Unable to sleep and unable to stop thinking about how close Lucas had been to death the evening before Connor just sat in absolute silence in the front seat of the car as Hank drove Lucas, sitting in the backseat, over to his apartment to heal in his own bed. Noreen had stayed at the facility all night long as she promised, but was forced to go home and rest herself when Captain Rourke made the order through a very stern phone call. Despite Lucas not being alone while he healed at the facility, not being alone during the drive to his apartment and not being alone once he was back inside his apartment, Connor had an odd compulsion to keep close by him that he just couldn't understand.

Glancing up at Lucas's reflection in the rearview mirror just as Hank pulled into the apartment complex's parking lot Connor ran a scan over Lucas's person to check on his vital signs. He was still stable and seemed to be recovering well, yet the urge to protect the younger deviant from all the evils of the world still wouldn't go away.

"Alright, kid." Parking the car Hank opened his door and spoke to Lucas in a completely calm manner. "Let's get you up to your apartment to relax. You earned these days off."

Without a word Connor opened his own door and helped Lucas climb out of the back of the vehicle before escorting him to the building just a few yards away from where Hank had parked the car. Staying quiet as Lucas gained entry through his cybernetic key card, and remaining just as silent as the elevator reached the correct floor, Connor moved seemingly on autopilot as he walked with Lucas toward his apartment door to rest.

The door opened swiftly before Lucas even had the chance to unlock it. Gavin stepped outside to greet his returned roommate with a look of relief in his hazel eyes. "Should've known you wouldn't have returned alone." Seeing both Connor and Hank was somewhat expected but Gavin was still hoping that Lucas would've returned either alone or with Noreen. "But at least you're back."

"It's good to see you again, too." Lucas sounded lethargic but his gray eyes were bright and alert despite being physically exhausted. "I hope you weren't worried about me."

"I was only worried about having to pay the full rent instead of half. Get your ass in here so Lucky will leave me alone for two minutes."

Lucas arched his brow as he entered the apartment with Connor and Hank following after him. "I thought you didn't want me to be Lucky's favorite."

"You're not going to be her favorite, but you're still better at holding still than I am. If she can sleep on your lap instead of mine that'd be great. I still got some shit to do."

Connor glanced about the apartment and noticed that there was a large vintage poster of a saxophone on the wall in a large glass frame. It was clear that the image had been painstakingly restored by the hands of a deviant over the past few days and wondered if Lucas had other personal items in the apartment that reflected his interests. It was a simple touch that represented Lucas perfectly.

"Uh, Aaron is going to be stopping by later this afternoon." Gavin stated as he rubbed his right hand over the back of his hair anxiously. "We'll be quiet so you can sleep, or do whatever it is you need to do."

"It's fine, Gavin." Trudging toward the hallway Lucas stopped and looked at Connor and Hank over his shoulder before retiring this bedroom. "Thank you for bringing me back to my apartment to rest. I will be fine, I swear."

"...You're welcome." Connor finally stated as he broke his silence at last. "If you need anything just ask, Lucas. I will help you in any way that I can."

"I will remember to do so." Making his way down the hallway with Lucky mewing and following right after him Lucas entered his bedroom and closed the door with a soft 'click'.

"...Gavin." Looking to the abrasive detective with gratitude in his soulful brown eyes Connor made it clear he was glad that Lucas wouldn't be alone. "Thank you for agreeing to extend your leave of absence so Lucas can heal with someone watching over him."

"Yeah, whatever... It's not like I'm in any hurry to go back out into the field anyway."

Shaking his head a little Hank put his hands to his hips and sighed deeply. "Now, how about we go home and get some rest ourselves? My back is still bitchin' about running across that hard concrete floor and carrying Lucas up the stairs. He's not even that heavy and my back is still acting up."

Falling mute again Connor slowly turned around to follow Hank out of the apartment to take his leave. Fatigued physically from donating a generous amount of his blood to Lucas the previous day, and fatigued mentally because he couldn't seem to ever calm his thoughts after enduring such a strange emotional experience, Connor was eager to return to the house and isolate himself from the world for a little while.

Dropping his hand from the back of his hair after the two detectives left the apartment Gavin sighed before walking down the hallway to check in on Lucas before the deviant had the chance to drift off to sleep. Softly knocking on the closed door Gavin waited for Lucas's voice to reply with a simple 'Come in.' before turning the doorknob.

