The winter seemed to melt away as quickly as it smothered the city under a nearly suffocating layer of white over the past few weeks. While the previous windstorm created a mess of dead tree branches, shard of ice and a few stray holiday decorations that were kept outside too long throughout the city, everything else seemed rather calm and moved forward without any problems regarding the previous foul weather. The first weekend that Hank and Connor had off from the precinct was spent driving away from Detroit and up to the cabin that the senior detective promised to purchase as a second private property by the upcoming summer to tend to the secret grave of Connor's original body.

The weekend away wasn't one for a vacation or a moment to decompress, but a trip for Connor's emotional support as he came to terms with his deviancy, his previous death and of the way he had chosen to move on with his second life. Visiting his own grave was unsettling but grounding all the same, and it seemed to give the deviant an appreciated new perspective on his current life and decisions.

Kneeling down beside the white stone that had been left as a marker for the grave Connor ran a scan over the ground and noted that the earth had been left undisturbed since the burial took place back in November. No one had been around since his and Hank's departure, and the deviant's original body was left as it had originally been laid to rest.

Standing back a few paces Hank crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Connor checked over the peaceful span of land that was chosen as the resting place for a deviant who was murdered for doing the right thing. It wasn't the first time Hank had to tend to the grave of a fellow officer who was killed in the line of duty, but it was the first time he visited the grave of a friend who was actually still alive, and that just felt plain weird.

"...When the ground thaws out more," Connor stated in a quiet tone as he sensed Hank watching his every movement with a curious gaze. "I'd like to return here and plant a flower on the grave. I'd like for there to be a symbol of life for where there is currently death to remind myself that it's okay to keep living my life despite what I've been through."

"No problem, kid. We'll come back in April and make sure this space stays nice and well kept."

"Thank you." Standing upright Connor glanced about the small clearing that still had snow and ice surrounding it with an uneasy eye. It was getting warmer but it was still far too cold for Connor's comfort. "Hank, is it normal for all humans to place flowers on the graves of the deceased? Or is that more of a... personal decision?"

"Pretty normal, yeah. Some people leave flowers, some people leave candles, cards, prayer slips, religious artifacts and some people will even write letters and leave them behind so they can get their pent-up feelings out." Rubbing his right hand over the back of his tense neck Hank sighed and stepped out of the clearing and back onto the cabin's side property. "I personally do the flower thing, so yeah, it's normal."

Recognizing when Hank was feeling uneasy Connor backed off of the subject and decided it was time to return to the city. "I will help you with purchasing this property in the springtime. You shouldn't have to buy this place with just your income."

Laughing a little Hank shook his head and dropped his hand to his side. "Don't worry about me and money, kid. Thanks to all the bullshit I put up with over the past few years I have some insurance payouts that have been left untouched and are just begging to be spent on something. Why not buy a cabin that is full of good memories for me and is a safe, quiet space for you?"

"I can't answer that question one way or another."

"Fair enough. Ready to head back?"

"Yes." Following after Hank as the senior detective returned to the car parked near the front of the cabin Connor gave the grave behind him a final glance over his shoulder before turning away entirely. "There's nothing more I can do here."

"Plenty of sticks and shit need to be cleaned out of the yard back home if you're looking for work."

"I'd prefer work that doesn't entail my person being subjected to the cold."

Opening up the driver's side door Hank gave Connor an agreeable stare over the hood of the car as he too had enough of the cold. "You and me both, son..."

With the final boxes packed up and ready to go Gavin happily handed his apartment key over to his now previous landlord and walked out to the parking lot where Lucas was sitting in the front seat of the car with Lucky on his lap. The deviant only had the clothes on his back and the saxophone in its case to his person, and as such it was surprisingly easy for Gavin to get all of his stuff packed up and placed in the car for transportation. Leaving Lucky and the other fragile items for the final trip out to the new apartment Gavin felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders as he finally left his small apartment of emotional repression and set out to a better place with a new friend at his side.

