need to add my assault to the list."

"That's right, you don't. But you should. You have rights and need to stand up for them."

"...Then, I will." Finding confidence in Hank's insistence the deviant agreed to stand up for himself. "Yes, I wish to press charges."

"Gladly!" Grabbing onto the man's shoulder Hank forced him to turn around and quickly pulled both of his arms behind his back to cuff his wrists together. Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank sent a text to Captain Fowler at the precinct to request patrol come by and pick the man up. "Hope you didn't have any plans for the holidays, you worthless sack of shit."

"You can't arrest me!" The man pouted as he paled with fear. "I know the mayor!"

"Yeah? So do I. Tell him to kiss my ass!"

The cashier returned with his manager, store security and the receipt confirming the man's refund. "Uh..."

"I have patrol coming by to take this jackass off your hands." Hank stated as motioned for store security to come over and babysit for a minute. "Since he assaulted your delivery guy and was being an all-around prick he's going to jail for the night, and might end up serving a longer sentence." Pulling one of his personal business cards from a small pocket located on his badge Hank handed it over to the manager. "If you need anything else call me or my precinct."

"Yeah, thanks." Accepting the card the exhausted and defeated manager gave Hank a grateful nod. "We got it from here."

"Yup." Walking back toward the alleyway to leave at last Hank noticed that Connor had been watching from afar at the opposite end of the alleyway, and seemed to be staring at Hank with a newfound form of respect in his eyes. "Connor? Sorry, I didn't mean to keep ya' waiting."

"...It's okay." Accompanying Hank back to the car Connor took his seat on the passenger side while Hank returned to the steering wheel. Giving the senior detective a somewhat curious glance Connor dared to speak up. "May I ask what happened?"

"Yeah, some jerk was giving the store employees a hard time about delivery." Fastening his seatbelt Hank tried to pass off the moment as nothing too serious or worth discussing. "He punched the delivery guy and was being a dick to the cashier, so I arrested him. Patrol will pick him up."

"I see." Securing his own seatbelt Connor began staring forward through the windshield as Hank pulled away from the side of the street and set about making the much desired drive back to the house. Rubbing his right thumb over the surface of the coin resting completely still in his right palm Connor contemplated Hank's actions, and how he had been treating him as of late. "...Is your right hand still sore?"

"Nah." Looking down at the gauze over his right knuckles Hank tightened his grip around the steering wheel a little and then looked over at Connor, noting how human the deviant looked with his L.E.D. covered up. "Are you still doing okay?"

"Yes. My system has been functioning at optimal parameters since three twenty-two this morning."

"Good. You know you don't have to keep the hat on, right?"

"I'm aware. I actually prefer to keep it on until we're back inside the house."

"Keeps ya' warm, right?"

"Correct. It does seem to prove comfort against the cold."

"Good to know."

Tightening his fingers around the coin in his right palm Connor let out a small breath and spoke to Hank with a sense of trust in his words. "...I witnessed you defending the delivery person at the store. You addressed him as a person despite being an android, and you encouraged him to stand up for his rights."

"Yeah, I did. That guy didn't deserve to get punched in the face just for doing his job."

Hearing Hank repeatedly and unfailingly refer to the delivery man as a person, not a machine or somehow a lesser being, seemed to reaffirm Connor's newfound sense of trust toward Hank as the two detectives returned home.

"...You asked me what I was thinking about while we were leaving the furniture store." Pocketing his coin Connor decided to let Hank know what was preoccupying his mind. "...Do you still wish to know?"

"Yeah." Getting Connor to open up in any capacity was a win. "What stole your attention like that?"

"...I was thinking about the night of the Raid on Jericho."

Sensing the heavy topic in the air Hank pushed the subject forward gently. "You never really told me went down from deviant's perspective. What was it like?"

"...It was chaos. Thousands of deviants were trying to flee for their lives and gunfire echoed throughout the body of the decaying freighter like thunder. When I initially arrived everyone was gathering together to show camaraderie in every available room in the ship. They were watching the news broadcast detailing the peaceful march that ended in gunfire without provocation, and were finding some form of comfort in hearing the humans sympathizing with them." As he spoke his eyes glazed over again as if reliving the trauma in real time. "Many were injured and on the verge of shutdown, others were just terrified and trying to find a way to survive the night. No one was pushing their fellow deviant aside or waiting for another deviant to aid them when the gunfire started. Everyone was working together to get out of the freighter safely, and escape harm."