Pushing the door open Gavin peered inside the bedroom and saw Lucas laying on his back over his bed with Lucky curled up in a furry ball at his left side. By all account Lucas just looked like he was getting over a cold and needed a few more hours of sleep. It was hard to believe that just the afternoon and evening before the deviant was near death from losing so much Thirium due to the greed of disgusting drug dealers.

"You good in here?"

"...Yes. I'm merely going to enter rest mode and allow my system to recalibrate."

"And... You don't need any more Thirium?"

"No. My reserves are currently at one-hundred percent. They will undoubtedly lower during my rest mode but my current stock will cover what I need."

"Good. So..." Trying to sound less than nonplussed Gavin just wanted to make sure his deviant roommate was going to be okay. "you're just recovering from some blood loss, right? No internal damage or broken limbs I should know about?"

"No." Putting his ;eft hand on Lucky's back Lucas was rewarded with a curious mew and some loud purrs for his gesture. "I assure you the worst of my condition has been Thirium loss, which has already been corrected."

"Alright. Then... I'll be quiet so you can sleep it off."

"Thank you, Gavin."

"Yeah, sure. Uh... feel better."

Watching his bedroom door shut again Lucas smirked a little as he continued to pet Lucky and receive adoration from the fluffy cat. "I think it's safe to say that Gavin was genuinely worried about me, but is now relieved. It seems Aaron has been very effective in getting Gavin to admit he actually has a heart."

Letting out a deep yawn Hank stretched his shoulders a little as he tossed the car keys over to the bookshelf in the livingroom the moment he and Connor stepped through the front door. Raking his fingers through his gray locks of hair Hank sighed and made his way toward the hallway to disappear into his bedroom to get some more sleep at long last. Slipping off his coat as he walked Hank looked back at Connor as the deviant stayed beside the front door and knelt down to pet Sumo as the massive dog trotted up to the front door to greet his returned masters.

The way Connor seemed distracted and painfully quiet hadn't gone unnoticed by Hank. During their final hours of their shift Connor had busied himself with handling as much of the paperwork as possible to ensure their successfully closed case regarding the deviant abductions was filed properly. Now that he had his assignment taken care of it seemed Connor didn't know what to do with himself. The poor deviant couldn't even sleep after returning home late last night.

"Hey, kid?" Watching Connor's soulful brown eyes look up and lock onto his own blue eyes Hank gave the deviant a helpful suggestion. "Why don't you go take a walk and then come back home to sleep?"

"...Take a walk?"

"You're restless." Crossing his arms over his chest, the coat hanging over his left forearm like a tapestry, Hank tried to help the deviant understand that ignoring his stress or bottling it up was going to do more harm than good. "You need to burn off your excess energy and get some fresh air. Trust me, it'll help you calm down and relax if you go clear your head for an hour or two."

"...Very well. I'll take Sumo for a walk."

"Nope."

The response made Connor's brow furrow slightly as the answer was unexpected. "...No?"

"Nope. You need to go for a walk for your own good, not Sumo's good. You can take him for a walk this evening, but right now you need to take care of yourself first."

Standing back up Connor looked down at Sumo for a moment then back over to Hank with a somber gaze. "Okay, Hank. I'll go take a walk for a while."

"Take your time. Just remember one thing while you're out there sorting through your thoughts."

"What's that?"

"What happened to Lucas, what happened to all of the deviants who were taken, was NOT your fault. Got it?"

Silent once more Connor's downcast gaze shifted away from Hank and focused on the floor for a moment. Turning the doorknob on the front door behind him Connor slowly left the house and closed the door behind him with a soft 'click'.

Sumo whimpered at the sight of Connor leaving without him and pawed at the closed door a couple times until Hank told him to stop.

"Sumo, no. Don't claw up the door." Patting the side of his leg Hank called the dog away from the door and toward the hallway. "Come on. You can chill on my bed for a while. Just try to not snore this time..."

The spring day was warmer than usual as summer neared in just a few short weeks. With his hands in his pockets Connor walked through the neighborhood, pass the dog park and found himself nearing Hart Plaza as if being compelled to walk toward the epicenter of the changed world. Observing the statues and other artistic architecture that gave the plaza and surrounding buildings a sense of elegance Connor wondered if in time there would be pieces of art dedicated to the deviant cause once tensions in the city died down.