Lucas wasn't showing any sign of excitement about moving to a new apartment as he didn't understand or appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes from having a place of his own to live in. Grateful to not be living on the streets or relying solely on Connor's good graces to survive, Lucas was feeling a sense of independence for being able to take care of himself and forge a friendship without outside interference even if he wasn't outwardly showing it.

"Okay..." Gavin opened up the driver's side door and sat down behind the wheel with a small huff. He was anxious to get back to the new apartment, unpack and relax for the rest of the day. "We took care of the deposit, got our own keys to the place made, made sure Lucky's pet fees were taken care of and we found every little thing in the apartment that was important to pack up and move."

"All correct." Glancing at Gavin as he continued to rub Lucky's ears to keep her calm during the impending drive to the new apartment Lucas noted that the abrasive detective was more energetic than usual.

"Do we need anything else?"

"I... don't know."

"Whatever, we'll figure that out later."

Noting the high strung behavior that seemed to be common when humans were enthusiastic or impatient Lucas resumed his usual quiet facade, and didn't make a single comment about Gavin's reckless driving or the filthiness of his car. It was clear that Gavin had been partially living out of his car for the past few months; the numerous fast food wrappers, old sweatshirts and empty coffee cups in the backseat were all evidence of someone going out of their way to not go back to their apartment unless absolutely necessary.

"Wait a minute..." An interesting thought popped up in Gavin's mind and he gave Lucas a confused look. "You don't have a bed."

"That is also correct." Lucas stated in an emotionless tone. "I do not."

"Well, you're not sleeping in MY bed, and you're NOT dragging the couch into your bedroom."

"...Okay. I'm unsure what you're trying to state with these various facts."

"Seriously? For some fancy-ass piece of plastic you can be pretty dense sometimes."

"I'm unfamiliar with human slang, I struggle with rhetoric as sarcasm is it's root foundation, and I do not following 'leading questions'. Please tell me exactly what you're trying to say."

"I'm sayin' you need a damn bed to sleep in you clueless toaster!"

"Why couldn't you say that more clearly?"

"Because it's pretty obvious that if you have your own bedroom but no bed you need to go out and buy one! Jeez, I thought you were were supposed to be super advanced or some shit."

"That's obvious to humans, not to androids."

"Why? 'Cause you guys sleep standing up like damn horses? Freaky shit..."

"We don't 'sleep' in the traditional sense. We enter rest mode when a charging station isn't available. And yes, since we are able to do so while standing up androids have no need for beds or cots to lay down on."

"Yeah? Well, you're not sleeping standing up if you're stating with me. If I see some asshole standing up in the pitch darkness of the night I'm pulling my gun and firing."

Focusing on keeping Lucky calm, the little kitten was somewhat jumpy about being in a moving car, Lucas needed to comment on the extreme reaction from Gavin's hypothetical scenario. "That seems excessive."

"I'm trained to react to perceived threats, dipshit." Making his way to the much nicer side of town to enjoy his new apartment with his unexpected new roommate Gavin tried to remind himself that Lucas wasn't going to know very much about anything that humans found normal or routine. It was all a brand new world to him. "After we get unpacked you'll order some bed of whatever you want, and have it delivered. Alright?"

"I can do so where I'm currently sitting."

Forgetting again that Lucas had connections and abilities he did not Gavin shook his head and snapped a little with impatience. "...Then do it!"

Closing his eyes Lucas cybernetically tapped into the local furniture store, ordered a simple twin bed and had it already paid for and ready for delivery within a matter of seconds. "Done."

"It was seriously that easy?"

"Apparently so."

"Fuckin' asshole."

"I was merely doing what you said to you."

"Yeah, in the most sarcastic manner possible!"

"I reiterate that sarcasm is a foreign concept to most androids."

"Yeah, to most androids, not all of 'em." Not believing for a second that Lucas was entirely innocent in the matter Gavin just focused on getting back to the apartment and enjoying the rest of his day off before heading back to the precinct the following day. "...Should've designed you androids without mouths."

Spring continued to thaw out the city early that year just as Groundhog's Day had predicted.