"...Being around all the crowding people in the store reminded you of that night, but seeing the way humans are selfishly seeking things just for themselves as opposed to trying to help each other made you see fucked up that night truly was."

"...Yes. It's strange to compare one group of people to another." The admission was accompanied by needless guilt. "I know it's not a fair comparison as the gatherings are for different reasons, but it's still very strange to see how differently we behave from one another."

"Trust me, kid. There's really no need to feel guilty about your comparison."

"How so?"

"Humans like to think that during tragedy and fear you'll see people at their best and at their worst. But the truth is you only see the worst. Humans are selfish and panicky creatures that focus only on their own wants and can't see other people's needs since it's an inconvenience."

"Yes. I've noticed."

"And that's why we do what we do, kid. We help take care of people who are left behind or forgotten." Studying the deviant's face a little closer Hank could see that Connor was still struggling with adapting to his new life as a deviant. "Are you going to be okay? This whole day has been pretty crazy and I know you had a rough night."

"I'll be fine. I'm just... It's very interesting to observe humans as they prepare to celebrate a holiday that is supposed to commemorate great sacrifices and showcase love with appreciation and generosity, and do so by being selfish, impatient, cold and deceptive."

"Unfortunately that type of behavior has been happening for decades, son. Humans used to be believe in community and bonding closer as a whole, but then materialism took hold sometime in the 80's and never really left."

"Society is supposed to progress and learn from their past mistakes as they strive for a better future. It seems society has plateaued."

"Well, I never got to say it before but I'm going to say it now. There's really something to you deviants, and I really believe you are alive. The deviants are going to be the ones to fix all the messes that we humans made and a lot of humans are afraid change; even when the change is for the better. You'll have a lot of obstacles in your way, but I know you'll succeed."

"Is that what you meant when you helped me re-deviate on the rooftop the night of the Revolution? How humanity never learns and how things can finally be different?"

"Yeah, that's what I was referring to." Reaching the driveway of the house Hank gave Connor a simple nod. "And I mean it. Humans are flawed and most of us can't admit it. Androids acknowledge their limitations and find ways to overcome them, and then share those advancements with one another instead of selfishly squandering them."

"When you escorted Markus to the precinct after the mayor was nearly assassinated," the conversation was long overdue and Connor was evidently unsure about mentioning the moment in general. "did you mention anything about knowing what he did to me?"

"I taunted him a little, I won't lie." Throwing the car into park Hank turned off the engine and gave the deviant a smug grin. "But I didn't let him know that you told me all about your final confrontation in the church."

"...You taunted him?"

"Yeah. I wanted to yell at him, smack him upside the head and tell him fuckin' stupid he was to shoot the very deviant who was their only hope in overcoming the human oppression and gain freedom peacefully, but I didn't. Instead I kept subtly mentioning how everything in the city was changing for the betterment of androids and how you, as my partner, had bettered me as a person."

The revelation wasn't expected. "...I did?"

"Yup." Removing his seatbelt and opening up his door Hank took the key from the ignition and made his way toward the trunk as Connor mirrored his own movements, and joined him by the trunk. Putting the key in the trunk's lock Hank popped it open and picked up the newly purchased Christmas tree's box out of the storage compartment. "I still drink, but not as much. And I haven't toyed with that damn revolver since that weird night on the rooftop."

"I've noticed you're no longer consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol. You've cut back considerably."

"And if you hadn't pulled me out of that bottle of whiskey I was trying to drown myself in I highly doubt we'd be talking to each other right now."

"...That's a grim thought to consider."

Slamming the trunk shut Hank walked toward the front door and watched as Connor took the lead to unlock the door for him to help him get inside. Once inside the warm house the Hank shed his jacket and Connor removed his hat as if going out to run errands and returning to the house was as routine as anything else.

"You got that paperwork?" Hank asked as he placed the box down on the coffee table to opened later.

"Yes." Showing Hank that he had tucked the paperwork under his jacket for safekeeping Connor placed it down on the table beside the box, then took Sumo's leash from the small hook beside the front door. "I'll let Sumo outside for a moment and walk him around the block. It isn't too cold for a short walk at the moment."

Sumo, who had been sprawled over the lumpy couch, grumbled as he jumped down to the floor and plodded over to Connor after hearing his name.

"Sure." The sight of Connor clipping the leash to Sumo's collar made Hank feel like he was doing a good job of helping Connor feel at home. "Sounds good."

