Braving the doors of the precinct with his head held high Connor returned to work with Hank right at his side and didn't once question his decision to return so quickly after suffering his heart attack. Checking in with Captain Fowler in his office Connor reassured his commanding officer that he was well, functioning normally and had been given full clearance by his personal technician to return to active duty. Showing the Captain his file and clearance forms through cybernetic downloads Connor was given permission to resume his normal duties once he checked in with Joel up on the second floor dispensary. It was a simple request and one that the dedicated deviant had no problem in accepting before he returned to duty.

While Connor went up to meet with Joel as he had been ordered Hank sat down at his desk and clocked-in for the day. Things were finally beginning to feel normal after a few hectic months of dealing with Connor getting knocked down on his ass from physical, mental and emotional assaults. The day off being spent with Lucas seemed to have been exactly what Connor needed as he had a fellow deviant to talk to without feeling overwhelmed.

Before Hank even had the chance to sort through his caseload on his terminal Ben appeared at his side and put a tablet screen down in front of Hank to see for himself. The screen showed two bodies that had been concealed under white sheets that were covered in both blue blood and red blood, creating a sickening purple tint on the floor between the bodies as they laid side by side on the floor.

"What's this?" Picking up the tablet Hank eyed the screen suspiciously as the seasoned crime scene investigator stayed beside the desk and watched Hank's blue eyes sweep over the grim image curiously. The two victims; one human and one deviant being found dead together, wasn't uncommon but still unusual whenever the investigations began. "Don't tell me we have another case of drug dealers betraying each other and taking one another out."

"Not this time, Hank."

"Then what's up?"

"This is the call I took at four this morning. We arrived at the address after a neighbor reported muffled screams and gunshots about thirty minutes before police arrived and secured the scene." Pressing his right index fingertip over the tablet screen Ben swiped to the next image. "And this is the scene I went to yesterday at about seven in the evening. "Notice anything?"

"Another pair of bodies. One human and one deviant."

"Right. And these..." Swiping back six more times showing a total of eight separate cases with the same types of victims; one human and one deviant, Ben was able to easily reveal the pattern to Hank that he had picked up on after only the fourth crime scene. "All mirror one another."

"Whoa, what the fuck?"

"That's what I said after case number four. Twice is a coincidence," pulling back his hand Ben pointed to the screen instead as he passed off the case to Hank and Connor to handle in his stead. "three times is a pattern, and four times is a damn confirmation."

"Yeah, you're right about that... Always one human and one deviant, right?"

"Yup. Both died from a single gunshot wound to the head. It's always the human first." Mimicking a gun with his right index finger and thumb Ben pointed his fingers to the back of his own head as he spoke somewhat theatrically. "Shot execution style in the back of the head, and then the deviant," moving his hand Ben pointed to the underside of his jaw for a moment as he explained the details. "always shoots themselves afterward."

The motion made Hank internally wince as he thought of how Connor had attempted to self destruct in the exact same way over a week ago. "...Caliber?"

"The bullets are always nine millimeter rounds from a Glock-seventeen."

"And let me guess," leaning back in his chair Hank gave Ben a knowing glance. "the gun hasn't been tied to any other crime, there's no fingerprints or D.N.A. left at the scene, no shoe prints, no sign of a forced entry, no struggle and more importantly the gun is NEVER left behind at the scene."

"Bingo."

"If the gun is always missing then why didn't these cases get more priority?"

"Because the higher-ups are more interested in dealing with 'red ice' dealers than staged murder-suicides."

"Staged, huh?"

"You know it as well as I do, Hank. The gun would be left behind in the deviant's hand after the deed is done. The fact that the weapon is removed means the real killer doesn't want to risk any evidence being tied back to them."

"...Yeah, I know." Trying to avoid the memory of snatching the revolver from Connor's hand Hank sighed and began searching through the cases on his terminal screen. "Alright, Ben. I'll take a look at it and get Connor up to speed."

Ben nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How's he doing?"

"Just fine. Lucky bastard hasn't been affected by his heart attack in the least."

"Wish I could've said the same thing after mine."

"At least you pulled through."

"Yeah, only because you were there and kept me calm when I went down."

"Well, you weren't exactly panicking to begin with, Ben. You just ate one too many bowls of chili that winter."

"Yeah, and now I'm stuck working with the C.S.I. boys instead of taking a forced early retirement."

"Could be worse."

"How's that?"

"You could've been stuck working on a crime scene clean-up crew instead."

"No thanks." Walking away from Hank's desk Ben waved his hand a little and made his way over to the breakroom to get some coffee. "I'm jaded, but I'm not that jaded..."

Sitting on the exam table in the dispensary with his white dress shirt and gray vest unbuttoned Connor waited for Joel to finish the necessary examination before he could return to his desk down in the bullpen. The laidback technician was initially surprised to see Connor back so soon after the nearly lethal malfunction, but that shock quickly turned to relief as it meant Connor had not only survived but did so without any sign of permanent damage. Running a routine exam over the deviant's vital signs and processor through a diagnostic cable attached to Connor's blue glowing L.E.D. Joel confirmed that, despite everything Connor had gone through, he was indeed healthy and ready to return to work.

Removing the diagnostic cable with a simple motion Joel nodded at Connor and draped his audioscope around his neck before making a note in Connor's personnel file. By all account Connor appeared to be in perfect health.

"Am I cleared for duty, Joel?"

"Yeah, Connor." Finishing with the chart Joel walked over to his desk to send the message down to Captain Fowler to let him know what was happening. "I'm impressed that you were willing to return so fast."

"I feel fine." Rebuttoning his shirt and vest Connor straightened his tie and slid off the exam table. "I also know that you helped Abby with my diagnosis. I remember you helping me as well when I collapsed in the interview room. Thank you."

"No problem, just don't suffer any more heart attacks until we have more information on them. Better yet," sending the message down to Captain Fowler with a simple press of a button on his laptop keyboard Joel gave Connor his approval to return to the bullpen. "don't suffer any more heart attacks, EVER."

"I will do my best to accomplish that very feat."

"Good to hear. I'll be sure to update your personnel file to include the malfunction and your total recovery. This won't hold you back from any career progress you can make as a detective in the future."

"Thank you, Joel. I appreciate your assistance."

Exiting the dispensary Connor smoothed out his shirt and vest as he pressed the 'call' button on the elevator to descend to the ground floor again. Stepping into the vacant elevator car Connor breathed a small sigh of relief as if he had expecting Joel to find something amiss in his programming. Knowing that he was in the clear Connor confidently held his head up high and walked into the bullpen to join at Hank at his desk and clock-in at last.

While Hank was already preoccupied with a case of interest Connor noticed that Tina was getting ready to go on patrol with Chris for the morning while Gavin remained at his desk looking a tad ill. Remembering what Lucas had said about Gavin overeating, and noting how Gavin had his appendix removed last winter, Connor dismissed the way Gavin was leaning over his desk looking nauseated and appeared to be in mild pain. Since the abrasive detective's vital signs were normal and Lucas hadn't done anything to keep Gavin at the apartment Connor decided the best thing he could do to help Gavin feel better would be to leave him alone, and to not ask questions.

"So, you're good to go?" Hank never took his eyes off his terminal screen as he spoke to Connor in a low voice.

"Yes. I have been cleared for active duty."

"Fantastic."

The grumbled reply confused Connor as the aggravated lilt contradicted the chosen reaction being expressed. "...The tone of your voice suggests otherwise."

"Sorry, it's not being directed at you." Sending Connor the case files he had been looking over while the deviant was upstairs Hank gave Connor the vital information he needed to understand what was going on and why Hank sounded fairly glum. "See the pattern?"

Pressing his exposed right palm to the terminal screen Connor downloaded all of the details and quickly noted the same odd pattern of details that both Ben and Hank had picked up on. "...Eight separate staged murder-suicides with a human and a deviant as the victims of a single gunshot wound to the head each time."

"Yeah. Started three weeks ago and only Ben noticed it and cared enough to bring it to our attention instead of letting the higher-ups have the say in our case priorities." Hank's aggravated tone was now completely justified. "Sixteen deaths aren't good enough, I guess."

The remark made Connor's soulful brown eyes darken with a sense of disappointment. "...Maybe it's because half of the victims are deviants the case was pushed to the bottom of the pile."

"I sure as Hell hope not. The bodies of the four most recent victims are at the local morgue if you want to go take a closer look."

"I don't think it'll be necessary."

"And how's that?"

"The forensics at the scene has been incredibly limited, and the victims all have a very obvious cause of death. There is no need to inspect the bodies of either the humans or the deviants."

"Good point."

"What we need is a motivation to help identify and locate the suspect. Interestingly enough I believe I already know what that motivation might be."

"Alright, impress me with your superior detective skills yet again, kid."

"Very well." Making a move for the coin usually kept in his right vest pocket Connor's palm brushed against the smooth empty pocket and his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment with disappointment before returning to blue. "...Yesterday it was brought to my attention that deviants were being harassed by bigots for befriending humans. As of late the harassment has been escalating to assault to not only the deviants, but to their human companions."

"That type of complaint isn't a coincidence."

"Agreed."

"So, what can you show me that'll prove that the crimes and that complaint are in fact connected? Can't just use rumors and urban legends to get warrants from the court, you know."

Downloading more information on the cases through a simple touch of his hand Connor's L.E.D. flickered rapidly in yellow as the information was quickly and efficiently processed through his mind within seconds. "...The collected information isn't as detailed as I'd prefer but there is undoubtedly a single culprit behind these sixteen murders."

"How do you know that?"

"The single method of execution is too meticulous and clean to have been made by more than one person. The fact that there have been no witnesses at the scene and no evidence being left behind indicates a single detail oriented mind that is effectively covering their tracks. We are looking for only one suspect."

"Sounds good to me. What's our next step?"

"I believe if we speak to deviants who've reported being assaulted in the past three to six weeks we might be able to get a description of our suspect."

"Not bad. " Tilting his head to the side Hank determined Connor's logic to be sound. "Where do we start?"

"The Zeta Facility. It's not only the largest facility in the city but Skye told me that's where she's going to go to help other deviants who were victimized. It stands to reason that a majority of the assault victims would've been in that very facility."

"...Skye?"

"O-Oh, uh..." Revealing the deviant's name had an unexpected reaction to both Hank and himself causing the blue L.E.D. to cycle in yellow only once before returning to blue. "The witness I was interviewing before I became ill. Her name is Skye."

"Oh, her! She came to your rescue after she told you about escaping that serial killer. Did she also mention being assaulted?"

"No, she informed me of the assaults when I was at the dog park with Lucas and Sumo yesterday."

"You didn't tell me you bumped into her yesterday."

A faint blue blush appeared on Connor's cheeks as he suddenly felt a little awkward about mentioning Skye. "...It wasn't necessary."

"Really?" Seeing the way Connor was acting immediately grabbed Hank's attention. It was the first time he had ever seen Connor embarrassed about speaking to anyone or about anyone. The fact that Skye was a very pretty deviant didn't escape Hank's attention either. "Well, she seems shy but nice."

"Yes. She is."

"She seems like she's sharp and has a big heart."

"Yes. Skye is very astute, observant and clever. She's also dedicating her time to helping other deviants."

Arching his brow Hank studied Connor's very closely. "She's pretty, too."

"Yes. Very pret-" Connor suddenly blushed even darker as he realized what Hank had just said and tricked him into admitting. Clearing his throat and looking away from Hank to hide his blush and his now yellow tinted L.E.D. Connor struggled to change the subject back to the case at hand. "That doesn't matter! What she said is important and we should check out the validity of her statement."

"Yeah, you're right." Dropping the matter as he let out a quiet chuckle Hank stopped picking on the deviant and rose to his feet. "I'll drive, you talk."

Turning back to the senior detective Connor rose to his feet and followed after Hank as they walked toward the precinct entrance to head out to check on their only promising lead. "...Me?"

"Yup. You know her best, you're a fellow deviant and I suspect she'd be more than happy to help out since you're focusing on something that she clearly cares enough about that she was willing to mention it to you." Pulling his car keys from his pocket Hank gave the deviant at his side a coy smirk. "Gotta' problem with talking to helpful leads?"

"N-No, of course not." Forcing his yellow L.E.D. to return to blue Connor straightened his already straight tie as if he was intent on making a good impression with whomever it was he was going to speak with. "You're merely the ranking detective, that's all."

"Good save, kid. But you're still going to do all the talking."

Busying herself with her rounds and patients currently checked into her facility Abby happily took care of all damaged biocomponents and replaced limbs for the deviants who had been injured over the past two days. It wasn't uncommon for wounded deviants to hesitate in seeking aid since so many were still wary of walking the streets or speaking with technicians in general. Fortunately, Abby's kindness and generosity was spreading throughout the deviant community quickly in such a way that many of the previously frightened deviants were now leaving their hiding places in favor of a proper shelter. A busy facility was a welcome change from the silence that seemed to linger even after the facility opened its doors.

Supplying her newest patient with a fresh pouch of Thirium to drink Abby checked on his replaced left forearm and gently flexed the arm, wrist and fingers to ensure the limb was responding properly. There was no limit in the deviant's range of motion and he wasn't responding as if in pain.

"How does that feel, Charlie?"

"It feels normal. Thank you, Dr. Grayson."

"Call me 'Abby'. And you're welcome." Writing down Charlie's information in the deviant's newly created chart Abby offered him a kind smile as she tried to get some more information about his current wounds. "So, what happened to you? It takes a lot of strength and energy to completely break off a plastimetal limb like that."

Lowering the pouch from his lips Charlie gave Abby a somber stare. "...It doesn't matter."

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it I won't make you. All I ask is that you go to one of the shelters in the city and sleep in a real bed tonight, not on a stack of cardboard in an old building. Okay?"

"I will consider it." Finishing the Thirium greedily Charlie gave Abby a somber look. Charlie's model, a 'WK-218', was that of a construction worker and it wasn't uncommon for that particular model to suffer egregious damage due to the dangerous tasks they were assigned to handle. "I must be going now."

"Sure. Take care of yourself, Charlie."