While Connor refuted against the idea of allowing a groundhog to make such weather predictions, and reminded Hank that the Doppler radar system and satellite imaging were far more reliable than a rodent being forcibly removed from its burrow on an annual basis, the senior detective just reminded Connor that humans are weird and that human traditions are even weirder. Getting his usual morning cop of coffee from the breakroom Hank sat behind his terminal screen, turned it on and checked out the cases awaiting his and Connor's attention that day.

Sitting down at his own desk Connor set about cybernetically sifting through the case files and could feel the odd look of the other officers in the bullpen watching his every move carefully. While Hank, Chris, Tina, Ben, Captain Fowler and even Gavin had gotten used to his presence it seemed the other officers Connor seldom worked with; Officer Person, Officer Wilson and Officer Brown were all very guarded around him. Sensing the mistrust in the air Connor shifted away from using cybernetic commands to manual ones to appear less machine and more human for their own comfort.

"Don't worry about them."

"Pardon?" Hearing the very stern comment from Hank made Connor's blue L.E.D. flash to yellow once as he hovered his hands over his keyboard.

"They work the graveyard shift and don't know you as well as I do." Indicating that he too had noticed the discomfort of the other officers Hank tried to give Connor some words of encouragement. "It's not high school or a popularity contest being here. Just keep doing what you're doing, and everything will be just fine. They'll get used to you being here soon enough, and if they don't, then fuck 'em!"

"...I'd rather not."

Chuckling at the innocent comment Hank just shook his head and sighed. "Alright, which of these cases need our attention and which ones can filed under 'crazy' and forgotten?"

"The three reports of a landlord stating that his thee deviant tenants are holding an illegal dog fighting ring can be dismissed."

Impressed by the confidence in Connor's tone Hank asked him to elucidate. "How's that?"

"Androids don't engage in gambling of any kind, and thus having such an illegal and atrocious 'sport' taking place under an android's roof is arguably an impossibility. Deviant or not, androids are immune to such compulsions and addictions such as gambling, drinking and ingesting narcotics."

"Okay, you just gave me good reasons as to why these androids may not be holding illegal dog fights, but no definitive proof."

"Due to the densely populated location of the housing complex I can confirm that there have been no reports of dogs barking, a steady traffic of clients coming to the fights to bet or merely spectate had not been noted and none of the neighbors in the area have made such a report, even after the police stopped by to ask questions about the residence in question."

"So the landlord's an android hating bigot?"

"Correct."

"Why rent to androids if he hates them?"

"To file false reports against them in hopes that they'll be arrested or put on a list to prevent them from renting any decent property in the future. It's a scheme to keep androids out of human neighborhoods."

"Asshole... Alright, file it under crazy and make sure the landlord is investigated instead." A coy smirk appeared on Hank's face as he gave Connor another order for the case at hand. "Know what? Get the I.R.S. involved and audit his sorry ass. I guarantee someone that shady is lying about his taxes or fucking up the rent of his other tenants."

Connor cybernetically made the request and gave Hank a single nod of confirmation. "Done."

"Now which case should we focus on?"

"There is a report of four electronic stores being broken into, and having their hardware stolen."

The answer felt a tad strange and out of place to Hank's mind. "...What does that have to do with deviants?"

"The hardware stolen is the same type that can be used to develop the very programming that CyberLife used to create androids. Since the success of the Revolution the hardware has increased dramatically in price and overall value as a means of protecting deviants from potential hackers and viruses caused by engineers and programmers who have a grudge against deviants."

"Shit... We could be looking at a preemptive hate crime or even cyber-terrorism depending on who stole the hardware."

"Precisely."

"Okay, got a lead to follow?"

"Possibly, yes." Scanning over the details of the thefts Connor triangulated a map over the city with the all of the electronic stores that had been robbed, and identified a single place of interest. It was an apartment building neighboring a college campus; the college itself specialized in both software engineering and bio-engineering as the core curriculum. "...I have an address we should check out."

"Already?"

"Yes." Sending the details over to Hank's terminal screen to view for himself Connor explained his logic and reasoning. "Not only is this apartment building at the epicenter of the thefts, it neighbors a college campus that boasts advanced education in numerous forms of programming, engineering and bio-engineering, and the stolen hardware had been designed with a failsafe that activates if it leaves store property without being properly paid for."