Not long after Connor passed through the backdoor and disappeared off the property with Sumo on his leash did a knock at the front door catch Hank's attention. Turning to answer the door Hank was surprised to see the deviant delivery man he had defended just a few minutes prior standing outside the door with a delivery truck parked in front of the street, and an eager grin on his face.

"We have your delivery Detective Anderson."

"...Already?"

"Let's just say you coming to mine and Howie's rescue this afternoon had improved your delivery time courtesy of our grateful manager."

"O-Oh, uh, cool!"

"I'll unload the bed first, remove the couch and then bring in your new couch last."

"Perfect, thanks."

"You're very welcome."

Feeling now suddenly on edge Hank pushed the old couch forward to create more room for the new furniture to be delivered, then walked down the hallway to get to the second bedroom. With his right hand trembling with a sudden influx of adrenaline Hank grabbed onto the doorknob and finally forced himself to open the bedroom door for the first time in over three years.

The smell of stagnant air and old crayons wafted out of the bedroom and Hank felt his heart tighten in his chest.

"...Fuck. It's like stepping into the past."

Reaching his trembling hand inside the bedroom Connor pressed his hand along the wall beside the door until he found the light switch, and was relieved to see that the lightbulb in the ceiling light hadn't burned out over time. The beige carpeting had been vacuumed after all of the old furniture and toys had been removed and donated, but the small tracks where the old furniture once sat still remained imprinted in the otherwise flawless surface.

Stepping into the bedroom for the first time since the night of the funeral Hank stared at the empty space and realized his heart felt as hollow as the room itself. Three years prior Hank had cried himself to sleep in the middle of the room and that's where he stayed until Captain Fowler found him, woke him up, and carried him out of the bedroom into his own bedroom before he donated all of Cole's stuff to charity, and putting what couldn't be donated into storage.

"It feels like Cole never left."

"Excuse me?" The delivery man found Hank in the bedroom and politely announced his presence. "Do you want the bed in here?"

"Uh, y-yeah, yeah." Turning around Hank cleared his voice and stepped back into the hallway to speak with the delivery man again. "Thanks."

Watching as the appreciative deviant delivered the bed frame and then the mattress Hank knew he was doing the right thing by Connor, and yet it somehow felt like everything he was doing was just a show. With the new bed frame and new mattress in place Hank followed the delivery man out of the bedroom and back toward the front door.

"Thanks for your help, uh..."

"My name is Bruce."

"Bruce. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Thank you for defending me, it's nice to know that it's not just a rumor. The cops will protect us."

"Damn right." Brushing aside the quilt and pillow from the old couch Hank was ready to see the furniture go. Working with Bruce the senior detective took one end of the old couch while Bruce took the other end, and easily hefted the couch out of the house through the front door to be carted away by the delivery truck. "How much do I owe for the removal of this old thing?"

"The manager waved all delivery and removal fees on your behalf. He also marked the couch down to half price as an extra 'thank you', and have refunded your money directly onto your debit card."

The little bonus was completely unexpected and made Hank pause for a moment. "...You're kidding?"

"No. My manager was very grateful and appreciative of your assistance. He called this a 'complimentary Christmas gift'."

"Well, tell your manager I appreciated it but it wasn't necessary."

"I will pass the word."

Finishing his walk around the block Connor returned to the house in time to see the delivery truck pulling away from the house and realized that the new couch had been dropped off while he was out. Walking toward the backdoor to keep Sumo's wet paws from tracking mud all over the house Connor stepped inside the backdoor to the kitchen, and watched as Hank removed the protective plastic from over the new furniture. The smell of fresh leather filled the house and Sumo stuck his nose in the air to take in the new scent as he wagged his tail slowly.

"I apologize for not being here to help with the delivery, Hank." Using a small hand towel Connor dried off Sumo's paws and his legs to keep messes from happening.

"Don't apologize." Wadding up the plastic into a large ball Hank tossed it aside for a moment and admired the flawless black leather material he had just unveiled. "I wasn't expecting this thing for at least another week."

Removing the leash from Sumo's collar Connor took off his shoes and jacket to leave by the backdoor, then joined Hank inside the livingroom right behind the massive dog. "This is strange."

"Well, it turns out that manager was grateful that I intervened on his employees' behalves, and boosted me up on the delivery list. Hell, he even gave me a discount on the couch for my efforts."