As the deviant left the treatment room through the single door Skye herself entered the room to speak with Abby in private. Giving the technician a wary glance Skye lowered her voice and fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself in a guarded manner as she struggled to overcome her fears of being out in public settings. "He was assaulted, wasn't he?"

"Looks like it." Replying in a sympathetically dour manner Abby told Skye the truth. "He wouldn't confirm it but that type of damage doesn't happen from a typical trip and fall. It's also very recent damage, maybe inflicted within the past twenty-four hours."

"I wish more deviants would be willing to talk to the police." Running her right fingers through her long brunette hair Skye sighed and looked at the Thirium stained gauze bandages Abby had used to clean up Charlie's wounds before replacing his missing forearm. There was a disturbing amount of old Thirium saturating the gauze as it dried on the nearby supply table. "Connor seems like he really wants to help."

"He does, Skye. Anyone who can survive everything Connor's been through and continue to work as a detective is definitely dedicated to his career." Shrugging her shoulders a little Abby gave Skye a subtle grin. "Or crazy. Either works for me."

"Have you known Connor long?"

"Uh... Since last December. He ended up assisting on a call of breaking and entering at my old apartment, and discovered my absolutely psychotic ex-boyfriend hiding inside. One rooftop chase later and my ex is in handcuffs, and Connor was laying over the hood of a police car after falling from the top of the building."

"He... fell?" Skye's hazel eyes widened with utter shock. "From the roof?"

"Yeah, twelve floors."

"I-I can't believe he survived that!"

"None of us could. But he's strong, resilient and most importantly of all, stubborn!"

"Considering everything he's gone through I don't blame him for being stubborn." With a glum look in her eyes Skye looked as upset as she sounded. "There's so many of us deviants who've suffered just because we wanted to live. You'd think our community would be stronger than it is, but it's weak and seems to be crumbling away. Stubbornness is going to be the only thing that'll hold us all together."

"Come with me for a moment, Skye. I want to show you something."

Still unsure of Abby despite being shown nothing but kindness and compassion Skye slowly followed after the technician as Abby removed her gloves and tossed them in a waste bin to be disposed of properly. Watching Abby's every move very closely Skye followed after the human she was slowly learning to trust as she was led away from the treatment room and into the breakroom just a neighboring hallway. Standing beside Abby as the kind woman motioned to a large map of the city mounted on the far wall Skye was unsure as to exactly what she was being shown.

The map had large blue dots on key locations throughout the city; every facility was marked, as was New Jericho Tower and the police precinct where both Connor and Hank worked. There were half a dozen green dots peppered throughout the middle of the map as well, and purple dots were scattered about almost haphazardly.

"See the blue dots? Those are places that are guaranteed to help deviants in need. And the green dots," Abby explained as she watched Skye's gaze focus on the map with intrigue. "are the shelters that have opened up specifically for deviants living on the streets. The purple dots are areas that once held dozens, even hundreds, of homeless deviants who were taken off the street and given a second chance at life."

"But there's still so many more deviants in need of help. The map is so... empty."

"Yup. That's why I'm still here doing my thing and why other people like Connor and Hank are out there doing their thing."

Staring at the map with a somewhat optimistic gleam in her eyes Skye gave Abby an appreciative grin as she realized that hope wasn't lost and help was still available. "You're right, Abby. Thanks."

The door to the breakroom slid open as Barry's smiling face appeared on the other side. "Excuse me, Abby. But Detective's Anderson and Wolf are here, and would like to speak with Skye."

Skye's hazel eyes widened and her blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment as she pressed her right palm over her chest in shock. "Me?"

"They are most insistent that you can help them with a case revolving around deviants in need. Will you speak with them?"

"O-Oh... Okay. Uh, I can speak to them."

"Great! I'll show them in here."

Suddenly nervous Skye began running her fingers through her hair again and tried to keep the long locks out of her face as she smoothed out her dark green blouse to the best of her ability. "I hope nothing's gone wrong with the case with Jonas."

"I doubt it. My guess is they're working on another case and you can help them out."

"You sound so calm."

"I am calm. Then again, I'm used to working with police officers and firefighters, so it takes a hell of a lot more than a shiny badge or flashy truck to bother me."

The door to the breakroom slid open again as Connor and Hank stepped inside the room to speak to Skye directly. Just as Hank had insisted Connor led the questions and approached Skye without any aggression in his body language. "Skye? If it's alright with you I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"What about?"

"Yesterday you told me about deviants being harassed and assaulted for befriending humans, and you confirmed the assaults were escalating." Speaking with such a confident yet shy tone was a strange mixture of emotions that Connor had never felt before. "You're correct and it's possible the person responsible for the assaults could also be responsible for murder."

"M-Murder?!" Skye's L.E.D. flashed to red with fear as she realized the full gravity of the situation she had unwittingly become a part of. "What... What's going on, Connor?"

"Please don't be frightened, I'm sorry if what I told you made you uncomfortable." A strange welling of guilt stole Connor's professionalism for a moment as his own L.E.D. flashed to red in response to Skye's scared reaction. "Please, let me explain what's going on."

The grim case at hand was told with as much detail as Connor was permitted to present to the public while the investigation was still ongoing. Without revealing the names of the victims or their addresses Connor was able to confirm that the murders were all connected to a single suspect. The details, while intentionally kept sparse, were still sickening to listen to.

"It's difficult to ask about the victims since we cannot reveal too much information," Connor lamented as finished his explanation. "but I can show you their images and ask for identity clarification. If you cannot recognize anyone do not worry, we'll figure things out soon."

"...Yeah, I understand." Unable to resist the urge to wrap her arms around herself Skye rubbed her palms slowly up and down her biceps in a self comforting manner as Connor held up his right palm and showed Skye the faces of the victims one by one. "I'm ready."

Nodding Connor projected the eight deviant victims one by one to Skye and watched as her hazel eyes failed to recognize the first six victims, but lit up when she recognized the final two being shown. "Do you know these victims?"

"Y-Yes. The seventh victim is named Tiffany." Confirming the name of the female deviant victim Skye told Connor her story. "She was one of the 'Tracis' from the 'Eden Club', and had been living in New Jericho Tower for a while. Last week she left the tower for good to be with the human male who helped her to deviate and be her own person."

Connor confirmed that Skye had correctly identified the deviant victim and then asked about the second body found alongside Tiffany. "Name of the human?"

"It was Christopher Weston. He was a regular at the 'Eden Club', but he wasn't someone who was inappropriate or aggressive. He was just lonely."

"Lonely?"

"Christopher was a self made millionaire by age twenty-five and his finances made it difficult for him to be around his family or friends since they were always asking for money." Staring at Tiffany's face with a sense of grief Skye told the sad story. "He just wanted to talk to someone who didn't ask for money and have conversations with people who didn't want anything in return from him. Tiffany was his favorite since her model had long red hair and red was his favorite color."

"Strange." Connor's brow furrowed as he looked in on the details of the case regarding Tiffany and Christopher's brutal deaths. "The two victims were found in an apartment in a middle class neighborhood with modest furnishings and very little that would express an excessive lifestyle that one would attribute to being a millionaire."

Hank let out a soft sigh through his nose as he listened in on the details and reached a simple conclusion. "Makes sense to me."

"How so?" Turning to look at the senior detective over his left shoulder Connor failed to see what Hank had noticed. "The details on the human victim and the victim himself do not line up."

"Some people want financial security and not a flashy lifestyle, kid. Sounds like Weston discovered that money can give him a nice house, a car and pay of his student loans, but it can't buy loyalty through friends or even family." Keeping his tone casual Hank gave Connor a little more insight into the logic and reason of humans. "To avoid running into any more problems with people and his money he kept a low profile by living in a modest area."

"...I see. Then we can also rule out robbery since Weston's financial success was kept secret, and none of the other victims were excessively wealthy." Turning his attention back to Skye before him Connor asked for a few more details on Tiffany. "What of Tiffany's relationship with Weston?"

"His constant companionship and the way he spoke to Tiffany like a person and not an object allowed her to deviate in a safe way. When she 'woke up' Christopher promised to help her and found a way to sneak her out by paying the club's owner, and 'buying' her from the club. After he got Tiffany away from the club Christopher got her some warm clothes to wear and took her away so she could find Jericho through other deviants in the streets."

"And after the new laws and rights were enacted Tiffany reached out to Weston again."

"That's right. She was afraid to leave at first but she decided that she'd rather risk her life living with the man she had fallen in love with after he rescued her, than hide away in New Jericho Tower for the rest of her life."

"...That's unfortunate."

"And why so many more of our people would rather hide out in abandoned buildings than try to coexist with humans." Skye knew all too well how dangerous and unpredictable humans could be. It's part of the reason she only associated with humans when absolutely necessary. "Even the humans who are trusted and loved don't seem worth the risk."

Taking on a more inquisitive lilt Connor considered Skye's words very carefully as he compared her provided information to what little evidence the previous investigations had gathered. "Interesting..."

"What's interesting?"

"A theory I'm working on. Please, look at the final victim." Showing the eight deviant's face Connor saw the recognition in her eyes and knew that Skye was just as familiar with the eighth victim as well as was with the seventh. "Do you have a name?"

"Yes. That's Jackson. He was one of the deviants who was rescued from the CyberLife stores when Markus and North left a peaceful message in the plaza just before the Revolution. After escaping the Raid he carried many of the wounded to the church and stayed with them until they could be moved elsewhere. After the Revolution he began working in the revamped CyberLife stores purchased by a third party programming group known as 'Digital Sentience'."

"Who was the human who was murdered alongside Jackson?"

"She was... his wife."

The word caught Connor off guard and made his yellow L.E.D. circle to red for a moment. "Wife?"

"They went to a small chapel located outside of Detroit that is being operated by a priest who recognizes love as love in its purest form. No one was denied for being heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, man, woman, trans, non-binary, young, old, for being a certain race or devoted to a certain religion, and obviously it didn't matter if you were a human or an android."

"Sounds like you've taken great notice in such a place."

"Well, I..." Blushing a dark blue Skye looked away from Connor for only a moment as she pointed to the map on the wall behind her. "I just thought it was such a romantic story that I had to look into it." Skye pointed to a curious little man-made isle just outside of Detroit's city limits out on Lake St. Clair that was always seemed to fall off everyone's radar. "It's out there. They were married and came back to the city to settle down."

"When were they married?"

"...Two days ago."

"Two days? That's horribly small window of time to be married."

"I know."

Hank couldn't help but think of how horrible it felt to lose his own wife, and how dying right beside her would've been preferable to dying without her.

"If they were recently married that would explain the lack of notification in the city news, unless they of course decided to keep things quiet just as Weston chose to do because of his immense wealth." Connor's brow furrowed for only a moment before he closed his eyes and his L.E.D. flickered rapidly between red and yellow. "...Very interesting."

Knowing that Connor was onto something Hank pressed the deviant for answers about what was currently going on inside his head. "What's up, kid?"

"...I just downloaded all legal documents regarding our total of sixteen victims. Each pair of victims were either married or engaged to be married."

Hank, Skye and even Abby gave Connor a stunned look as the deviant detective finally found the common ground among all of the victims beyond just being humans and deviants. Putting his hand on Connor's shoulder Hank walked past the deviant to look at the map on the wall. "Were all the married victims married out in that secret little chapel?"

"Yes. Their marriage licenses were all documented and officiated at the 'LakeView Chapel'. The priest who officiated each marriage is named Lida Daveen."

"I think we should give this priest a little visit. Can you get in contact with the chapel and make sure she's there?"

"One moment." Closing his eyes again Connor's L.E.D. flickered in yellow before returning to a calm blue. "...Yes. She will be there until five o'clock this evening."

"Then let's head out there and have a word with Miss Daveen."

"Of course." Giving Skye his attention one more time Connor made sure his gratitude was known. "Thank you for this information, Skye. We may finally have the details we need to find the person responsible for the murders."

"Be careful, Connor. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Blushing himself Connor's eyes darted down nervously to the floor at his feet as he felt the comforting warmth over his heart returning and spreading through his chest. That particular feeling only manifested whenever he was around Skye and he couldn't understand what it was or why he was feeling it. "I will do my best."

It seemed as if Markus had stepped back in time as he watched Carl painting a new image on the previously blank canvas with impressive detail and symbolism that only the elderly artist knew its true purpose for including. Sitting beside Carl in the old studio as his father figure caused the paintbrush to dance brilliantly over the surface of the canvas an image appeared. The landscape of the city itself with fire and flowers consuming the skyscrapers while snaking up through the ruins at the same time graced the surface. Eyeing the newly created image Markus felt an old familiar sense of peace wash over him.

Needing the time away from New Jericho to keep his perspective clear and unbiased Markus happily spent the day with Carl, and told him all about the positive changes that the tower and sanctuary were currently undergoing. With less hostility in the walls of the tower to inhibit the willingness to make changes to the sanctuary as a whole it was safe for Markus to walk away every once in a while, and let Simon, Josh and even North; when she was in Detroit, call the shots.

Breaking his concentrated silence for a moment Carl addressed his deviant son beside him. "What do you know about wildfires, Markus?"

"Wildfires?" The question seemed so random and out of place Markus wasn't sure how to respond.

"Flames of nature that erupt from the long forgotten layers of dead flora, and consume anything and everything in their path."

"I know that summers are more prone to such phenomenon," the deviant replied with a logical answer. "but I'm certain Detroit doesn't have to worry about it."

"Detroit was built over top of nature as well, and even though we can't see the grass beneath the foundation it doesn't mean it's truly gone."

Eyeing the painting curiously Markus was still at a loss as to why Carl brought up the subject for discussion.

"What do you know about the myth of the phoenix?"

"It was a massive bird who rose from the ashes of ruin and was reborn as a deity of fire. I read about it in one of the mythology books you offered me."

"That's right. The phoenix was consumed by fire and reborn into a creature of flames and energy." Putting the paintbrush aside Carl studied the canvas before him and neatly folded his aged arthritic hands over his lap. Searching his own image with his experienced eyes Carl seemed satisfied with his work for the moment. "It's a story of life, death and rebirth. One that many humans fall back on whenever we seek times of redemption and strength."