"What kind of failsafe is that?"

"The hardware becomes essentially locked by a cybernetic code, and that code acts as a homing beacon on its current location to help locate the thief when someone tracking the signal gets within a certain minimum range."

"Let me guess, you can pick up on that very beacon and track it down like a bloodhound on a scent trail."

"Correct."

"Alright, let's get a warrant and check the place out." Standing up from his seat Hank pulled the car keys from his pocket and gave Connor a subtle nod as the deviant cybernetically requested such a warrant, and was readily approved. "I'll drive."

The campus itself wasn't too busy as most students had stayed within their dorms or apartments to keep out of the cold and to study for their upcoming finals, but it the exterior property wasn't entirely vacant either. Several groundskeepers were picking up the loosened branches off the grass and scraping snow and ice from the sidewalks to prevent the students from accidentally hurting themselves by slipping or tripping. A handful of the groundskeepers were working on the small flowerbeds and the community garden to prepare the soil and mulch for the following spring, and once more Connor thought about getting a flower for the grave at the cabin.

The sight of the gardeners checking on the winter bulbs, removing old weeds and pulling tree shoots from the flowerbeds were surprisingly distracting for Connor as he and Hank walked by. Tearing his focus away Connor honed in on the correct apartment building and isolated the correct door to knock on once he and Hank got inside.

"...Third floor, second door on the left." Leading the way to the front entrance of the building Connor glanced about the area again and observed the massive campus designed specifically to further the future of humanity through advanced education. It was comforting and encouraging to see. "The hardware has all been collected together and is residing in the same location."

"One apartment." Entering the foyer area Hank showed his badge to the campus official watching the front desk before heading toward the small elevator leading to the apartments above. "Hopefully only one thief."

"I suspect it is a single thief."

"Why's that?" Pressing the button for the third floor after entering the elevator alongside his deviant partner Hank crossed his arms over his chest and contemplated their impending encounter with the potential thief.

"If there was more than one thief the hardware wouldn't be kept in the single location, and there is an eighty-seven point four percent chance that the hardware would've been sold through illegal means by a hypothetical partner to ensure they gained some form of profit for the theft in general. From what I understand college life is quite expensive."

"That it is, kid. It really is." The elevator reached its destination and the two detectives stepped through the parted doors. Motioning to the correct door Hank stood before it and knocked twice before announcing his presence and identifying himself. "Detroit Police. Open the door, please."

There was a shuffling of papers and the clanking of glass bottles inside the room before a sweaty and pale faced young college student unlocked the door and gave Hank a wary glance through the small opening between the door and door frame. The student had short red hair, green eyes and a handful of freckles over his face. "P-Police?"

"Relax, I don't care about underage drinking." Showing the student his badge Hank watched as the young man relaxed a little and opened the door all the way to let the two officers inside. "School is stressful, having a beer every now and then isn't a problem. It's when you get drunk and drive around that I have a problem with it."

Stepping aside the young man let Hank and Connor inside his apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't have a car, so that won't be a problem. How can I help you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Anderson," pointing at himself with his right thumb then to Connor behind him with the same thumb Hank introduced themselves to the young student of interest. "and this is Sergeant Wolf. We're here because we're looking for hardware stolen from four electronics stores over the past three weeks. Do you know anything about that?"

"S-Stolen?!" The student paled again and began to sweat even more. "N-No! I swear!"

"What's your name, son?"

"...Steven."

"Son." Hank used the 'dad voice' as he gave the student a knowing glance. "What's your real name, don't lie to the cops."

"...It's Michael. Michael Winston."

"Why'd ya' lie?"

Sighing again Michael walked over to his messy desk, pulled open the middle drawer and revealed the fake I.D. he had been using to buy his alcohol. "It's what I have on my I.D., sir."

Accepting the fake I.D. Hank sighed and passed it over to Connor and watched as the deviant easily crushed the I.D. in his right hand, and reported its nearly flawless design to the precinct to ensure patrol was keeping a closer eye on the liquor stores in the area. "Well, again, we're not here because of you drinking. We're here because of thefts."