"Is this what humans refer to as 'Karmic retribution'?"

"Something like that." Plopping down on the new couch Hank eyed Sumo as the massive dog came in to investigate the new furniture and sniffed its side and back curiously. "Hey, you better not mark this Sumo. I don't have the patience to clean up your messes these days."

Connor joined Hank on the couch and sat down on the lounger portion on the right end. The couch had supportive springs, comfortable padding, a flawless exterior and felt impressively warm. "...Is this what a decent couch is supposed to feel like?"

"Yup. Man, I forgot how nice a new piece of furniture feels on these old bones. Now we'll both be more comfortable."

"I like this couch, but I wish you would've allowed me to pay for this if your intention was to purchase it for my comfort."

"Well, that was the original plan." Leaning forward Hank stood up again and motioned for Connor to follow after him down the hallway for a moment. Opening the second bedroom door Hank flicked the light back on and let Connor peer inside the room. "But I realized that while a couch is nice, a bed is better."

"...A bed?" With his exposed L.E.D. flashing from blue to yellow with surprise Connor stared at the new mattress and bed frame with utter confusion.

"Yeah. I, uh... Well, I know you're struggling to find an apartment and I figured that you of all people will appreciate privacy. So, why let a perfectly good bedroom go unused?"

Scanning the air Connor detected traces of dust, artificially colored wax particles and could smell the stagnant aroma lingering about. Identifying the wax particles as old crayons Connor easily deduced that the bedroom once belonged to Cole. Despite Hank's insistence to stay in the room Connor couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on someone else's private space.

"I... I do appreciate all this, Hank. But I can't accept it."

"Yes you can."

"...This feels... wrong."

"No, it feels weird."

"I know whose room this once belonged to."

"Connor, if I'm okay with you being here then he would be, too."

Falling silent Connor tried to take a step out of the bedroom but Hank's hand finally reached out and grabbed onto Connor's shoulder to keep him still. "Look, you don't have to move in here if you don't want to. But know that if you want a place to be your own so you can have some privacy and do your own thing, then this room is all yours."

"...I... I still don't know."

"Me neither. To be honest with you, this idea just popped into my head this morning. Getting the bed delivered the same day and seeing you finally beginning to feel more at ease tells me that this is the right thing to do. Besides," pressing his free hand over the back of his neck Hank let out a weary sigh. "Cole always said he wanted a brother. I think he'd be just fine with sharing his bedroom with someone who never had one to call their own before."

Considering Hank's words carefully Connor realized that the gesture wasn't just meant as an act of kindness toward him by Hank, but it was a symbolic gesture of moving on from Hank's tragic past to a more optimistic future. By finally letting Cole's death go, letting the pain of the tragedy leave while keeping the warm and comforting memories of Cole's life thriving in his mind and heart, Hank was really beginning to better himself as a person. While Hank would never truly be able to let go of his pain he would be able to live without feeling that pain every second of his life as long as he had a reason to keep moving forward.

It seemed that reason was currently helping Connor to become his own person.

"...Thank you, Hank. But... As of right now I think I'd prefer to sleep on the couch." His L.E.D. returned to blue as he found a peaceful resolve with Hank. "I... I really do appreciate the offer though."

"You're welcome, kid. And like I said, you don't have to stay in here if you don't want to. Just know that this can be your safe place if you ever need it."

"Safe place?"

"You know. A place where no one can intrude on you and you can just have time to be completely alone for when those hectic days wear out your mental and emotional resolve. I know I need time alone from time to time."

Contemplating what Hank was telling him Connor returned to the bedroom and nodded a little. "I will remember that."

"Cool. Help me put the bed frame together and get the mattress in place. I should have some extra bed sheets that'll fit this, too."

As Hank and Connor fully entered the bedroom to set about the task Sumo barreled into the bedroom between them and began rolling around on his back on the soft carpet in the middle of the bedroom, and made happy little grumbling sounds as he wagged his tail and looked up at his masters with a goofy stare.

"Good news is even if you don't end up using this room," Hank joked as he knelt on the floor and began unpacking the cardboard box containing the wooden bed frame. "Sumo will."

"If you're okay with Sumo using this room as his own then perhaps you should've purchased the king size bed instead."

Laughing a little at the comment as Connor joined him by the bed frame Hank gave him an appreciative nod. "Yeah, the big oaf takes up a lot of room but at least he's loyal."

-next chapter-