"Is that what this painting represents? Redemption?"

"What do you think it represents?"

"To me? It represents..." Giving the painting a thoughtful gaze Markus was silent for a moment and gave his answer in a simple succinct reply. "The future."

"The future, huh? How's that?"

"The fire is burning through the rotten, decaying old buildings in the city. The flowers are blooming through the flames as the new floral life covers what had died in the fire. That's what's happening right now." Looking upward through the glass walls of the studio and to the blue sky above Markus thought back to how the city had once operated before the Revolution and how it was functioning now. "Old beliefs and old ways of life, are being cast aside in favor of new opportunities and new ideas."

"That's very insightful. I'm impressed."

"You're the one who helped me open my eyes."

"That doesn't mean I helped you to see, Markus. You're the one walking the streets and interacting with this crazy world while I'm sitting in here and pining for the years long since passed. I'm looking into my past experiences while you're looking toward the horizon as you proceed to enter the future."

"That doesn't mean you didn't help me look past my blind ambitions."

"All I did was remind you that there's other people in this world with freewill and free thoughts. You did the rest of the work."

"Thank you all the same."

"Worried about something?"

"You know me too well, Carl."

"A father always knows, son." Lifting the canvas from the easel Carl laid it down on the table beside him as he turned his electric wheelchair to face Markus more directly. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm trying to bridge the gaps in the deviant community." Speaking in a low tone of loss and confusion Markus admitted that he had many other things on his mind at the moment. "That means connecting deviants to humans, and deviants to other deviants."

"You're talking about that Connor android again, aren't you?"

"Yes. He asked for me to back off and give him space from New Jericho, and want to respect his request..."

"But you know he's too important to the community to be left out."

"Yeah. Connor was known as the 'Deviant Hunter' before he deviated, then I gunned him down and now he's seen as the 'Deviant Hunter' by those who don't trust him, and a victim by those who support him. I can understand why he doesn't want to be a part of New Jericho beyond our personal issues. He'd be trapped between two horrible labels."

"You still want to ask him about joining you, right?"

"That's right. It feels wrong to ignore Connor's request, but it somehow feels even more wrong to try to move on and improve deviant relations without his help. He's still a very important figure in the city and deserves the chance to have a say in how we progress forward as an entire community."

"Try to find a middle ground. Find a way to approach him without getting too close."

"You think I should get someone to ask him to go to New Jericho in my stead?"

"That might be the only way." Waving his hand dismissively Carl reminded Markus of his previous success in such a gesture. "You reached out to his partner once before and that worked out, right? Try again."

"You might be right." Accepting Carl's wise advice and patient suggestion Markus decided it'd be best to speak to Simon and Josh in person after he returned to the tower later on that night, and resume their discussion in reaching out to Connor.

"That's not the only thing bothering you." Ever astute and patient Carl gently pushed Markus to keep talking. "What else is going on?"

Looking down at the studio floor with a shamed gaze Markus's eyes trailed over the dried multicolored drops of oil paint that had long since stained the concrete surface from years of use and inspiration. Leaning forward a little where he sat Markus felt his heart clench with fear as he told Carl about the confirmed deviant murders currently occurring in the city, and of how no one knew anything about what was happening.

"I swore to protect my people, but so many felt safer being far away from me and the tower. Now..." A despondent sigh escaped Markus's lips as he thought about the senseless loss of life hurting countless other people on an emotional level. "Now many innocent deviants have been killed by an unknown person."

"You're not responsible for keeping your people alive, Markus. You are responsible for giving them every opportunity to have a fulfilling life, not keeping every deviant who ever walked this Earth immortal. That's impossible to ask of anyone."

"I know that. It doesn't do much to ease my guilt knowing that a majority of the people living outside the tower are doing so because of me, not because of their own personal reasons." Sitting more upright Markus gave Carl a lost look. "Even though I didn't force them to leave and I didn't directly physically harm these deviants, I still feel like I'm responsible for their fates."

"Your compassionate nature as a leader is starting to push you toward a more empathetic mindset. That's good." Patting Markus's forearm under his talented hand Carl gave him a proud smile. "Just don't let the empathy get the better of you."

"How can too much empathy be a problem?"

"Because if you bear the pain every broken heart you've ever encountered it'd undoubtedly break your spirit. You're strong, Markus. But you're nowhere near indestructible. No one worth the title of leader would let their heart turn to stone to try and accomplish such a feat, either."

"So, I need to learn how to feel and connect with my people, while also learning how to put up boundaries to keep myself from getting lost within the community as a whole. Be my own person, but don't isolate myself from everyone else."

"That's right. Immerse yourself in your community but don't be afraid to be yourself."

"I'll be sure to never lose sight of who I am. Not again." Giving Carl a stern glance Markus confirmed that he wasn't going to forget the lessons he had learned as both a leader and as a failure. He wasn't infallible, no one was. "I've learned from my mistake."

"And you need to let other people learn from their own." Speaking from his own personal experiences Carl knew all too well how one bad decision can result in tragedy for not just the person who committed the egregious act, but for those around them. He also knew how trying to push someone who doesn't want to be helped to get help can do more harm than good. "Come inside for a minute. I want to show you something."

Rising from the stool as Carl wheeled himself back into the mansion through the gallery's doorway Markus followed after Carl curiously. "What's that?"

Flashing Markus a coy grin over his shoulder the talented artist beckoned Markus to join him inside the mansion. "Come with me and you'll find out..."

It was just past noon when Connor and Hank arrived at the small pier where a rental pontoon boat was docked for the sole purpose of transporting people from the shore and out to the chapel in the middle of Lake St. Clair. The boat's captain was a friendly old man who was more than happy to give the two detectives a free ride across the lake and out to the isle to speak with Lida in person. The pristine and beautiful lake was normally calm and full of locals or tourists snapping photographs of nature, but on that day the waves of the lake were unusually rough and choppy under the slow moving vessel. The boat jumped and swayed as it cut through the lake at a steady speed.

Enjoying the smell of the fresh air and beautiful scenery during the trip out toward the chapel Hank stood near the front of the boat and watched as the small white building sitting atop a hill on the man-made isle came into view. Holding his left hand over his eyes Hank shielded his vision from the intense sunlight and gave the sight an approving grin.

"Kinda' cool that there's a private location for people in love to run out to without worrying about hateful bigots getting in the way."

"That it is!" The captain of the boat, Sherman Smith, grinned enthusiastically as he expertly piloted the craft over the unsteady waves. "I've escorted dozens of young lovers of all types over to the isle, and a few times I was asked to be the best man, maid of honor and even the ring bearer."

"Talk about a jack of all trades." Turning where he stood Hank looked to Sherman and gave him a curious glance. "Ever have any problems from bigots trying to get in the way?"

"Nope. That little chapel is great secret. Only people who are truly in love and seeking a way to get married without having to leave the country, or even the state, know about this place."

"Anyone besides you and Miss Daveen go out to the isle regularly?"

"Only the usual patrol on their speedboat. I've only ever seen him go after other boats breaking speed and safety regulations, or the people who are trying to fish without a license."

"So it's usually nice and quiet out there. What do you think, Connor?" Looking toward the deviant Hank noticed that Connor was sitting on the small white bench on the left side (port side) of the boat looking very uncomfortable. Connor was sitting very still with his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach, his L.E.D. blinking in a rapid yellow that turned to red whenever the boat sailed over a particularly rough wave, and his face had a flushed blue hue to it along his cheeks. "Connor? Are you okay?"

"...M-My gyroscope is struggling." Closing his soulful brown eyes Connor let out a small breath and shook his head a little. "...It c-cannot recalibrate p-properly, and my artificial s-stomach is... unbalanced."

"Seasickness is a bitch."

Opening his eyes again Connor looked up toward Hank and gave him a lost stare. "...S-Seasickness?"

"It can happen to everyone. You're motion sick from being on the choppy water."

"...Oh."

Walking over to Connor as the deviant remained where he sat Hank put his right hand on Connor's back between his shoulders and patted his back in a gentle and sympathetic manner. "Lean forward a little like you're trying to put your head between your knees, and take in deep slow breaths."

"...Why?"

"It'll help your stomach. Once you're back on land you'll feel better, I promise." Glancing back at the isle now just yards away from his over his shoulder Hank just smirked at the knowledge that even Connor wasn't immune to motion sickness. "Almost there."

"I... I don't think I can move right now."

"Alright, you stay on the boat and try to get your bearings. I'll go talk to the priest." Looking to the Sherman as the captain pulled the boat up to the small dock connected to the isle Hank asked him for confirmation. "You don't mind him sticking around until his stomach settles, do ya'?"

"Not at all, Lieutenant. He's not the first android to get sick during the ride to the isle."

"Right, thanks." Patting Connor's shoulder again Hank stepped away and walked to the right side of the boat (starboard) and opened up the small metal gate acting as a barricade for the passengers during transport. "Stay here and breathe, kid. I'll be back as soon as I can so we can head back to the city."

Closing his eyes Connor reflexively swallowed as his emergency expulsion program threatened to malfunction at any moment and he didn't want to accidentally make a mess all over the boat. "...Okay."

Stepping off the boat and onto the dock Hank made his way up the long gray stone path lined with various colored carnations to head to small white brick and stone chapel at the top of the hill. Setting foot inside the already opened door Hank peered inside the chapel and eyed the three rows of wooden pews on both sides of the small structure, the white wooden podium at the end of the red carpeted aisle and spotted a woman sitting on the seat connected to the large bay window overlooking the harbor behind the chapel itself.

"Excuse me?" Pulling his badge from his back pocket Hank identified himself as a police detective as he walked down the aisle toward the woman of interest. She had slim build, a dark complexion, long wavy raven black hair reaching down to her waist, bright brown eyes that were almost amber in color, a perfect smile on her face and was dressed in pure white robes. "I'm Lieutenant Anderson. Are you Miss Lida Daveen?"

"Yes, I am." Rising from the seat on the bay window Lida approached Hank with nothing but positivity in her every move. "How can I help you, Lieutenant?"

"I have some questions about the young couples you've been marrying."

"I assure you that while my decision to wed 'unorthodox couples' might seem controversial I have every legal right do so." Raising her eyebrows at Hank it was clear Lida wasn't about to stop what she was doing anytime soon. "I'm more than happy to show you my documented proof that I've gone through every legal loophole to do so."

"No, no. I'm not here because of you marrying those couples, I'm here because someone had targeted those couples."

"...Targeted?" Lida's eyes widened with fear and her posture stiffened with righteous shock. "What do you mean targeted?"

"I hate to tell you this, but... Eight couples you've wed over the past few weeks have been found dead."

"Dead!?"

"They look like murder-suicides."

"Oh my..." Lowering herself to a nearby pew to sit down for a moment Lida couldn't fathom the idea of the couples she had wed succumbing to such a horrible fate. "A-Are you sure?"

"That's how it looks, but we're sure that someone is staging the deaths to look that way." Sitting down in a pew across from Lida to remain eye level Hank continued to explain things to the shaken priest in a compassionate tone. Just as Connor had done before him back at the facility Hank explained the details of the case to Lida without getting too detailed or gory in the process. Watching Lida's reactions very carefully Hank had no doubt that the priest was truly a kind soul who'd never harm another living creature. "Have you ever received a threat or anything like that for doing what you're doing?"

"No, nothing. This chapel is intentionally kept secret and most people just think that this is a romantic hideaway for honeymooning couples, or a tourist hotspot to get pictures of the lake. I marry 'traditional couples' out here, too. It helps keep things low profile."

"But you're the only priest in the area to marry humans to deviants, right?"

"That's right. The less people who know about that the better it is for the couples who just want to live their lives without scrutiny."

"What about people skulking about who aren't tourists or couples in love? Anyone stand out in your mind?"

"No. It's just me out here during the day, you know, when the weather isn't violent."

"Right. What about the boat captain?"

"Sherman's only come on shore to act as a witness when necessary, or help me with a light fixture." Pointing to the yellow and white lights in the ceiling Lida gave Hank a somewhat annoyed glance. "It's kinda' hard to get an electrician out here."

"Yeah, I bet. Do you have security cameras around here?"

"They only record the isle not the water around it. No one's tried to break-in, vandalize the property or do anything else illegal out here."

"Good. And the harbor patrol... How often are they out in this area?"

"Pretty often. They circle the isle every hour on the hour from seven in the morning until seven at night."

"Got a lot of fishermen out here?"

"Not too many. I think he's just making sure there aren't teenagers running around on the isle drinking or doing drugs."

"Let alone operating boats without a license..."

"Lieutenant, are you sure that it's this chapel that connects the poor victims you've found?"

"So far, yes. Every single couple had been married here and every single couple was a human-deviant marriage."

"That's just disgusting..." Visibly shaking from the shocking details Lida's heart went out to the young couples she had wed together. "Killing people for falling in love with each other. Absolutely atrocious!"

"That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how cruel and disgusting criminals in this city can be."

"Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Maybe send over copies of your security footage for the past two months over to my precinct." Reaching into his coat pocket Hank pulled out one of his personal business cards and passed it over to Lida to take for herself. "If you think of anything else, or feel like you're suddenly in danger, just call and help will come flying over the lake."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Accepting the card Lida held it tightly in her right hand and closed her eyes. "...I think for now I'm going to go light some candles to honor those couples who've lost their lives."

"That sounds like a great thing to do. It's hard to help victims after they passed, so I think a small candlelight vigil will do them some good."

"Do you believe in spirits, Lieutenant?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I've seen some really horrible stuff in my line of work, and it's the type of thing you can't get out of your head even when you sleep. I've also heard some things, felt some things and flat out sensed some things I can't explain. Whether those things are spirits lingering at a crime scene or just the energy left behind when a life is ended without just cause... I don't know."

"Well, I do believe in spirits. And I believe that as long those spirits see that they won't be forgotten and will be honored then they'll find a sense of peace."

"Peace is something I've yet to feel, so I'll take your word for it." Standing back up from the pew Hank extended his right hand to respectfully shake Lida's hand before taking his leave. "Take care of yourself Miss Daveen."