Michael began to nervously rock back and forth on his feet as he shifted his weight about nervously. "...What was stolen again?"

"Hardware for computers. Same stuff that can be used in programming androids."

"I-I-I don't know anything about that!"

"What did I tell you about lying to the cops?" Scolding Michael with a paternal manner Hank nodded and signaled to Connor set about examining the apartment in search of the stolen goods. "We already have a search warrant and we're not leaving until we have some answers. Want to make this easier on yourself, or keep making things hard?"

Michael watched Connor nervously as the deviant immediately honed in on the stolen hardware that had been locked in a large metal footlocker and concealed under a pale blue bed sheet. There was a laptop, empty dishes, empty glasses and several incomplete assignments to give the illusion that the surface was nothing more than a boring makeshift coffee table.

With a swift motion Connor cleared off the surface without making a mess and pulled the sheet aside before kneeling down in front of the metal lock at the front of the large case. "What's in here?"

"E-Extra clothes!" Michael poorly lied as he paled even further. "...That's all."

Connor shook his head and scanned over the metal padlock for a moment before wrapping his right hand entirely around the lock, and squeezed lightly. "I can easily break this lock, but I'd prefer to use the key instead."

Hank gave Michael a stern glance and waited for a response. "Well?"

Looking terrified out of his mind Michael reluctantly cooperated and pointed to the blue lamp on his desk. "...It's inside the hood of my lamp."

Giving the lamp a glance Connor stood up and reached into the metal hood and pulled the down the key that had been held into place by a magnet. "Thank you for your cooperation." Returning to the footlocker Connor put the key in the lock, removed the lock from the support and pushed open the lid of the footlocker with a slow creaking sound to accompany the movement. Peering inside the footlocker Connor's scanner detected the stolen hardware beneath the spare t-shirts, jeans and sweatshirts, and pushed aside the clothing to reveal it. "The stolen hardware is here, Hank." Brushing his right hand over the hardware Connor's system detected the cybernetic lock and he received a small painful electric shock against his right index fingertip in response to his processor attempting to read the lock. Shaking his right hand a little as his blue L.E.D. blinked to red for a heartbeat Connor looked at his right hand expecting to see a scorch mark on his skin, but there was no sign of external damage whatsoever. "...All of it."

Putting his right hand on Michael's left shoulder as he knew the student was about to make a break for it Hank stopped Michael before he had the chance to run, and gave him an annoyed glance. "Spill it. Why'd ya' steal this?"

"I... I'm about the flunk out of school." Michael sounded as desperate as he was scared. "If I can't get my G.P.A. up during the finals then I won't be able to return for my final year and graduate. I took this stuff to work on a big project to present to my professor as extra credit, you know? But... But it's been locked under a digital code and I can't access anything. I'm not smart enough to override the locks."

"And you decided to steal more hardware when your first haul was locked up?"

"I didn't know what else to do! I couldn't return it without the risk of getting caught, I can't sell it because it's locked, so I figured I'd try again and hope the other stores weren't as secured with their equipment."

"Son... You're in deep shit right now." Looking over to Connor as the deviant cybernetically chronicled the hardware and confirmed each store's inventory through the serial numbers engraved on the sides, Hank asked about the overall price of the stolen hardware. "How much is that stuff worth, Connor?"

"Before taxes the hardware in total is worth nine-thousand, six-hundred and fifty-eight dollars." Turning from the footlocker to face Michael directly Connor gave the student a blank stare. "That's felony larceny in the state of Michigan."

"F-FELONY?!" Michael paled further until he was as white as possible, and his knees buckled as he began to hyperventilate.

"Whoa, whoa... Breathe." Hank encouraged as he helped Michael sit on the floor and try to calm down.

Where he stood Connor scanned over Michael's person to note his vital signs and correlated his name with the campus's transcripts. During Michael's freshman year of college he had been a top student with A's in all of his classes, and that carried through to his sophomore year. During his junior year Michael's grades began to slip and it had happened rather recently. "Michael, why are your grades dropping?"