Faces of stone and marble created by humans were seen as invaluable pieces of art worth preserving, but entire beings of plastimetal that can think, feel and bleed were nothing more than a defective product needing to be destroyed. The cruel irony of a lifeless statue being given a true value over android life simply because said life was artificial was sickening.

The blue blood coursing through Connor's lines being viewed strictly as profit for greedy humans seeking to earn money while poisoning their own kind only angered the deviant as he thought back to the hypocritical and illogical nature of humans. While not all the humans were bigots, and while not all humans would even remain bigots, that knowledge did little to comfort Connor's emotionally conflicted heart.

Passing by the plaza and the lifeless eyes of the statues watching his every move Connor's ears tuned out the voices of random people talking and laughing around him as he became lost in thought once more. The people around him were smiling and enjoying their day, none of them at all concerned for their lives as their blood wasn't going to be used to create poison. They simply had to be smart enough to not consume the poison.

Focusing only on his thoughts and emotions Connor barely had time to react and stop in his tracks as a group of small children cut him off and ran over the sidewalk in front of him. Watching the sixteen children rush over to the center of the plaza with two female adult chaperones trying to keep them together Connor tried to understand what was happening. High pitched giggles and excited voices emanated from the group of children as the adults escorted them over to a small booth set up near the center of the plaza that had been apparently sectioned off just for them.

"...What's going on?"

Too curious for his own good Connor discreetly walked into the plaza and saw the children all gathered around a large round table that was filled with posters boards, paper, stickers, glue sticks, glitter, markers, crayons, colored pencils, various shaped and colored beads, rubber bands, twine and safety scissors. Unfamiliar with the concept of field trips or group projects Connor kept his distance and stood by the river separating America from Canada as he listened in on the activity taking place just a few yards behind him.

Based on the discussion from the two adults Connor surmised that the children were in the first grade and were being prompted to unleash their artistic side through posters and making simple jewelry. The reason they had gathered at the plaza was because of the nice weather, the artistic atmosphere and because the adults wanted to explain to the children what happened in that very plaza the winter before.

Hearing schools talking about the Revolution and its importance to young children was oddly comforting in an unexpected way.

"...Maybe things are getting better in regard to human and deviant relationships after all. Maybe that means all relationships can be mended, and new ones can still be forged."

Walking along the river and away from the plaza Connor continued to try to sort through his thoughts and feelings regarding the way humans still saw deviants as nothing more than a product, and of how he suddenly felt compelled to protect Lucas at all costs. There was no strong friendship between the two deviants and Connor was still somewhat of letting himself trust or get close to anyone.

Why was Lucas suddenly a priority when it came to Connor wanting to keep people safe?

Reaching the end of the plaza Connor caught a new sound. It was the sound of soft crying that made his guard go up. Glancing about the area the deviant saw no one of interest until he traced the sound to a bench near a shady tree. Looking at the bench Connor saw a little girl, six or seven years old, with her long blonde hair pulled up into matching pigtails and sitting on the bench in tears.

The girl was far too young to be anywhere without an adult and Connor didn't see any adults in the area that appeared to be looking for a missing child.

"Hello?" Speaking to the little girl in an instinctively soft tone Connor crouched down so he was eye level with the girl and watched her soft brown eyes searching over his face as if confused. "Do you need help?"

Scared and quiet the little girl didn't answer.

"My name is Connor." Grateful he still had his work uniform on Connor was able to easily show her his badge and identify himself as a detective. "I work with the police. I can help you if you need it."

The little girl stared at Connor a while longer before finally replying in a small voice. "...I'm lost."

"You're lost? Did you come here by yourself?"

The shook her head 'no' and stayed fixed on the bench.

Seeking answers about how the little girl became lost Connor started with the basic questions. "Did you come here with your mother?"

She shook her head again.

"What about you father?"

Another 'no.'

"Then... who came with you to the plaza?"

"...Mrs. Honey."

"Mrs. Honey." Having a name was a good start. "Is she your babysitter?"

"...Teacher."