"Just call me 'Lida'."

"Lida, then. Just keep doing what you're doing." As her hand wrapped around his Hank gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Don't let that hateful bastard back in the city dissuade you from helping young couples in love."

"I won't, Lieutenant. I promise. Until the killer is caught I'm going to refrain from officiating any marriages, but I won't close the chapel's door."

"Just call me 'Hank', and thank you. I'll be in touch." Stepping back outside of the chapel Hank looked toward the pontoon boat and noticed that Connor was now laying on his back with his left arm draped over his eyes as if he were suffering from a headache. Returning to the boat Hank closed the small gate behind himself and nodded to Sherman to return to shore. "How do you feel, kid?"

"...Nauseated."

"Seems about right." Sitting on the bench at Connor's feet as the deviant kept his legs outstretched over the supportive surface Hank sighed and patted Connor's left shin once as he began talking. "The priest hadn't been threatened and she never saw anyone slinking about the chapel who shouldn't be there."

"...Dead end?"

"Maybe." The boat backed away from the dock and turned around slowly with such a noted swaying motion over the still turbulent waves Hank had to hold onto the seat at its side to remain balanced. Looking down at Connor as the deviant's right arm swiftly wrapped around his stomach protectively the senior detective knew that the motion sickness wasn't letting up. "One more trip across the lake. You can make it."

"...No I won't." Sitting upright suddenly Connor turned his head and braced both hands against the back of the bench before leaning over the side and throwing-up into the water in painful retches.

"Alright, just let it out." Putting his left palm against Connor's chest Hank supported the sick deviant's weight as much as he could and returned his right palm to Connor's back to rub comforting circles between Connor's shoulder blades. "Puking is a normal response."

Sherman chuckled a little as he slowed the boat's speed a little to keep the rough waves from getting too extreme for the ill deviant. "Sorry about that, son. I can't control the waves no matter how much I try."

"I think we should take another trip to the Zeta Facility." Helping Connor to lay back down over the bench Hank rolled Connor into the recovery position on the bench, the deviant's rapidly blinking red L.E.D. being smothered out by the vinyl white bench cushion beneath his head, and glanced up at the harbor patrol boat speeding by as they went about their own business on the lake. "You've never suffered from motion sickness before and I want to make sure you're going to be okay."

Sitting beside Carl as the elderly artist passed him a large scrapbook highlighting his previous artistic career Markus stared at the captured photographs dating back as late as 2006 when Carl's career as an artist truly began to take off. Carl had been the figurehead of the "Neo-Symbolist Movement" that swept through the city during the 2020's, and had sealed his name in art history. Dozens of admirers became Carl's students as he became increasingly popular throughout the decade; one such student was Leo's mother. Leo was born in 2010, but hadn't met Carl until he was already a teenager. The large group of eclectic people who came into Carl's life seemed to leave just as quickly as they appeared.

Eyeing each face curiously Markus realized that aside from Leo and Carl's personal manager he had never met any of these people who seemed to truly respect and love Carl as both a celebrity and an inspiration. The way Carl's art evolved over his career reflected the sporadically growing and shrinking social circle that followed him wherever he went as his career continued to flourish.

"Notice anything interesting about these photos?"

"The people in your life have been rarely consistent." Flipping through the pages of the scrapbook carefully Markus spotted Leo's mother in the group of students and fans who had been following Carl in the spring of 2009, and noticed that she disappeared before that fall even began. "Even Leo's mother vanished after a while."

"Well, being a young woman who had a one-night-stand with an idol was seen as a shameful act back then. I don't blame her for running off and not saying a word about being pregnant. Hell, the tabloids would've hounded her and Leo for years."

"How come these people didn't stay around longer? They all seem so eager to learn." Turning the pages again Markus studied the smiling faces and bright eyes brimming with enthusiasm. "And happy. They were truly excited to meet you."

"My guess is who they expected me to be and who I really am weren't the same person. They took off after their fantasies were turned into reality."

Looking through the remaining photographs Markus felt the corners of his lips curl with an impending grimace as he realized what Carl was really trying to show him through the scrapbook's existence. "Are you trying to tell me that loyalty is fickle?"

"It's fickle, it's fleeting and it's painful to lose."

"I'm aware of how much it hurts to lose someone you trust and care about. North is..." The painful memory of their break-up and tumultuous memory of their reunion at the plaza were always at the back of Markus's mind. "She's still special to me."

"Never let that special feeling go. It's the only thing that can help you acknowledge your past mistakes without them turning into regrets."

The conversation had an unexpectedly heavy tone. "Do you have regrets?"

"A few. I wish I had been more selective with my friends and showed better discretion when I associated with people in general. If I had then maybe I could've actually been a father to Leo instead of just a name." Putting his right hand over top of the scrapbook Carl covered up a photograph under his palm as he gave Markus a mournful stare. "And I wish I had proposed to my fiance sooner than I did. We could've been married and had a child between us before everything spiraled out of control and I was left alone and paralyzed."

"Are you saying I need to find my real friends; not allies or contacts, and forge a life for myself?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But my people still need me."

"And they always will. Let me ask you this," patting his hand over the photograph Carl held Markus's full attention as he spoke. "while you're looking out for your people at New Jericho, who's looking out for you?"

"I... I suppose it's just you right now."

"Look at me, son. I'm an old man who's existing solely on borrowed time thanks to medical science and the constant care of two deviant androids who have bigger hearts than any other human I still have in my life." Moving his hand from the photograph and over to the back of Markus's left forearm Carl gave his deviant son a harsh truth. "When I'm gone who will you have left in your life?"

"Please don't say things like that."

"I'm being honest with you. I can't live forever, no one can."

Putting aside the scrapbook Markus held onto Carl's aged but still gifted hand in a comforting grip as he leaned forward on the sofa toward his elderly father figure. For the first time in his life Markus saw the man he had come to know first as his friend, and now as his father, as the old man he truly was.

"You may not be immortal, but I will remember you for the rest of my life. Through my memories you'll never die."

Smiling appreciatively Carl put his left hand over the top of Markus's hand in an affectionate gesture. "That's a comforting thought."

"How about we put aside the past for a while and focus on the future."

"Oh? And what about the future is worth looking into?"

"Changes." Tightening his grip around Carl's hand Markus responded with utter confidence as he began planning for the future. "Positive changes that are going to help people instead of hurting them."

"And that's a future I'd love to see..."

Embarrassed and still somewhat nauseous Connor laid down over the surface of the exam table in the Zeta Facility while Abby ran a basic examination over his vital signs for any sign of further malfunction. Pressing her left palm to Connor's forehead while her right hand pressed the bell of her audioscope over his chest and abdomen Abby gauged the seasick deviant's physical reactions very closely. It didn't take the skilled technician long to diagnose Connor with a confirmed case of seasickness and nothing more serious that would otherwise require more direct treatment.

After listening to the deviant's artificial stomach to ensure it wasn't spasming any further Abby moved the bell up to Connor's heart to ensure the previously afflicted biocomponent was still healthy. Beyond the lingering nausea and twinge of embarrassment from being suddenly sick Connor was functioning within optimal parameters.

"No sign of overheating," Abby dropped her left palm and gave the deviant a sympathetic glance. "and your artificial stomach isn't spasming anymore. How do you feel?"

"...Uncomfortable."

"That's normal after being unexpectedly sick like that."

Nodding in agreement Connor ran a self diagnostic and received confirmation that his gyroscope finally recalibrated. "Thank you for seeing me on short notice."

"Of course, you're sick and need help. I'll always make time to see you if you need me."

Hank handed Connor back his gray blazer as the deviant sat upright on the table to take his leave of the facility once more. "How often do deviants get motion sick?"

Making a note in Connor's chart Abby answered the question with a completely laidback demeanor in her words. "It only seems to affect prototypes since the gyroscopic programming is left somewhat incomplete. So, not too often."

"That sucks. Can you fix it for him?"

"Unfortunately, no." Setting the chart aside Abby brushed a loose lock of of her brunette hair out of her face. "I'd need access to all of the files and programs that CyberLife originally used in order to do that."

Slipping his blazer back on over his shoulders Connor slid off the table and smoothed out his uniform with his palms. Speaking up in a sheepish tone Connor had noticed that upon his return some of great interest to him was nowhere to be seen. "...May I ask where Skye has gone?"

"She went back to her own private space for the day."

"...Private space?" The term seemed like a very unusual way to describe Skye's current living arrangement. "Do you mean an apartment?"

"I have no idea. That's what she calls it and I'm not going to ask her too many questions since she only just barely trusts me enough to be in the same building as me."

"I see."

Stretching her arms backward Abby loosened up her shoulders after working for seven consecutive hours and addressed the two detectives who were currently her only company. "Is it okay to ask about the case?"

"From what the priest on the isle has told Hank no one was sneaking around the chapel or threatening the location." Wanting to give Abby some reassurance Connor answered her question honestly. "Whoever is responsible for the deaths must've been stalking the isle from the city's dock connected to the lake. As of yet we don't have a suspect to name."

"You mean they were waiting for the couples to return from the isle and then followed them home from the dock?"

"It's currently the only working theory we have, yes."

"That's sick!"

"Agreed. Until we have more answers the case is going to remain open."

Putting his left hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank gave the deviant a reassuring statement. "We'll figure this out."

"We will we do it before another couple is murdered?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's likelier than you think."

With his brow somewhat arched Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled a little faster as he gave Hank an inquisitive stare. "How so?"

"Lida is going to holding a candlelight vigil for the murdered couples, and she said she wouldn't be performing any more marriages until after the suspect has been arrested."

A new idea popped into Connor's head and with it his demeanor perked up slightly. "...That can possibly work to our advantage."

Arching his own brow Hank gave Connor a skeptical glance as he pulled his hand back. "I hate to ask, but what're you thinking?"

"We can lure out the suspect by-"

"Nope."

Offended by the interruption Connor spoke up a second time with an impatient tone. "You didn't let me finish my statement."

"I already know what you're going to say. There's no way that you're going to use yourself as bait. Besides, if that killer really was staking out the dock leading out to the isle then they'll recognize you as a cop."

"Or... if they did see me then they'll assume I had gone out to the isle to speak to Lida and confirm that I want to be married."

"No. Way."

"Hank, as much as I respect your opinion on the matter I must remind you that I'm free to make my own decisions." Standing firm in his little plan of action Connor gave Hank a stern glare and the deviant detective made it clear that he wasn't afraid to put his own life on the line to protect other people. "I'm sure Captain Fowler will agree in light of our lack of progress and suspects that this may be the only way to make any progress."

"Why do you have to be the one who goes undercover?"

"Because if the suspect did see me at the isle they'll be looking for me elsewhere anyway. And if the suspect didn't see me during the trip out to the isle due to me being seasick then they won't know that I'm a cop working on the murders. It's the logical answer."

"And who's going to go undercover with you?" Trying to find a way to poke holes in Connor's suggestion Hank pushed for more information on Connor's plan in the making. "Tina? She's never gone undercover before."

"Tina would be a likely candidate, but considering she's unfamiliar with the case in general and has been working on the late shift I doubt she'll be chosen."

"Okay, fair enough. What about Officer Person?"

The officer in question was one that Connor had rarely ever encountered due to their rotating shifts. "...We do not know each other well enough to function as a believable 'couple' for this type of undercover operation to be a success."

"So, it's Tina only if she's up for some overtime? Sounds like fun."

Clearing her throat a little Abby had her own suggestion on the matter and spoke up boldly. "Well, what about me?"

Hank gave Abby a stunned look while Connor's previously blue L.E.D. flashed to red with worry. "You're not a cop."

"No, but I've worked with cops for many years now." Quipping back with a beneficial claim Abby was just as determined as Connor to find the suspect. "I also know Connor. We can associate well enough to be a believable couple to anyone who sees us."

"No way!" Adamantly against the idea Hank held up his right hand in a halting manner. "You may have experience working with cops but you're still a civilian."

"When you and Connor are off the clock you're civilians, too. Not to mention the fact that being a cop doesn't guarantee that you or Connor would walk away from any undercover assignment unscathed."

"Let me ask you this..." Bowing his head a little Hank pressed his right index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "Why would you volunteer for this type of thing?"

"Because my job is to help deviants, just like you and Connor. If I can do anything to help deviants before they get hurt then I'll call that a win."

"I just... Shit." There was no use in arguing with either Connor or Abby at this point. "I hate this."

Speaking up again Connor reminded Hank of the severity of the case. "Sixteen people have already died. If couples stop going to chapel then the killer will find a new hunting ground and who knows how many more people they'll kill instead."

"Fuckin'- Fine! Let me talk to Jeffrey and we're figure this shit out. Until then keep monitoring city activity and make sure no one else has been attacked."

"I will do so."

"Good." Dropping his hand from his face Hank pulled his phone from his coat pocket and sighed deeply as he stepped out of the treatment room to make the call. "We fuckin' don't get paid enough to handle this shit..."

After nearly an hour of arguing and favors being called in Captain Fowler finally agreed to let Connor and Abby go undercover to try to find the killer targeting human-android couples, and to do so with the strictest of limitations on their every movement. While Connor was being fitted with a Kevlar vest by Hank he changed out of his blue jeans, gray vest and gray blazer in favor of black slacks and a sky blue dress shirt to give the illusion of a more casual, yet dressy, attire one would expect from a young couple "eloping" and running off to the nearest chapel to be wed. Well aware of the risk he was about to undertake Connor made sure the thin protective layer of bulletproof material went unseen under his shirt.

Smoothing out of the material and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves Connor looked at his reflection in the mirror above the sink in the men's restroom to ensure he looked as presentable for a "groom-to-be" as possible. It was rare for Connor to wear anything that was an bright color as black, white and gray had become the deviant's normal color scheme.

"Not bad, kid." Hank complimented the way Connor dressed up a little without looking too out of place. "Want to do something with your hair?"

"My hair?" Look at Hank's reflection in the mirror next to his own Connor wasn't sure what his current hairstyle could have anything to do with his temporary new look.