The young man was beginning to rock back and forth as tears filled his eyes quickly.

"Michael?" Putting a surprising amount of sympathy in his voice Connor continued to locate information on the young student and uncovered something rather depressing. The previous fall Michael lost his grandmother, and based on the obituary she was the closest to Michael out of all her grandchildren. "You lost a loved one and now you're struggling with your education. Why not discuss this with the dean and ask for assistance?"

"...Losing Nana was just the beginning of my problems." Crying heavy tears that had been clearly held back for almost a solid year Michael told the two detectives his sad story of pain and loss. "This past Christmas I... I told my parents that I'm gay and my father disowned me and cut off my finances! I'm... I'm struggling with everything and my own family deserted me! I don't know what to do... I'm sorry!"

Hank's heart went out to the scared young man and he knelt down beside Michael slowly. "Hey, we all go through tough shit sometimes, but resorting to theft or any other crime won't help."

Pulling his t-shirt up and over his face Michael dried his tears and tried to keep breathing. "I know..."

Cybernetically Connor checked in on the details regarding the stolen hardware and his blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a moment. "Hank, the stores that have reported the thefts merely wish to have their merchandise returned and aren't interested in pressing charges. Perhaps there can be an arrangement made to prevent Michael from being criminally charged. But only if all of the merchandise is returned within the next twenty-four hours."

"Hear that, Michael?" Trying to help Michael calm down Hank stayed beside the terrified student for as long as he needed. "Things can still work out. Just let us handle this legal stuff and you breathe so you don't pass out from hyperventilation."

Connor proceeded to confirm that every single piece of stolen hardware had been located and that each store's owner had agreed to be lenient on the young and desperate student as long as everything was returned before the end of day. "Patrol will come by to collect the hardware. It will then be returned and the stores have all agreed to not press charges against Michael if he tells them how he managed to break into the stores for each theft to ensure future thefts can be prevented."

"Y-Yeah..." Michael lifted up his head and nodded a little. "I can do that! I promise!"

Patting his shoulder a little Hank gave Michael a reassuring tone to listen to. "See? Just stay cooperative and keep your nose clean for the rest of the year. As for your family... I hate to say this, but, if they can't accept you for who you are then you're better off without them. I mean, for fuck sake we're on the verge of a new decade and that type of bigotry needed to die well over twenty years ago. There's nothing wrong with you being gay and anyone who tries to say that you are can go fuck themselves. Okay?"

Nodding again Michael pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face into his knees as he wrapped his arms around his shins to hug himself. It was clear the poor young man was just stressed out and needed the chance to breathe and think for a while. Being locked up wasn't going to help him or anyone else deal with the cruel twists in his life that had happened against his will.

"Take inventory on the hardware." Hank stated in a firm voice to Connor as he stayed beside Michael for a while longer. "We'll get this all sorted out and head back to the precinct. If we're lucky everything will handled before we go on our lunchbreak."

Sitting at his desk as he and Tina split a small pizza for their own lunchbreak Gavin texted Lucas to make sure the deviant android wasn't doing anything weird to the apartment while he was gone. It wasn't the first time that Gavin had a roommate, but it was the first time he was rooming with an android, and he had no idea if it'd be any different from the usual types of roommates he dealt with in the past. While Lucas was very good at respecting boundaries and keeping to himself Gavin did notice that Lucas was beginning to ask a few more questions about humanity, and sometimes the questions got very personal very fast without the deviant meaning to cross the line.

That morning Lucas decided to check out the bathroom and everything humans used for grooming and hygiene purposes. He also decided to compare all of Gavin's personal selections compared to what is deemed the healthiest or most appropriate items to use, and how to use them.

'Stop monitoring my toothbrush.' Texting aggressively Gavin ignored Tina's confused stares as she watched him typing like a madman on his phone. 'I don't care if I brush too hard or don't brush long enough, don't touch the damn thing! Just get out of the bathroom!'