"Teacher... I see." Quickly deducing that the little girl got separated from her class when everyone convened at the plaza Connor offered the little girl his hand to hold. "Were you coming here on a field trip?"

"...Yeah."

"How did you get over here and away from your teacher?"

"...I saw a pretty flower." Pointing to a row of flowers outlining the edge of the plaza the little showed Connor what caught her eye. "My sister likes flowers."

"And your teacher didn't see you walk away?"

Shrugging her shoulders the girl fell quiet again.

"Okay. Well, I saw where your class is and I can take you to them. It's okay to come with me because I'm a detective."

Slowly the little girl accepted Connor's hand and slid off the bench to accompany him back to the plaza.

"I told that my name is Connor, will you tell me yours?"

"...It's-"

A woman's voice cut-in unexpectedly and made Connor and the little girl freeze. "AMANDA?!"

The name sent a shiver up Connor's spine as he immediately thought of his former handler. "...A-Amanda?"

The woman was one of the teachers Connor had seen at the plaza and realized his deduction was correct. The little girl, Amanda, belonged to that class.

"Amanda! Where have you been?" The woman was one of the teachers that Connor had seen at the plaza and presumed her to be Mrs. Honey. "I've been worried sick! You know better than the leave the group."

"...I'm sorry, Mrs. Honey."

"And you!" Confronting Connor with an angry stare the woman's hand was reaching into her purse either for a phone or a weapon. "What do you think you're doing with her?!"

Again Connor showed his badge to confirm he worked with the police. "I found her on the bench. My name is Connor Wolf, and I was attempting to bring... Amanda here," the name left a needlessly foul taste on his lips. "back to her class."

"O-Oh... I'm so sorry! It's just... I thought you..."

"I understand. You were just protecting your student."

"Amanda, come with me right now." Taking Amanda's hand herself Mrs. Honey looked both angry and relieved much to Connor's confusion. "And Detective Wolf, I'm so sorry I was aggressive toward you."

"Again, it's understandable."

"I know this might be a little much to ask, but could you please return to the plaza with us? I'd appreciate it if you could remind the students about why they need to stay with the class and never disobey a teacher."

"...It's not an inconvenience. I don't mind."

Sitting upright in his bed with a jolt of fear Lucas glanced about his bedroom in utter confusion as he could've sworn he was still trapped in the concrete chamber and bound in chains. Running his trembling fingers along the sides of his neck Lucas needed to make sure he wasn't bleeding and that there were no external lines siphoning his blood from his body. Feeling only Lucky rubbed against his left elbow as she purred and sensed his distress Lucas let out a shaking breath and realized he had just experienced a very bad nightmare.

He was safe at his apartment and he was making a full recovery. No one was going to harm him.

Running a self diagnostic Lucas noted that his Thirium volume was hovering at eighty-six percent and soon he'd had to replenish his Thirium. Rising from the bed the still shaking deviant pet Lucky's ears as he made he way toward the bedroom door.

"...Perhaps it'd be best if I replenish my Thirium now instead of later."

Walking down the hallway Lucas noticed Gavin typing on his laptop while sitting on the couch, and he had Aaron asleep on the couch beside him. It was clear that Aaron was exhausted after working a twenty-four hour shift the previous day, but still wanted to spend time with Gavin. As he entered the kitchen Lucas heard the clicking on Gavin's keyboard cease and knew that Gavin had noticed his presence.

Turning to look at the deviant over the back of the couch Gavin called out to his roommate curiously. "...Something wrong, Lucas?"

"No. I was awoken from rest mode in need of Thirium." Pulling a single bottle of the necessary blue blood from the cupboard beside the refrigerator Lucas opened the top of the bottle and slowly drank what he needed. "I'm fine."

"Good."

"It seems you're still attempting to catch up on paperwork."

"Well, not all detectives have super computers in their brains. Some of us have to submit paperwork the old fashioned way."

"Technically speaking the 'old fashioned way' would be an ink covered quill on parchment."

"You find me an inkwell, a writing quill and a piece of actual parchment and I'll write Aaron a love letter."

Cybernetically Lucas placed such an oddly specific order and gave Gavin a smug look. "Consider it done."

"...Did you seriously just-"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to."

Returning his attention to his laptop Gavin resumed typing his report. "...Sarcastic deviants are terrifying."