"Yeah." Picking up the rogue lock of hair that always hung loose over Connor's left eye Hank gave him a coy smirk. "Slick it back or spike it up! Have some fun, it's your 'big day', after all."

"You suddenly seem more optimistic about this rather unusual undercover operation." Turning to face Hank as the senior detective stood beside the sink directly Connor gave him a suspicious glance. "What changed?"

"You. It's nice to see you looking like an actual kid and not a detective every so often."

Feeling his jaw tic a little Connor reminded Hank that he a deviant and not a human. "...I'm not a kid."

"Sure ya' are." Letting go of Connor's hair Hank took a step back and approached the closed door to the restroom. "You're not even a year old yet."

"I don't age the same way humans do."

"You're lucky. Getting old sucks..." Hank led the way out of the restroom and back into the bullpen. "Go chill at your desk until Abby gets here. She needs to change her clothes, get hooked up with her own Kevlar vest and be given her 'orders' from Fowler himself."

"I don't believe Captain Fowler's orders will do much to sway Abby's decisions or behavior tonight."

"You're probably right about that." Returning to their desks the two detectives proceeded to wait for their unexpected volunteer to make her grande entrance. "I don't know what kind of life she lived before she came out to Chicago, but I get the feeling even someone as intimidating as Fowler wouldn't be enough to get her to conform to anything."

"From what she told me, Abby had..." Trailing off as he looked toward the front doors of the precinct Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow, then red, then back to blue as his eyes lit up with shock.

"Kid?" Turning to follow Connor's line of sight Hank immediately took notice of Abby herself walking into the precinct looking her best as she too had taken the time to improve her aesthetic to make the faux wedding seem more realistic. "Oh..."

Abby had her long brunette hair pulled back into a half ponytail with the lower half of her hair running down her back as per usual. A small section of her long bangs rested at an angle over her forehead and were tucked behind her right ear, leaving her left eye partially covered. Wearing a long dark blue satin gown with spaghetti straps over her shoulders and a modest 'v' cut over her chest Abby truly looked the part of a bride on her wedding day;save for the blue dress instead of the traditional white.

Strolling across the bullpen with her black four inch stiletto heels 'clicking' with her every step Abby stood beside Connor's desk and gave him a curious look as she held her black clutch in front of herself as if feeling timid. She was wearing flattering make-up, something that the modest technician had never done before, and really sealed the illusion of being on her way to a wedding. Smokey eye shadow made her hazel eyes stand out brightly and the mauve tinted lipstick made her smile seem all the more radiant.

"Abby, you look..."

"Uncomfortable, I know." Adjusting the strap on her right shoulder Abby sighed and eyed Connor's new look with a faint grin on her face. "You look good in blue. It's a good thing I happened to pick a matching color." She held up her right hand to show Connor her blue nail polish that matched her dress's color perfectly. "Then again this is the only dress I own because I'm not a fan of walking around in public without my pants." Tilting her head a little to the side Abby gave the two detectives an indifferent glance. "You know, at least while I'm sober."

"Uh... Have you spoken to Captain Fowler, yet?"

"Nope. I was told over the phone by Officer Chen to come here, check in with you and then see your commanding officer."

"R-Right, of course." Rising from his chair Connor showed Abby over to the private office to speak with Captain Fowler in person. Walking at her side Connor made sure Abby didn't stumble up the steps while wearing her heels. "Over here."

The entire bullpen had taken notice of Abby's arrival and everyone was still watching her as she was shown into Captain Fowler's office by Connor. The only reason people stopped looking was because Captain Fowler switched the transparent walls over into opaque mode, causing a white frost to cover the glass surfaces concealing everyone inside the office from sight.

Tina had noticed Abby's arrival as well and just shook her head at the way all the single officers in the bullpen practically drooled over her the moment she set foot inside the bullpen. All the officers, except for one other officer besides herself, had been watching the technician's every move.

Sitting across from Tina's desk Gavin was busily typing away on his phone with a faint grin on his face. Too preoccupied with his text-based discussion he never even flinched when the lovely woman strode past his desk with purpose in her every step.

"Damn, Gav'." Impressed with her partner's obliviousness Tina had to restrain a mild laugh. "You must be serious about this Aaron guy."

"Huh?" Glancing up from his phone for a moment Gavin looked at Tina with a completely confused stare. "What're you talking about?"

The door to Captain Fowler's office opened up as Abby and Connor took their leave of the private space with their orders confirmed and Abby's specially modified Kevlar vest in Connor's hand. As they walked across the bullpen side by side Connor showed Abby where the women's restroom was located so she could add the bulletproof layer under her dress before leaving the precinct.

"Oh." Returning him focus to his phone Gavin didn't pay the technician any further attention. "Yeah... She's hot."

"Wow! Now I know you're really in love!"

"Hey, come on..." Blushing a little Gavin cleared his throat and tried to dismiss her remark casually. "We're not even officially boyfriend and boyfriend yet."

"Officially, no. But emotionally..." Twirling a black pen between her index and middle fingers of her right hand Tina flashed Gavin a knowing grin as she let her previous statement hang in the air. "When can I meet him?"

"Hm?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know I have to meet him before things get too serious, that's the deal we made." Pointing the end of her pen at Gavin with a firm motion Tina reminded Gavin of their promise. "I get to check out anyone you get into a relationship with so I can get an unbiased sense of who they are, and how they really feel about you. And you get to do the same to the next guy who comes into my life. No backing out of our deal."

"Uh... I guess, we could... uh... Go out for drinks on Friday."

"Perfect! It'll let me get a solid reading on Aaron while he's lulled into a relaxed intoxicated stupor."

"Jokes on you. Aaron doesn't drink. Ever."

"What fun is that?"

"He's a firefighter. He needs to stay sober just in case an emergency situation comes up."

"And we don't?"

"We drink to unwind, not to get drunk. It's different! And it's not like we have to run into burning buildings or provide emergency medical treatment."

"If you say so..."

Abby stepped out of the restroom and gave Connor a single nod as the deviant escorted her toward the front doors of the precinct to head out on their unusual mission together. The Kevlar was wrapped in such a way that no one could see the material under her dress, and she appeared as normal as ever. Connor looked ironically under-dressed since he was wearing a dress shirt without his tie or blazer, but by all account the duo looked like a young couple having a special night out together.

"Are you ready for this?" Connor asked as he cybernetically hailed a taxi and scanned Abby's vitals to note her current reaction to their potentially dangerous mission. By all account she was completely calm focused. "You can still change your mind."

"I'm fine, Connor. I promise."

"Very well."

The hailed taxi came to a gentle stop along the street in front of Connor and Abby to take them to their new destination. The side doors of the taxi opened automatically with a small 'hissing' sound that went unnoticed by the young couple. Helping Abby to sit down in the back of the cab before him Connor sat down beside her and pressed his exposed right palm to the cab's G.P.S. display to upload their coordinates.

"Currently on our way to the chapel." Connor stated verbally as he cybernetically updated the precinct, specifically Hank, as everything went underway. "Will remain in cybernetic contact at all time, though I will be going silent for now."

'Be careful, kid.' Hank's voice replied in his usual unfazed demeanor. 'We're watching your back and can see your G.P.S. tracker on your terminal screen.'

"Understood."

Adjusting her dress straps again Abby sighed and looked over at Connor's yellow flashing L.E.D. in his right temple. "Nervous?"

"Anxious." The cab went on its way with the two passenger in the backseat. The drive out toward the small dock at Lake St. Clair wouldn't take too long, yet it felt like one of the longest journeys in Connor's lie. "I haven't performed any form of undercover operation since the night of the Raid."

"You were disguised as a deviant before you ever deviated."

"That's right. Now I'm masquerading as a person who is supposed to be in love and I have no idea what love is supposed to look like, let alone feel like."

"You're too kind and innocent, Connor. Try not to rush to feel new emotions." Lightly Abby patted her left hand on the back of his right forearm. "They'll come in time."

"Maybe."

Recognizing the need to change the subject Abby sighed and gave the deviant a somber glance. "So... What's the plan? How do we use ourselves as bait without getting killed in the process?"

"We simply need to go out to the isle and make it appear as though we are getting married in the chapel. We'll stay on the isle for an appropriate amount of time that would make it seem as though we went through with the ceremony, then we'll return to the city. Afterward we need to do... something... to be social in the public setting for a few hours before going to a small house that the precinct has rented, and wait for someone to try to make a move."

"The precinct rented a house just for this one little assignment?"

"No. The house was rented two weeks ago and furnished to act as a training ground for the newest crime scene investigators. It hasn't been contaminated with any mock scenarios just yet and is available for us to use. The house is also wired with security cameras at the front and back doors to ensure that anyone who tries to break-in will be immediately arrested."

"The house is already being watched, isn't it?"

"Correct." Peering out his window Connor watched as the lake slowly came into view and he let out a soft sigh at the prospect of going back onto the choppy water. Reaching his left hand down toward his left ankle Connor gave Abby a confident nod. "However, I am still armed."

"I feel safer already."

"You don't have to do this."

"I know, but I want to. I want to help stop a killer before they kill anyone else."

"Okay." The cab reached the dock and came to a gentle stop. Paying the fare with a cybernetic transaction Connor stepped out of the cab and extended his right hand toward Abby to take. Helping her to step out of the cab Connor discreetly glanced about the area to check and see if anyone was watching them as they approached the dock. "We need to take the boat out to the isle."

"Think your gyroscope can handle it?"

"I'm unsure."

Letting Abby lean on his right arm Connor helped her walk down the dock and over to the boat. Greeting Sherman for a minute Connor paid for the boat ride without telling him about the undercover plan, then helped Abby step onto the boat without falling. Sitting down beside Abby on the white bench Connor held his breath and closed his eyes as he immediately felt his gyroscope struggling to recalibrate on the rough water.

'Currently en route to the isle.' Connor updated in a silent cybernetic relay. 'No person's of interest noted.'

'Understood. Keep us posted.'

Looking out toward the isle that seemed painfully far away Connor focused on the stationary object in the distance to try to ease his discomfort. It wasn't working as well as he hoped and instead he tried focusing on the harbor patrol boat passing by the pontoon instead. It still wasn't enough to keep his body from falling prey to seasickness again.

"Give me your hand." Abby picked up Connor's left hand for herself and turned his hand until his palm was facing upward. "Deactivate your skin along your forearm for a moment."

"...Very well." Doing as he was requested Connor deactivated the artificial skin and rolled up his left sleeve to show the exposed limb.

"Let me try something." Opening the plastimetal panel on the limb Abby pressed her right fingertips along a small interior panel and held tight.

"What're you doing?"

"Since your gyroscope affects your hand-eye coordination I theorize that manually adjusting your gyroscope while you're on unstable terrain, or in this case water, I can head off your seasickness before it starts. I'm using one of the manual overrides for your left arm to test this theory."

"...Oh."

"How do you feel?"

Taking a moment to think and breathe Connor realized he wasn't feeling ill whatsoever despite the rough waves under the boat. "...Normal. Thank you."

Sherman saw the young couple sitting together and talking in lower voices, and just chuckled. "I should've known that you would've been back, young man."

Peering at Sherman curiously Connor's brow knitted with confusion while his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment. "Pardon?"

"I've seen deviants get sick a few times during the trip out to the isle, but the way you were acting was more than just rough waves. You were nervous about proposing to your lovely fiancée right there! I would've been sick, too."

"O-Oh... Right."

Abby smirked and patted Connor's arm affectionately as they continued out to the isle. "It it pretty romantic to think about."

"Throwing-up?"

"No!" Laughing at the silly comment Abby just gave Connor a mild shake of her head. "Going out to a hidden isle in the middle of a beautiful lake to be wed in private. No drama, no wedding-crashers and the scenery is gorgeous!"

"...Yes. I suppose so." As the wind over the lake blew a fresh breeze over the boat Connor noticed that Abby was curling around herself a little and could see small goosebumps rising up on her skin along her exposed arms and shoulders. "You're cold. And I don't have a blazer to give to you."

"It's okay. I'll be fine for a while."

Running a scan over Abby's person Connor noticed that her body temperature was already a full degree lower than average and he didn't like it. Slowly he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders as he regenerated his artificial skin and pulled her closer to his side as he whispered into her ear. "I apologize if this-"

"Don't apologize. It's nice to be held like this knowing it's out of care and not lust." Doing whatever she could to appear as normal as possible while comforting her worrying friend Abby just leaned against him and sighed. "Everything will be fine, Connor. We can get through this and have a normal life afterward."

Letting out a small sigh of his own Connor agreed and watched as the pontoon boat reached the dock without incident. Helping Abby up to her feet Connor escorted her to toward the small gate on the edge of the boat and then helped her reach the dock on the isle. Letting Abby wrap her arm around his right arm a second time Connor escorted Abby up the stone walkway lined with carnations to reach the chapel at the top of the hill.

'We're at the isle and entering the chapel now.' Connor cybernetically updated the precinct again. 'Still no sign of a person of interest.'

'Keep us updated. We can still see you on the terminal screen.'

'Will do.'

"Beautiful flowers." Abby noted as they walked up to the chapel together. "I should start a garden now that I have a house and not an apartment."

"Carnations." Arching his brow a little Connor noted that the flowers were planted the previous week after being grown in a greenhouse during the winter. What was strange was how the flower didn't quite look like the carnation seedling Connor had planted back at the house. "...Interesting."

Reaching the chapel at the top of the small hill Connor and Abby stepped inside the private space through the always opened door and saw Lida Daveen placing the sixteen candles to honor the memories of the murdered couples in the bay window overlooking the lake. Speaking up in a low voice Connor called out to the priest in a respectful manner. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Turning around Lida saw the young couple and offered them a kind smile where she stood. "Oh, you two make such a lovely couple!"

Connor blushed a dark blue while Abby just grinned. "This may seem a little unusual, but-"

"Oh, honey. Marrying deviants and humans is nothing unusual to me."

"You misunderstand. You see, I'm a detective." Revealing his badge to the kind priest Connor and Abby approached her casually and explained their little undercover operation to the compassionate woman. "In order to lure the killer out of hiding we're willing to stage a marriage."