"Care to share why you're writing like you're trying to answer a ransom note?" Pulling a slice of pepperoni from her pizza to nibble on Tina waited for her partner to either be honest with her or deny anything was bothering him.

"Nothing, it's just..." Sending another angry message to Lucas with a rapidly typed rant under his thumbs Gavin tried to talk to Tina without snapping at her by accident. "New apartment."

"Right, I know you got a new and better place to live in." Taking another bite of her pizza Tina continued to watch Gavin's face closely. "But I don't think you're texting with an apartment right now."

"...I gotta' guest right now and he's asking me annoying questions."

"Who's your guest?"

"No one important." Putting his phone aside with a breathy huff Gavin picked up another slice of pizza and leaned back in his chair. "Just being helpful until he can get back on his feet, that's all. Then he'll be out of my personal space for good!"

"Alright, cool. So what about drinks tonight?"

"Yes, we're going out for drinks tonight and I will buy the first round."

"Just don't overdo it again. I don't like holding your hair back when you puke."

"Hey, a lot of people would pay good money to touch these glorious locks!" Running his left hand through his hair dramatically Gavin gave his partner a smug grin. "Consider yourself privileged."

"Maybe you should let your guest stay with you for a while longer."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're actually in a good mood again. You haven't been this agreeable since last fall."

"Yeah, well..." Putting the pizza aside Gavin wiped the grease off his hands and leaned forward again. "Getting cheated on and dealing with a plastic menace is enough to sour anyone's day."

"Try lifetime..."

"Ha, ha, Tina. I'm not that bad."

From his own desk Ben readily disagreed and gave his own opinion on the matter. "Yeah ya' are!"

Annoyed and somewhat offended Gavin snapped at the older detective from where he was sitting. "Who asked you?"

"No one!"

"Then be quiet!"

"Give me some pizza and I will!"

"Fine!" Closing the lid on the box of pizza containing the final two slices Gavin rose from his desk and gave Tina a defeated glance. "If it'll keep people out my business then I'll happily give up some pizza."

"Okay, but then you owe me an order of nachos while we're at the bar tonight."

Carrying the pizza away Gavin agreed to the terms for the sake of sparing his privacy. "Deal."

With all of the stolen merchandise returned to their proper stores, and Michael explaining how he was able to bypass the store's security cameras to the store's owners, everything from a legal standpoint had been handled properly. On a more personal level Hank took the time to explain things to the dean of Michael's school and had Connor show the dean the obituary regarding his late grandmother and even showed the personal messages between Michael and his parents regarding his sexuality, proving that he wasn't telling a convenient sob story and was in need of guidance and support. Due to the desperation of Michael's actions the dean had no choice but to help Michael get back on his feet and made sure his professors were aware of the situation as well.

Returning to the precinct after finishing their investigation Hank lamented at the smell of the already eaten pizza and decided to place an order for himself so he didn't have to drive anywhere else. While he set about his order Connor sat down behind his terminal screen and looked down at his right hand, and scanned over his index fingertip where he had been very briefly shocked. He undeniably felt a strange lingering sensation on his skin that made him uncomfortable.

"Good work." Captain Fowler's deep voice cut through the bullpen as he approached Hank and Connor's desk with his head held high. "You recovered nearly ten-thousand dollars worth of valuable equipment, and you managed to help a struggling college student keep up with his education instead of getting him thrown in jail. Very good work."

Hank wasn't seeking praise and just dismissed it, while Connor felt a sense of relief in knowing that he had in fact done the right thing while working with Hank out in the field that day.

"There's also been an update from New Jericho regarding the laws, rights and consequences for deviants in the city." Placing a tablet down on Connor's side of the desk Captain Fowler watched as the deviant pressed his left palm over the device's screen and uploaded the information, then he gave the tablet over to Hank to hold for himself. "Markus had another private meeting with the mayor; this time in the safety of Carl Manfred's mansion where there were no failed assassination attempts, and next month the new rights and laws will go into effect with the maximum effect of the law."

"It's about time." Reading over the tablet screen Hank scoffed a little and passed it back to Captain Fowler. "Seriously? It's taken almost five months to make android murder against the law?"