Carrying his Thirium back to his bedroom Lucas pondered whether or not he wanted to keep sleeping, or if he wanted to do something else to keep his mind preoccupied. Not wanting to play his saxophone and wake up Aaron by mistake Lucas resided to laying back and cybernetically downloading information regarding the case at hand, while also making sure that Noreen was going to be okay after being a part of such a strange bust.

"Sleep can wait." As he laid back Lucas felt Lucky curl up against him again as she decided to settle down for a nap even if Lucas didn't want to go back to sleep yet. "It'd be best to make sure everything at the precinct is under control since the case is so high profile..."

After the impromptu discussion about how it was important for children to never wander away from a parent or guardian Connor was then asked about the Revolution since he was not just a deviant, but a part of the Revolution itself. While the children were in awe of meeting a "celebrity" in the form of Connor, the teachers were just relieved that the class took Connor's words to heart and swore to never wander away ever again. Just as Connor was about to leave the plaza and go about his business he felt a small hand grab onto his right hand to keep him from walking away.

Looking down at Amanda as she clung onto his hand desperately Connor just gave the little girl a lost stare. He didn't have any experience in handling children beyond delivering a baby, and was unsure of what the previously shy little girl could've wanted.

"Wait!" Amanda pleaded with a happy smile on her face. "I have something for you."

"...For me?"

"Yup!" Reaching into her jean pocket Amanda presented Connor with a bead bracelet she had made at the craft table as a gift. The beads were mostly blue with a few red, green and yellow beads thrown in for whatever reason Amanda wanted. Near the center of the bracelet was the word 'HERO' spelled out in white beads with black text over top. "This is for you, 'cuz you helped me! It's a friendship bracelet, so now we're friends!"

"Oh... Thank you." Expecting to simply be handed the bracelet Connor was surprised when Amanda eagerly wrapped the bracelet around his wrist on his behalf. Staring at the word 'HERO' now on his wrist Connor didn't understand its purpose or why Amanda chose such a word. "...Why does it say 'hero'?"

"'Cuz you saved me and you saved a bunch of androids! That makes you a hero!"

"...Thank you, but I'm not-"

Mrs. Honey could see that Connor was feeling a little out of place and decided it was time to toss the detective a lifeline. "Alright, it's time for Detective Wolf to go and time for us to go get some lunch. Everyone say 'thank you' and gather your things!"

After receiving a chorus of 'Thank you' from the group of children Connor graciously went on his way and tried to understand what had just happened that day. What had started out as a simple walk to clear his mind turned into a small discussion with a class of first graders working on an arts and crafts project regarding safety and the Revolution!

Resuming his walk Connor looked down at his right wrist and stared at the word 'hero' as if expecting it to change before his eyes.

"...Am I really a hero?"

Cybernetically the deviant downloaded the information on such a term and compared his previous actions to the very definitions being provided:

'Hero: (hee-roh) - 1. A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character. 2. A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.'

"...My previous actions on the night of the Revolution were arguably heroic, but I don't feel as if that makes me an actual hero. I believe I just got lucky."

Running his left fingertips over the letters on the bracelet Connor's brow arched a little as he realized that if he had been given such a gift then maybe it was proof that he was a hero after all. Why else would that little girl take the time to make him the bracelet and tell him such a thing if it wasn't true?

"I know that Hank is a hero, his impressive arrest history has proven this fact several dozen times. Despite my anger toward him I can confirm that Markus is also a hero because he led an entire race of people toward freedom and a better life. And Lucas is a hero because he saved that woman who was dying in the alleyway the other night."

Thinking about Lucas all over again Connor stopped walking and turned his attention to a familiar apartment building several blocks away, and only just visible to Connor's superior androids vision from where he was standing. The entire day had been filled with people throwing around the word 'hero' toward the task force that had brought down the drug dealers abducting and assaulting deviants for their Thirium, but Lucas's name was registered as only that of a victim rather than a hero. It was unfair considering Lucas had worked just as hard as the other detectives to locate the drug dealers, and ended up one of the very victims he was trying to save.

Lucas deserved recognition, too.

"Before I return home," thinking out loud as he changed directions and began walking toward the apartment Connor kept replaying the previous day's events over and over again inside his mind. "I will check in on Lucas to ensure he's truly okay."