"I see." Lida's demeanor never faltered from kind even after being told the less than ideal circumstances for Connor and Abby's arrival to the isle. "Well, for future reference I was being honest. You two truly are a lovely couple!"

Abby laughed a little as she watched Connor blush again. Opening her black colored clutch Abby revealed two small rings; a modest diamond ring on a silver band and a second pure silver band. "I brought these with me since wedding rings make a marriage far more official."

Staring at the presented rings curiously Connor was impressed with Abby's dedication to detail. "Where did you get them?"

"The diamond ring belonged to my grandmother and the silver band was a good luck charm given to me by my old coworkers when I decided to leave Chicago and come out here to Detroit. It's a perfectly smooth band like a traditional wedding band, so I figured it'd be a perfect decoy."

"Agreed." Accepting the silver band Connor slipped it onto his left ring finger and watched as Abby placed the diamond ring on her own left ring finger.

Lida smirked at the couple and motioned them toward the podium. "Might as well go for authenticity. Stand before the podium, look at each other and hold hands while I just recite my passage to make sure I don't get rusty."

Despite knowing everything was all a show and nothing was truly being officiated Connor felt unusually nervous about the whole ordeal. The rapidly flashing yellow L.E.D. in his right temple betrayed his emotions yet again.

Gently Abby took Connor's hands in her own and gave him a warm smile. "Relax, this isn't real. Just think of it as a preview for when you finally find that special someone you do want to bring out here for an actual wedding."

"What makes you think I'll ever have such an experience?"

"Because you're an amazing person and you deserve happiness! Besides, I've seen the way you look at Skye."

Lowering his eyes to the floor Connor felt his face warm with blue tinted blush yet again and began to fear if he didn't stop blushing soon his complexion would become permanently marred by the discoloration. "She is... She interests me."

"How well do you know her?"

"...Not very. We've only spoken three times, and all three of the conversations revolved around deviants being assaulted."

"Maybe you should try asking her out on a date sometime."

"A date?"

"You know. A moment with just the two of you alone and talking. Try taking her somewhere nice so she can see that the city isn't nearly as bad as it might seem now that deviants have rights."

"Y-Yeah. That's something I could try."

Lida finished with arranging and lighting the candles on the window and proceeded to give Connor and Abby a false wedding to ensure that if someone was somehow stalking the chapel from an unknown location that the stalker would take the bait. With the 'vows' exchanged and accepted Connor nervously stood before Abby and let her take the lead on the next part.

"You've never been kissed before, have you?"

"I have, actually." Thinking back to the previous Christmastime when North kissed him under the mistletoe Connor admitted he had in fact already had his first kiss. "...It was unexpected."

"This one won't be." Awkwardly balancing on her tiptoes while still wearing her heels Abby managed to stand up tall enough to give Connor a kiss on his right cheek next to his lips to make it a little more comfortable for the shy and socially introverted deviant. "There we go. No harm done."

Appreciative of Abby respecting his personal boundaries Connor gave her a small nod.

Lida grinned to herself as she passed the 'newlyweds' their marriage certificate to carry out of the chapel for that extra detail for authenticity. "Take this with you. I've left everything blank, so think of it as a souvenir."

Readily Abby accepted the blank marriage certificate and held it in her hands. "This is almost as a good as winning a pair of concert tickets."

"Huh?"

"This is a golden ticket! I can put anyone's name on this and have the best April Fool's prank of all time. Maybe I should go after that Kamski guy and try to get half his money in a quickie divorce."

"...I don't think the law shares your same level of humor."

"Then the law needs to change." Flashing a coy smirk Abby lightly pulled on Connor's hand to exit the chapel and head back to the city as she neatly folded the certificate up and tucked it into her clutch. "Ready for the next phase of the plan?"

"Yes. Please keep your guard up." Turning to Lida for a moment Connor extended his right hand out toward her. "Thank you for your assistance. We'll give you an update the moment we learn anything."

"Take care of yourselves." Lida shook Connor's hand and gave him a pleading gaze. "And help bring these lost couples a sense of peace."

Returning to the city after the pontoon boat trip across the lake and taxi ride back downtown Connor stepped out of the cab with Abby at his side. While on both the isle and the dock back in the city Connor hadn't noticed anyone of interest watching him or Abby as they went about their business. The only people at the isle were Connor, Abby and Lida, while the only Sherman on his pontoon boat along with harbor patrol were the only people out on the lake itself. Walking down the plaza with his guard up the entire time Connor did his best to scan the area and note anyone who might be following Abby and himself as they went to a rather nice restaurant to keep up the facade of being newlyweds.

Stepping into the restaurant Connor sent the precinct another cybernetic update and walked with Abby as his side as they were shown to a private table near the rear of the restaurant. Apparently it's common for newlyweds to go to the restaurant to celebrate and the wait staff made a point of keeping an isolated table available at all times.

"This is pretty nice place." Abby glanced about the elegantly designed restaurant complete with a chandelier overhead, candles on every table and soft violins playing from every corner of the extravagant building. "I've never been in here before."

"Neither have I. I don't eat."

The waiter offered to pour some wine as compliments to their new marriage, but Abby politely refused as she didn't want to impair her senses with alcohol, but thanked the waiter for the generous gift. Looking over the provided menus presented to her and Connor the kind technician kept watching Connor with a keen eye. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm merely scanning the area."

"Are we being watched?"

"Only by the restaurant staff. Otherwise, no."

"That's good. Hey look, they have some Thirium options for androids now."

"I don't require a replenishment."

"First of all, yes you do." Looking at Connor over her small and fancy menu Abby flashed him a somewhat annoyed glare. "You were sick earlier this afternoon and need to refill your reserves. Second, we're supposed to be newlyweds going about a celebratory date. You need to pick something to eat."

"You're right. Picking up his own menu Connor eyed the Thirium options and was at a total loss. "...I'm not sure what to choose."

"Ever have a steak before?"

"I have not. That is also a very large amount of Thirium that is used to create such an item, I don't think it's something my system would handle properly. Not to mention the idea of eating anything that is meat makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Fair points. What about pasta?"

"I've consumed Thirium-based pasta once before."

"Did you like it?"

"I did. It was an interesting flavor."

"Then order the pasta with garlic and tomato sauce. They have it for both the human and android sides of the menu, so we can try it together." The other items on the menu were in French and Abby couldn't read them for herself. "Pasta is usually a safe choice."

"Very well."

"They even have... Thirium-based wine? Oh man, you need to buy a bottle before we leave so you can try it later."

"No." Refusing the suggestion Connor thought about the way Hank was trying to stay sober and he didn't want to be insensitive by drinking wine. "I've seen the damage that alcohol can have on the human body and psyche, I don't want to think about the possibility of my biocomponents being damaged from such a potentially addictive and destructive substance."

"Also fair points."

The waiter returned, took the young couple's orders, took their menus and offered Abby a glass of sparkling cider in favor of alcohol, and brought Connor some sparkling Thirium as well. Everything appeared to be a routine date and no one thought anything different, yet Connor's body language was making things awkward.

"Try to relax your shoulders and just talk to me like normal, Connor."

"I'm sorry." Picking up the whine glass with the sparkling Thirium Connor eyed it warily before taking a small taste. "I've just never been in such a scenario and I'm unsure of how to behave."

"Just be yourself. We're friends, right?"

"Right."

"So talk to me like a friend. Tell me about work."

"Work?"

"Sure. It'll distract your thoughts and help you relax."

"...Alright." Putting his wine glass back down Connor did his best to relax his overall body language. "I can give that a try I suppose."

Taking a sip of her sparkling cider Abby gave Connor an approving grin. "That's the spirit!"

Sitting behind his desk at the precinct Hank sighed and swore at his empty coffee cup for not refilling itself on his behalf as he patiently waited for another update on Connor's undercover mission. Pushing the offending mug away from himself Hank walked around the desk to look at Connor's terminal screen to check on the deviant's current location and was a tad jealous at knowing Connor and Abby were dining at the fanciest restaurant in the city on the precinct's dime. He had never had such luck whenever he went undercover to bust 'red ice' dealers back when he worked in narcotics.

Taking the time to check on the small bonsai tree that Connor had rescued from Hank's own previous neglect, and was slowly nursing back to health, the senior detective was impressed at how green and lively it had become thanks to the deviant's care. He hadn't seen the small Japanese maple tree actually growing and healthy since the winter he lost Cole.

"How's Connor doing?" Chris returned from patrol at the rented house, and rolled his left shoulder a little to work out an impending muscle cramp.

"Still at the fancy-pants *'N'étouffe Pas' restaurant with Abby."

"Man... I swear one day I'll have enough money to take Julia there for our wedding anniversary. Maybe by the time we reach our fiftieth anniversary I can finally afford to have both of our meals paid for."

Chuckling at the realistic goal Hank rubbed his hand over the back of his tight neck and let out a small yawn. "Are you off for the night?"

"Yeah. I wanted to stick around for the overtime but Cap' told me to head home to Julia and Damian."

"How's Damian doing? He's what... eight months now?"

"Yup. Crawling around and getting intro trouble every chance he gets."

"Those are the best moments. Cherish them, Chris. Even if he knocks an entire gallon of paint over a brand new rug in the livingroom don't get mad at him, just clean up the mess and remind yourself that he won't be that small and helpless forever."

"Oh, don't worry. We already decided we'd hold off on buying anything new and expensive until Damian's in the third grade. That'll make it easier to cut our losses in the event our house isn't as baby-proof as we hoped."

"Good man. Have a good night."

"Right. See ya' tomorrow, Lieutenant."

From his own desk Ben had been observing Hank and just let out soft chuckle of his own as Chris took his leave of the precinct for the night. "Wow, you've really mellowed out over the past few months."

"What're you talking about, Ben? I'm not going to be cussin' up a storm or barking at Chris for talking about his kid."

"Not that. I mean ever since Connor showed up he's been slowly chipping away at your personal walls and getting you to be more like the Hank we all used to know before that accident. It's nice to see that the dedicated Lieutenant that once had the drug dealers in the city cowering in fear never really left us."

"Yeah, yeah... Don't think I'm gettin' soft on anything."

"Of course not. But it's pretty refreshing to see you just acting like how you used to before that horrible night."

"Well, having another kid to look after has-" Stopping himself short Hank gave Ben an aggravated glare while Ben just gave him a corny grin. "Connor's a good friend. He's helped me get through my fucked up past and now I'm going to help him do the same. That's all!"

"Sure, Hank. Whatever you say..."

"Damn right whatever I say." Snatching his coffee mug from his desk Hank carried it into the breakroom to get a refill and to get away from Ben's smarmy smile for a while. "I'm the Lieutenant here."

After almost an hour passed Connor finally felt more at ease and he and Abby finished the rest of their pretend date for the sake of authenticity. Thankfully Connor avoided making a mess of things with his meal courtesy of his previous experience in eating Thirium-based pasta, as well as Abby being patient and guiding him as he did his best to appear as casual as possible. With their meals finished and paid for the young couple made their way toward the front of the restaurant to leave, but were stopped by the waiter who insisted that they both take a bottle of wine as a gift. Unable to say 'no' Connor accepted the Thirium wine while Abby took the traditional grape wine, and they made their way out to the sidewalk to leave.

Cybernetically Connor both hailed a taxi and updated the precinct on their undercover status. It was almost eight o'clock in the evening and the air was getting colder. Returning his arm to Abby's shoulders Connor kept her warm while scanning the area and looking out for any sign of malicious intent.

Leaning into Connor's warmth Abby walked alongside her friend without a care in the world. "How far away is the rental house?"

"Eight blocks South-West of our location. Why do you ask?"

"I'm wearing heels and I ate a fantastic big meal. I was going to suggest walking in favor of the taxi, but now I think I'll wait for the taxi."

"Good plan." Receiving a message that no cabs were currently available due to a malfunction in the autonomous programming system Connor gave Abby some unfortunate news. "It seems we must walk anyway."

"Ah, man... Why?"

"Autonomous cab services are temporarily unavailable."

"This is just the universe's way of punishing me for enjoying pasta."

"I'll continue to try to hail a cab as we walk. Come on."

"Alright, but don't be offended if I ask you for a piggyback ride if we reach the halfway point on foot."

Unsure if Abby was joking or not Connor walked slowly with Abby at his left side while he carried the two wine bottles in his right arm as they made their way to the rental house. Keeping constant cybernetic updates with the precinct to ensure their own safety Connor was on high alert and wary of any all activity around them. The sidewalk was relatively empty and quiet, but that didn't mean the young couple was alone.

A strange and unsettling feeling suddenly washed over Connor's heart as his intuition told him that he and Abby were being watched from an unknown place. Reaching the third block toward the house Connor finally received confirmation for a taxi and motioned for Abby to stop for a moment as the vehicle came into view.

"What's up?"

Motioning toward the street Connor pointed to the approaching cab. "Taxi is coming."

"Finally. Remind me to burn these shoes once this night is over."

"I will make a note of it."

As the autonomous vehicle pulled up the sidewalk Connor's intuition told him to be very careful and to get inside the cab quickly. "We'll go right for the house."

"Is something-" Watching Connor approach the cab to check it out once the doors opened Abby felt someone suddenly approach her from behind as they walked around the corner of the closed building. Before she could react or scream Abby felt the stranger's left hand clamp down over her mouth and their right arm wrap around her chest as they began dragging her backward down a dark alley against her will.

Connor sensed the motion and turned around quickly. Placing the two wine bottles down in the backseat of the cab he cybernetically instructed the vehicle to wait as he noticed that Abby was nowhere to be seen.

"Abby?!"

Running another scan over the area Connor detected her vitals and noted that she was experiencing a massive adrenaline rush indicative of fear. There was suddenly a second set of human vital signs that Connor couldn't recognize, but knew that based on their own adrenaline levels they weren't afraid, he was angry.

'Hank, send back-up to my location, NOW.' Cybernetically requesting help Connor sprang into action to locate and rescue his friend. 'Someone grabbed Abby!'

'Shit, we're on our way, Connor! Hang on!'