"City Hall is slower than the damn mail during the holidays. Just know that we're still going to treat any and all deviant related crimes as if it's already March 1st, and anyone who commits a crime against a deviant will be charged accordingly." Speaking loudly to ensure everyone in the bullpen was listening Captain Fowler let it be known he had a zero tolerance policy on deviant related crimes. "This isn't a shrinking window for idiots to attack deviants before 'it's too late', and all offenders will be punished accordingly."

"Got it." Hank waved his left hand dismissively and checked his phone as he tracked his impending delivery. "Business as usual."

Connor remained quiet as he watched his commanding officer return to his private office with the tablet in hand. Rubbing his right thumb over his right index fingertip Connor leaned back in his chair and cybernetically filed his report as expected.

"Well, we closed a case and helped keep a life from getting wasted." Hank stated in a low voice as he put his phone aside and began typing up his own copy of the report on his terminal screen. "Sounds like we can call this a good day."

"...Yes." Somewhat distracted Connor responded to Hank in a low voice. "We helped a life continue to flourish rather than punish them for being desperate and struggling to survive."

The comment made Hank's brow arch as he noted Connor's dour tone. "Still thinking about the cabin and all that other shit?"

"Something like that, yes."

"How about we stop and get ya' a small seedling starter kit from that florist downtown after work?"

"A starter kit?"

"You can grow your own flower now and by the time we head back to the cabin this spring it'll be big and strong enough to be planted in the clearing."

"That's... an interesting idea."

"Pick whatever plant you want." Thinking about how his late wife used to grow a small garden every spring and summer Hank sighed at the thought and realized he actually missed the sight of a steadily growing garden in the backyard. "...Maybe I'll grab something too. Something simple. Like a cactus."

The suggestion was a little strange and Connor continued to rub his thumb over his fingertip as if he was uncomfortable. "A cactus?"

"Had one a while ago, but when Sumo was a pup' he ate it." Wincing at the memory of taking the eight month old Saint Bernard puppy to the veterinarian for any emergency appointment Hank quickly decided against the idea of buying another cactus. "Then again, I could go for something more practical like a tomato plant. That's something that's meant to be eaten! The plants anyway, not the leaves."

Not opposed to the idea of Hank taking up a new hobby and eating healthier Connor agreed. "Very well. We'll stop by the florist this evening."

"Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Dropping his right hand like a child who had been caught stealing candy Connor tried and failed to play innocent. "Why do you ask?"

"Your fidgeting with your hand like you're anxious, but I don't see a damn coin rolling around. What gives?"

"It's nothing. I merely received a non-lethal electric shock while investigating the stolen hardware. There is a mild pain lingering in my right index fingertip and I'm attempting to alleviate the discomfort."

"Is it asleep?"

"...Asleep? How can an appendage be 'asleep' while I'm currently awake?"

"I mean is it numb or tingling?" Explaining human reactions to an android was still a bit of a challenge. "Humans get that feeling if we cut off the circulation to a part of our body, or if we hit an area and strike a nerve."

"Oh, no. It's not numb and while I don't know what 'tingling' feels like I can confirm what I am feeling is a mild ache."

"If you're in pain you should go see Joel." Turning toward the front doors of the precinct Hank acknowledged the delivery boy by waving him over and then pulling some money out of his wallet. After getting his personal pizza delivered and delivery boy handsomely tipped Hank flipped open the box's lid, and gave Connor a shrug of his shoulders. "Might as well since we don't have another case to worry about right now, and you have some free time."

"I'm not damaged."

"Whatever you say, kid." Focusing on his lunch and his report Hank let matter the drop for now. "It's your body, you know better than I do."

Looking down at his right index fingertip again Connor ran another scan, a small flicker of a red warning appearing and disappearing over his vision, and then flexed his hand slightly before returning his focus to his own report as well. "...I assure you I'm fine."

"I hope so, kid." Speaking around the pizza in his mouth Hank gave the deviant a sympathetic glance. It was clear Connor was still learning how to ask for help. "I don't want to see you knocked down and out again."

-next chapter-