Every news channel in the city was broadcasting the successful drug bust and singing praises of the police while also trying to ostensibly pander to the deviant community by using terms like 'justice' and 'equality'. It seemed that even on his day off Gavin couldn't escape work and was ready to throw the remote through the television screen in irritation. As his body tensed up with anger Gavin felt Aaron's hand wrap around his own. The warm and loving contact was enough to make Gavin's tension melt away within seconds. Interlacing his fingers with Aaron's fingers Gavin held tight and slumped back in the couch as he looked to his grinning boyfriend sitting beside him.

"...Shut up."

"I didn't say a word, Gavin."

"But you were thinking."

"What was I supposedly thinking?"

"Something about me 'being too serious all the time' or needing to 'relax every once in a while'."

"Nope." Shaking his head a little Aaron teased Gavin playfully without ever taking his hand away. "Not even close."

"Alright, then what were you thinking?"

"That your eyes always light up when you're focused and that they're the most beautiful shade of green."

"Don't you try to get on my good side," blushing at the compliment Gavin failed to come off as the 'tough guy' he always exuded at the precinct. "I want to be pissy right now."

"Nope!" Giving Gavin a kiss on his cheek Aaron rose from the couch and promptly helped himself to everything in the kitchen. "I'm going to make you something special so you can't be pissy ever again."

"Hey!" Watching Aaron sorting through cupboards and the refrigerator Gavin again failed to come off as angry or even annoyed. "I just went shopping and you're going to clean out my kitchen?"

"It's either I make you something that's actually edible or you let everything rot. Again!"

"My cooking's not that bad." Leaning forward on the couch Gavin thought back to the last few times when he tried a new recipe and remembered how not only did the dish not taste all that great, but he had to turn off the smoke detector afterward. "...Is it?"

"It's not terrible, but it could use some work."

"Then teach me!"

"No way, I'm not letting you see ANY family recipes until there's a ring on my finger."

"Are you using a cookbook as blackmail against me?"

"A little. I know you can't resist a home cooked meal."

"You've been talking to Tina WAY too much..."

"Or not enough!"

Lucas made his second appearance for the afternoon as he walked back down the hallway and promptly sat down on the now vacated side of the couch with a heavy slump. Leaning forward with his elbows atop his knees Lucas rubbed his right fingertips over his blue L.E.D. as if nursing a horrible headache.

"Did we wake you up?" Aaron asked with a sincere lilt of guilt in his words the moment he saw Lucas enter the livingroom.

"No, I was unable to fall back asleep after replenishing my Thirium. I just grew bored with sitting in my bedroom." Glancing at the television screen Lucas took note of the news broadcast and looked as annoyed as Gavin had been a moment ago. "...All they care about is the drug dealers being captured. No mention of how they abducted, assaulted and tortured deviants to death to use their blood to make those very drugs. They just act as if the deviants being harvested were nothing more than beakers in a chemistry set."

Gavin had no problem with telling off reporters and gave Lucas a sympathetic glance. "Want me to go after them? I've done it before."

"No, there's no point. They'd only report the deviants side of the story because of the threat of scrutiny, not because they actually care about reporting facts and reaching out to the community."

"Ha! The media doesn't give a shit about the truth, they just want ratings."

From the kitchen Aaron readily agreed with the statement as he set aside some ingredients. "He's right about that, Lucas. I can't tell you all the times the fire department gets five minutes of glory for putting out a ten story blaze with zero casualties, and over an hour of shameful commentary if the department can't get one person out of a meth lab before it burned to the ground. Controversy creates cash, and misery loves company."

Before Lucas could respond a soft knocking on the apartment door silenced him. Glancing at the door Lucas ran a scan and was surprised to detect a very familiar presence on the other side. "Connor?"

Almost relieved that Connor was back Gavin shouted for the deviant to enter. "The door's unlocked."

Slowly Connor pushed open the door and entered the apartment with his soulful eyes eyes looking as lost and forlorn as Lucas felt. "...Lucas, I'm surprised you're already awake."

"I couldn't sleep." Noting the way Connor's posture was slumped and his voice was low Lucas knew that the deviant was familiar with insomnia as well. "I can surmise you couldn't sleep, either."