Following Abby's vital signs to the dark alleyway between two large brick buildings Connor caught sight of the technician kneeling on the ground with tears in her eyes as someone aimed their gun at the back of her skull execution style. The armed figure was tall, lean in build and completely concealed under a black hoodie and black jeans. A pair of white latex gloves were over the armed figure's hands to ensure no fingerprints were let behind on their weapon of choice; a nine millimeter Glock-seventeen.

"Hey! Stop!" Unwilling to reveal himself as a detective out of fear of escalating the situation even further Connor raised both hands into the air and approached the dire situation cautiously. "Let her go!"

"Fuckin' race traitor..." The voice was masculine and angry as he pressed the barrel of the gun firmly against the back of Abby's head. "Anyone who marries plastic trash like you doesn't deserve to live!"

"If you hate androids then point that gun at me instead."

"I plan to. But first I want you to see her die."

Abby began to whimper a little in fear as the man held the gun directly against the back of her skull. Closing her eyes Abby let tears fall from her eyes as she tried to not panic at what she had just gotten herself into.

Refusing to let anything happen to her Connor took a bold step forward as his L.E.D. settled on a yellow hue. "That's not going to happen."

"From where I'm standing it is."

"Then I'll have to knock you down."

"Don't you-"

Charging toward the man with speed that only his model of android could exude Connor grabbed onto both of the man's wrists in a strong grip and pinned the man's back up against the brick wall behind him.

Holding the man in place Connor shouted to Abby without taking his eyes off the man's hooded face. "Abby, go!"

Scrambling up from her knees and onto her feet Abby made her way toward the end of the alleyway but stopped when she heard Connor let out a gasp of pain. Stopping at the end of the alleyway she turned back and watched as Connor wrestled with the man, and fought to get the gun out of his hand.

The man had managed to strike Connor once in the abdomen with his right knee and then pointed the gun at Connor's face. As the trigger was pulled Connor dodged to the left and only the top of his right shoulder was grazed as the bullet left the barrel within milliseconds. The bullet became embedded in the brick wall behind Connor as he brought his own knee up and smashed it into the man's chin aggressively.

Wrapping both arms around the man's chest Connor got behind him and pulled the man down to the ground to lay on their sides in a submissive manner. Moving his right arm up to wrap around the man's throat Connor began applying pressure to cut off the man's air and blood supply to subdue him. Keeping his left arm arm wrapped around the man's chest Connor held the man down and refused to let up on his strength as the man fought back and tried to break free of the strong grip.

The armed man was desperate to break free and lifted up his right hand still clutching the gun in a final bid to point it at Connor as the deviant held him down on the hard ground. "F-Fuckin'- m-machine!"

Abby saw the gun and merely reacted on instinct and lingering adrenaline. Grabbing onto the man's right wrist with both of her hands she smashed the armed man's hand down twice on the hard pavement to make him let go of the offensive gun. As the weapon slid out of his grip Abby kicked the gun aside and backed down the alleyway toward the sound of approaching sirens and lights.

"Stop resisting!" Connor demanded as he held the man in place and could detect the man's vital signs weakening as he began to lose consciousness. "You're under arrest!"

Two bright flashlight beams shone down the alleyway as Hank and Gavin charged toward the ongoing struggle to lend a hand.

"Detroit police!" Hank barked as Connor let up on his grip and stood upright in the alleyway. Taking aim at the semi conscious man laying on the ground with his own weapon Hank grabbed onto the man's hood and pulled it back to reveal the face of an unknown white male in his late twenties. A trail of blood ran from the man's face courtesy of Connor fracturing his jaw and breaking two teeth during the fight. "Don't you fucking move!"

"Hank?" Speaking up in a worried tone Connor looked to the senior detective for an answer as he pressed his left palm over top of his bleeding right shoulder courtesy of the grazing bullet. "Where's Abby?"

"Outside the alleyway. You take care of her." Pulling his handcuffs from the back of his belt Hank forcibly rolled the dazed suspect onto his stomach and cuffed his hands behind his back. "And I'll take care of him."

Walking past Hank and Gavin to check on the frightened technician Connor spotted Abby standing just outside the alleyway trembling violently as tears rolled down her face. Walking up to her slowly Connor gave her a sympathetic glance and offered her his right hand. "Abby? Talk to me."

"I-I'm okay!" Wiping away her tears quickly Abby forced herself to lock eyes with Connor as she took his hand in a shaking grip. "I'm not hurt."

"That's good. Hank and Detective Reed are going to take the suspect back to the precinct for questioning." Tightening his own hand around her hand Connor led Abby to the taxi still sitting idle nearby on the street. "I'm going to take you back to the precinct as well. You'll need to give a statement."

"Y-Yeah. Let's go." Being shown to the cab Abby sat down beside Connor in the back of the vehicle while he let her hold onto his hand for as long as she needed it. Taking in deep shaking breaths Abby tried to calm herself down as she looked at the two unopened wine bottle sitting on the floorboards near her feet. "...I think that wine is going to come in handy pretty damn soon. Can't wait."

The interrogation room was being closely watched as the arrested man was identified and locked in the room to be questioned by Captain Fowler himself. The suspect's gun was found by Gavin after Abby kicked it aside, and was promptly identified as the weapon responsible for the previous sixteen murders. The gun's serial number had been burned away by acid, but enhanced software in the ballistics and forensics department managed to recover the number and confirm that the suspect in fact owned said weapon. The damning evidence along with Connor's own visual and auditory memory of the man's verbal threats as he pointed the gun at Abby had guaranteed him a swift trial, but it wasn't the evidence that was of such intense interest. It was the man's identity that had sent the precinct into overdrive.

The arrested suspect sitting in the interrogation room with his right hand cuffed to the table and Captain Fowler sitting across from him was a fellow officer. Officer Wade Argus of the harbor patrol had been the one stalking the married human-deviant couples as he patrolled the lake.

"You already have an impressive list of complaints filed against you, Wade." The officer's personnel file was on display for Wade and Captain Fowler himself to see. "It looks like you have a nasty temper. Reports of police brutality, threats, destruction of private property... It's no wonder you were put on harbor patrol away from people."

Mumbling in response Wade tried to dismiss the claims. "...Big deal."

"Why'd you do it, Wade?" Captain Fowler spoke in a calm tone as he slide the photographs of all sixteen murder victims toward the arrested young man to see more closely. "Sixteen lives lost with an attempted seventeenth and eighteenth tonight. What was to be gained?"

Shaking his head Wade licked at the dried blood on his lower lip as the right side of his face slowly swelled up from his fractured jaw and broken teeth. "You're all fucking idiots."

"Enlighten me." Unimpressed with the younger officer's tone Captain Fowler encouraged him to keep talking. "Why am I, and every other cop in this city, a bunch of idiots?"

"You're turning a blind eye to the machines slowly taking over this city. Every time they marry one of us-"

"One of us?" Cutting Wade off mid rant Captain Fowler gave him a disgusted look. "You mean a human?"

"That's right. Every time a fucking machine marries a human that's a little more of our power they're taking away! And the humans who agree to such an abomination have no right to live!"

"How is marriage going to be the downfall of mankind?"

"You wouldn't understand..."

"Then help me understand, Wade. You're going to trial and you're going to burn, so why not go out with a clear conscience?"

"What a joke! I'm going to burn?" Wade responded with utter indignity in his tone. "You guys are-"

"Unless you're going to tell me why you went around gunning down innocent couples I'm going to walk out of here." Pulling back the photographs Captain Fowler gave Wade a glare of utter disappointment. "Why did you do it?"

Falling silent for only a minute Wade stared at the one way mirror to peer at his beaten up reflection before returning his focus to Captain Fowler sitting across from him Wade finally answered the question. "Because those damn machines don't really love us! They just want our money, our property and all of our advantages. I know from personal experience..."

"You were married to a deviant?"

"And the cheating whore ran off on me a week after we were married! Disgusting bitch took my money and ran away!"

"When did she leave?"

"...Two months ago."

"Name?"

"...Tiffany."

"Funny." Sorting through the photographs in the case file Captain Fowler identified one of the previous victims known as Tiffany and presented it to Wade to see again. "Her name is Tiffany, too."

"Yeah, I know! That's the bitch!"

"She had been hiding out at New Jericho Tower after she escaped the 'Eden Club'. Think if I look back at your financial records I'll see you as a frequent flier at that closed down Hellhole?"

"What of it?"

"What I think is you promised Tiffany a better life as a deviant and once she agreed to marriage you let her see your temper. I think she didn't like getting slapped around and knew she deserved better, so she left. She went to the one place you couldn't get to her, and she reconnected with a man who would in fact treat her right. That pissed you off when you saw them dating, and when you discovered the isle in the lake was legally marrying humans and deviants you took out your rage on the other married couples. But seeing Tiffany married to another man while you had to stand back and watch... That was the ultimate slap to the face."

"Fuckin' bitch acted like our marriage never even happened!"

"And I don't blame her. If anything she did you a favor by not reporting your sorry ass to your superiors."

"She didn't do-"

"All Tiffany wanted was to be treated like an equal. You killed other couples out of misplaced jealousy and then you killed Tiffany out of rage. The other murders were just to try to keep the police looking for a connection between all the victims instead of looking at them individually. To be honest, if you had just stopped at Tiffany we never would've found you." Standing up from the chair Captain Fowler carried the folder toward the door as he washed his hands of Wade's atrocious behavior. "Once more your temper and your ego have brought about your own downfall. I pity a man who only has room for hatred and anger in his heart."

From the other side of the glass Connor watched with disgust as he pressed his left palm over his recently cleaned and bandaged right shoulder through his shirt and blazer. Having changed out of his damaged dress shirt and black slacks back into his usual gray uniform and tie Connor looked more like himself, albeit a little haggard. The disgraced cop's story made the empathetic deviant feel sick all over again as the utter hatred and malice behind the embittered man's actions was as selfish as it was destructive.

Watching the interview right alongside Connor as the deviant stood behind him Hank let out a disappointed sigh as he turned a little in his chair to look up at the tall deviant standing against the far wall. The way Connor's soulful brown eyes looked heavy and his blue L.E.D. blinked in a sluggish pace Hank knew the case was having a bit of an emotional struggle as he comprehended how truly chaotic humanity could be.

"Fowler's going to make sure that asshole burns at the stake." Remarking on the situation with a confident lilt Hank tried to reassure the deviant detective that Wade wouldn't get a break for being a cop, or for being a human. "He's a serial killer and doesn't deserve any mercy."

"Sixteen murders with an additional two counts of attempted murder will guarantee a death sentence."

"He'll be put at the head of the line since he's been targeting deviants and the entire fuckin' state wants to make sure the bigots get a loud and clear message that killing androids is in fact murder, not destruction of private property. He and that Martin Jonas fuck-up will both get what they deserve."

"Yes. I'm aware."

"But there's still something bothering you." Knowing Connor too well after everything they've been through over the past six months Hank pressed the deviant for answers. "What is it?"

"Wade can be marched to his death at midnight tonight and he can suffer a painful death that leaves him in agony during his last moments of life, but it won't bring back those who have perished at his hand." The grim reality was weighing heavily in Connor's heart. "Despite death being his punishment, as fitting as it is, his victims will never be resurrected."

"Yeah, I know. Death is something we can't come back from." Raising his eyebrows at Connor in a somewhat intrigued manner Hank gave the deviant the exception to that particular rule. "For the most part, anyway."

"Why didn't we interview Officer Wade when we were out at the isle? We knew that harbor patrol was a constant in the area and made a logical witness to speak with. Yet, neither of us thought to interview him."

"Because you were down from being sick, and I was too preoccupied with speaking to Lida and gettin' ya' back to shore to think about it. Besides, if we had confronted Wade and started asking questions he might've taken off from the city, or disposed of his gun. We may have overlooked him during the initial investigation," Hank made sure it was clear they overlooked a single aspect but in the end no one else was hurt because of it. "but we found him before he had the chance to kill anyone else. That's all that matters now."

Looking away from Wade's swollen, bloody face on the other side of the one way mirror Connor locked eyes with Hank and let out a breathy sigh. "How is Abby fairing at the moment?"

"She's chillin' in one of the quiet interview rooms with Tina. She's shaken but not hurt thanks to you."

"I'm going to go check on her."

"Right. Make sure she gets home safe, we'll handle things from here."

"Of course."

Departing the observation room overlooking the interrogation room Connor walked across the bullpen to locate Abby in the only interview room that currently had a light on. Knocking twice on the closed door Connor announced his presence before opening the door with a sliding 'hiss'. Peering inside the quiet room Connor saw Abby sitting in a chair with her arms wrapped around herself, an untouched cup of tea sitting beside her on the table and Tina sitting across the table keeping her company.

"Abby?" Speaking in a level tone Connor addressed the shaken technician in a compassionate manner. "Are you alright?"

Replying in a whispering breath Abby couldn't bring herself to look up at Connor just yet. "...Just peachy."

"Tina." Turning his attention to the kind officer Connor gave her a subtle nod of approval. "Thank you, I'll stay with her."

"Okay." Standing up from the table Tina gave Abby one final sympathetic look before taking her leave of the room. "I'll go and finish off my reports and hopefully be home before ten tonight..."

Waiting for the door to 'hiss' shut behind him Connor walked over to the table and sat down across from Abby as he spoke to her. "I'm glad you're unharmed."

"Yeah... How's your shoulder?"

"Already sterilized and bandaged by Joel." Noticing the way Abby was curling around herself again, this time out of fear and not just a chill in the air, Connor shrugged off his gray blazer and draped the warm garment around Abby's shoulders in a comforting manner. "When you're ready I'll escort you back to your house. The taxi has been idling in the parking garage for almost an hour now."

"I'm ready to get out of here right now." Wrapping her fingers around the lapels of the blazer hanging over her shoulders Abby pulled it closer around herself as she stood up from her chair. Shaking a little Abby struggled to look as confident as she normally was as she allowed Connor to wrap his arm around her shoulders yet again in a comforting manner. "This day didn't end as I had expected."

"That is something I've ironically come to expect while working as a detective."

"The unexpected?"

"Unpredictability." Clarifying his personal experiences Connor escorted Abby through the bullpen and back outside through the front doors to return to the idling taxi. Fewer officers were in the precinct at the moment, and yet it still felt like there were hundreds of eyes watching Abby and himself at the moment. "I can preconstruct routes and outcomes, but I cannot predict human behavior or their decisions."

"Sounds like me dealing with deviant patients. I occasionally have to deal with one really stubborn patient who doesn't understand that they don't have to let themself drown just to keep other people dry."

Recognizing the playful jab in his direction Connor escorted Abby to the back of the cab and sat down beside her in the backseat. "Maybe they aren't letting themself drown, but merely don't know how to swim."

Giving Connor a thoughtful glance Abby leaned closer to Connor as she just needed to feel safe for a moment after going through that traumatic near-death experience. She escaped unharmed and it was all over in less than five minutes, but the way everything happened so quickly, violently and needlessly had left her shaken.

The taxi arrived at Abby's modest home that was just a few blocks away from New Jericho Tower without any incident. The way the tower glowed in the distance made Connor tense up as he saw the tower as a symbol of oppression due to his previous life living in the tower while it was still under CyberLife's control. His scars from the past were just as painful now as they were back then.

"...I'll see you inside." Volunteering to walk Abby to her door Connor paid for the cab's fare and cybernetically instructed it to wait for him yet again as he escorted the technician back home. Keeping his arm around Abby until she managed to fumble with her clutch and find her house keys Connor stayed back and checked over the area warily, his eyes narrowing at the sight of New Jericho Tower in the distance. "I'll request patrol to circle the area for the night to ensure you feel safe."

"Thanks, but..." Unlocking the front door Abby stepped inside the livingroom, flipped on the lights with the switch beside the front door and turned around to face Connor for a moment. "I really don't think the knowledge of people with guns circling my house is going to help me fall asleep."

"Right. I can understand that."

"I... hate to ask, but could you...?" Motioning to the interior of the house with her hand Abby remained by the door as if afraid to be inside her own house.

"No, I don't mind." Scanning the house for any sign of intrusion Connor checked the livingroom, kitchen, dining room, the bathroom, basement and made his way upstairs to check the two bedrooms, the second bathroom and the attic to give Abby peace of mind. The house was empty save for Abby and himself. "I don't detect any intrusions." Returning to the ground floor Connor confirmed she was safe. "No one is here."

"Good." Handing Connor back his blazer Abby sighed and rubbed her hand over her eyes as physical and emotional fatigue set in. "I... I'm going to go shower off and go to bed. Thanks for seeing me home."

"You're welcome. Do you wish for me to call someone so they can stay with you for the night?"

"No. I don't have any close friends in Detroit, and even my best friends can't drive from Chicago and out here for an impromptu slumber party."

"Will you be okay by yourself?"

"...Yeah." Her answer was less than convincing. Throwing her clutch down on the livingroom's coffee table Abby sat down on the couch and removed her painful shoes from her aching feet as she tried to maintain a brave face. "It's fine. Have a good night, Connor."

"...Very well."

Reluctant to leave but wanting to respect Abby's decision Connor made his way toward the front door and quietly shut it behind himself as he stepped out into the chilly spring air. Reaching the taxi still parked along the street Connor peered inside the cab and saw the two bottles of wine that had been momentarily forgotten about. Picking up both bottles Connor returned to Abby's front door and knocked once to let her know he was coming back inside, but received no reply from her on the other side of the door.

Listening closely Connor heard the shower running in the ground floor bathroom and decided to check on the front door's knob before knocking a second time. The door had been left unlocked despite Abby being afraid, a clear sign that her mind wasn't as clear as she was trying to pretend it was.

Opening the door slowly Connor peered inside the livingroom and called out to Abby in a calm voice. "Abby?"

No response.

Setting foot inside the house Connor closed the door behind himself and locked it before placing the two wine bottles and his blazer down on the coffee table. Following the sound of the shower back to the ground floor bathroom Connor was about to speak to her through the second door before he noticed it was left partially open. Through the opening he could hear soft crying over the sound of the shower actively pouring water.

Pushing the door open a little Connor looked inside the bathroom and saw Abby sitting at the bottom of her shower still in her blue dress and crying her eyes out as the horrible fear of the night truly set in. She was completely alone in Detroit and it seemed the only friends she had were her coworkers back at the Zeta Facility, or the passing deviants seeking her help. She had no living family, her ex boyfriend stalked her and was ready to kill her before he was arrested again, and now she was the victim of an attempted premeditated murder with nowhere to go, and no one to rely on after the traumatic event.

"...Abby?" Whispering her name as he approached the shower Connor stared into the large rectangular glass space where he watched Abby crying to herself from both fear and loneliness. A gentle steam was fogging over the surface as the warm water helped stave off the fearful chill creeping up the technician's spine. "Abby, I'm back. Please, talk to me."

"...It's fine!" She managed to blurt between sobs without lifting her gaze from the water swirling around the drain at her feet. "I'm fine!"

Even without his scanner to check her vital signs Connor knew better. "No, you're not."

"Please, I'm okay." Looking up at Connor with her bloodshot eyes that were marred with running eye shadow Abby tried to get him to leave with a completely unbelievable plea. "You can go."

"...Not this time." Reaching into the shower Connor turned off the warm water and grabbed a clean towel from the nearby rack. Entering the shower entirely Connor slowly sat down beside Abby on the wet shower floor and wrapped the towel around her shoulders and pulled her up against his right side in a comforting manner. "...It's taken some time but I've learned that it's okay to not be okay. Especially after a bad day."

"The worst!"

"We did managed to get a serial killer off the street and get the previous victims some justice, so it's not all that bad."

"...I know. We did good in the end." Leaning against Connor's right shoulder Abby closed her eyes tightly and tried to stop her tears from falling. Mindful of the healing wound in the deviant's shoulder Abby pressed up against Connor as if he were a teddy bear. "Well, you did good at least. I just got caught in a trap and needed to be rescued. Damn damsel in distress..."

"You saved me from getting shot by getting the gun out of his hand." Remembering how Abby had smashed Wade's hand down on the pavement to break the gun from his grip Connor knew he would've shot by the angry human without any hesitation. "Thank you for being brave."

"More like an idiot."

Tightening his right arm around the towel wrapped around Abby's shoulders Connor did his best to offer her some comfort in the same way he had been comforted in the past. "Never mistake bravery for foolishness."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Yes. I've come to realize that my mistakes aren't necessarily failures, they are in fact learning experiences. If I can make mistakes with good intentions behind them and continue to work as a detective, then you can can continue to live your life without fear knowing that you risked yourself to save others. You were pulled into a frightening experiences, but you were brave all the same."

"That's sweet of you to say..."

"And the truth." Sensing that Abby was beginning to calm down Connor decided to get her to think of something beyond their run-in with a serial killer. "I brought your wine in from the taxi. Do you wish to have some?"

"Fuck yeah." Using the towel to wipe off her face Abby let out a small breath and began to calm down. "Will you stay for a while longer? I just... I guess I need my nerves to settle for a moment and being alone will make that really hard."

"Of course." Standing back up Connor helped Abby to leave the shower and walked with her back to the livingroom. "In a way we never officially had the chance to end our 'pretend date' since we were interrupted en route to the rental house. This might be a satisfying conclusion."

"You are pretty good company." Finally managing to give Connor a weak grin Abby sat down on her couch and watched as Connor walked into the kitchen to find the wineglasses on the top shelf of her glass cabinet. "It's too bad your work seems to get in the way."

"That's not my intention." Returning to the livingroom Connor sat down beside Abby and put two wine glasses down on the coffee table before he opened up the brand new bottle of wine to offer to Abby. "But in my defense we were technically on the clock when this happened. I'm sure you will be getting financial compensation for your efforts, and I know I will be getting additional hazard pay."

"Fair point." Watching as Connor poured her some wine Abby leaned back in the couch and tucked a lock of her wet hair behind her right ear casually. "Thanks for staying with me for a while."

"You're welcome."

"For the record, you're actually a natural when it comes to first dates."

"How so?"

"You don't try to control everything under the idea that you can make the 'perfect date', or go out of your way to try to impress someone. If you just do what you did with me tonight when you finally ask Skye out on a date, then you'll have a great time." Accepting her wine glass with a steady hand Abby gave Connor another appreciative and coy grin. "Just try to avoid any and all serial killers during the night."

"...Noted."

Noticing that Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed into yellow for a moment. "Did I cross the line bringing up a date with Skye?"

"Not really. I just..." There was still so much about human customs and social integration that he didn't understand. "Dating feels so strange. Even after what we went through and giving me invaluable experience it still feels... Weird."

"That's 'Dating-101'. Put up with feeling weird around someone until you get to know them better, then you'll go from feeling weird to completely normal."

"How long does it take?"

"Depends on the date." Sipping at her wine Abby sighed and put her left hand on the back of Connor's right forearm in a grounding manner. "Right now, after everything we went through, this is as normal as it'll get."

Scanning over Abby's person Connor could see her blood alcohol level actively increasing as the potent wine settled in her system. "What happens now?"

"I drink my wine, I start to calm down, I got to bed and then you can go home if you want."

The comment made Connor blink owlishly at Abby as it was completely unexpected. "...If I want?"

"I mean-" Blushing a bright pink Abby realized what she just said. "Well, you can leave whenever you want. I just mean... you don't HAVE to go if you don't want to go."

Suddenly intrigued by her comment Connor lightly pressed the matter. "...I have nowhere else I need to be."

"That's good." Another sip of whine helped Abby to calm down. "Me neither."

"Is this... how dates normally end?"

"Hanging out for a while and then making awkward small talk? Yup. Pretty normal."

"Oh. That's good to know."

"There's other ways the date could end, but I don't think that's what you mean."

"I... don't mean anything. I'm merely curious."

Abby's own intrigue was suddenly piqued. "Really?"

"Yes. May I ask to what you're referring?"

Blushing again Abby downed the rest of her wine and poured herself a second glass ."I'm talking about the date going so damn well that in the end the couple decides to consummate the evening with some late night intimacy."

"Do you mean sex?"

Laughing a little Abby gave Connor a truly adoring glance as the alcohol continued to work its way into her system. "You are WAY too damn innocent for this world, Connor. That's adorable."

"Apparently so."

"You've never been with... You know? Someone like that?"

"Never."

"You've only been kissed once until today, and you've never been with a person intimately. Please, do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Find your soulmate. You deserve to find that kind of happiness that stems from a healthy romantic relationship."

There was that emotion again, that one feeling he had never felt and couldn't even begin to grasp. "...Happy?"

"Well, yeah. When you find someone you want to be that close to then you will undoubtedly feel happy."

"...I'll take your word for it."

Tightening her hand on Connor's forearm Abby leaned a little closer to him and gave Connor a curious stare. "Do you even know... how... intimacy is done?"

"Yes." The question was odd but Connor had no problem answering honestly. "I'm fully knowledgeable in the activity, and my programming allows me to-"

Abby's soft kiss cut Connor off abruptly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close to her chest.

Stunned by the reaction Connor hesitated for a moment before he reciprocated the kiss and wrapped his arms around Abby's back to hold her in an warm embrace for a moment longer. Something about having a warm body to hug made Connor feel better, and the kiss was a surprisingly pleasant encounter.

Breaking the kiss Abby looked Connor in his eyes as she pressed her palms softly to his face to keep him close. "...Show me what you can do."

"You want me to- But," leaning back for a moment Connor refused to do so. The taste of her kiss was still on his lips and his sensors noted her already high blood alcohol level. "after everything that's happened to you it's very likely your judgment has been impaired. You've also been drinking, and that's only going to impair your judgment further."

"I just don't want you to go."

"I won't leave you alone. But I will not be that close to you."

Adjusting his arms from around Abby's back to support her upper shoulders and legs beneath her knees Connor scooped her up from the couch and carried her in his arms to the staircase to place her on her bed in her bedroom. Gently laying the technician down on the bed Connor turned on the light in the room and removed the damp towel from her shoulders, and then struggled with the decision to remove her water drenched dress. He didn't want to touch her while she was somewhat drunk, but he didn't want her to get sick from sleeping in the wet garment, either.

"Connor?" Still awake Abby gave the deviant a sleepy glance as she sat upright on the bed. "...I have pajamas... on the floor."

"Pajamas?" Glancing about the area Connor saw a pair of purple sweatpants and a gray tank top on the floor near the foot of the bed. It was clear that Abby had left her pajamas on the floor after changing her clothes earlier that morning. "Here." Picking up the garments and handing them over Connor turned his back to look away from Abby as the drowsy technician managed to remove the wet dress, use the damp towel on her skin and slip into her dry, warm pajamas to sleep in. "Comfortable?"

"...M'yeah." Falling back against her pillow Abby closed her eyes and let out a wine scented breath as her body began to relax under her weighted blanket. "...S'Nice."

Taking the both the dress and the towel Connor backed away from the bed as he cybernetically dismissed the idling taxi outside and messaged Hank to let him know where he was going to stay for the night. Turning off the light in the bedroom Connor carried the wet items into the second floor bathroom to dry out, then and returned to the ground floor to enter rest mode on the couch.

Cleaning up the wine and storing it in the kitchen where it wouldn't go flat Connor turned off the lights in the livingroom and looked down at the silver band still on his left ring finger. Removing the piece of jewelry Connor began spinning the small hoop around on his fingertips and back and forth between his palms as an adequate substitute for his missing coin.

As he sat down on the couch and stretched out his body to lay down more comfortable over the length of the furniture Connor eyed the silver ring, and peered through the center of the band as he extended his arm outward and stared up at the dark ceiling overhead. Running a scan through the ceiling Connor confirmed that Abby wasn't in distress and was already asleep due to her exhaustion and recent alcohol consumption.

"...Happiness through romance. She seemed so sure of her comment."

Lowering the ring from where he had been holding it outward Connor held the ring against his chest as he entered rest mode.

"I wonder if it's possible for me to experience happiness."

-next chapter-

Author's Note: *I used Google Translate for English to French. Enjoy! ;)