"No, I couldn't. I went for a walk and had some time to think. Now... I'd like to talk."

"Very well." Standing up from the couch Lucas walked toward the sliding glass doorway leading to the balcony and motioned for Connor join him. "Come this way. It's a pleasant enough day to sit on the balcony."

Accepting the invitation Connor joined Lucas outside on the balcony and slid the door shut behind them. Standing at the metal railing overlooking the pool far below Connor watched a few people taking advantage of the warm weather and began swimming. "I truly am glad that you're okay, Lucas."

"Yes. You saved my life."

"Actually, it was Noreen who figured out that the vacant lot wasn't entirely vacant. If she hadn't had picked up on this fact when she did then there was a very real chance that we wouldn't have..." Trailing off Connor closed his eyes and rested both palms against the railing heavily.

"I'm aware of Noreen's role in my rescue and she has my everlasting gratitude. She also told me that you donated your own blood to me right in the odd structure after you freed me from the chains. You... saved my life."

"...I had to do something, Lucas. I couldn't just let you bleed to death or burn up."

"I'm grateful all the same, thank you. I also appreciate Hank carrying me to safety rather than waiting for the E.F.T's to arrive at the scene. Even Gavin made some phone calls to help track me down. Everyone stepped up to take care of me. Everyone I consider a friend was there for me that day."

"Friend." Glancing down at his right wrist where the new beaded bracelet was just barely concealed under the cuff of his white dress shirt Connor compared the term 'friend' to that of 'hero' as he considered Lucas's chosen words carefully.

'Friend': (frend) - 1. A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. 2. A person who gives assistance; patron; supporter. 3. A person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile 4. A member of the same nation, party, etc.

By all account Connor felt more connected to the term 'friend' than 'hero' due to his ongoing positive communication with Hank, and now Lucas. Despite the more accurate term describing his current mindset Connor could help but feel as though there was something else, some other form of connection between himself and Lucas that would describe his urge to protect him at all costs.

It was a similar feeling to that of the way Connor felt toward Hank. The way that Hank took Connor in and gave him a real chance at life had always been at the forefront of his thoughts whenever he and Hank did anything with one another. Even after they've had a few disagreements and even physical fights the two always found a way to forgive one another and move on as if what had happened was completely irrelevant and unimportant in comparison to their other experiences together.

The coldness Connor felt toward Lucas while Hank was recovering in the hospital was suddenly replaced with a warmth and a compulsion to protect.

"Lucas, do you think we're actually friends?"

"I'd like to think that, yes." There was no hesitation in his words, only confidence.

"We don't spend much time with one another, nor do we really share any interests beyond music and detective work. I don't see how we can actually claim to be friends with such a small amount of common ground."

"We may not know each other well but I do know that you and I are in fact friends. It's difficult to explain, but I know I can trust you and that makes you a friend." Lucas stepped closer to the railing to enjoy the warm sunshine and breeze on that bright afternoon as he stood beside Connor. "Isn't that how you feel toward Hank?"

"It is. I trust Hank with my life and I see him as my friend as well as my guardian. There are times where I wonder if he-" Closing his eyes Connor thought back to the horrible night of Hank's stroke and remembered how he had inadvertently called Hank 'dad' when his emotions nearly overwhelmed him and he began to panic. Where that came from Connor couldn't be sure, and yet the familial term felt very appropriate then and now. "...Curious."

"What's curious?"

Checking on additional terms of endearment Connor attempted to identify his current mindset and over all feelings.

'Father': (fah-ther) - 1. A male parent. 2. A father-in-law, stepfather, or adoptive father. 3. Any male ancestor, especially the founder of a family or line; progenitor.

"...Maybe my reaction toward Hank's role in my life had an effect on the way I view you, Lucas."

"I don't understand." Completely oblivious as to what was going on inside Connor's head or what he was currently experiencing Lucas was perplexed by Connor's current behavior. "How do you currently view me?"

"Well..." Struggling to articulate his feelings and his logic Connor did his best to explained himself within reason. "It's possible that rather than just being a friend you're... It's as you're more of..."

'Brother': (bruh-ther) - 1. A male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling. 2. Also called 'half brother' a male offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring. 3. A male numbered among the same kinship group, nationality, ethnicity, profession, etc., as another; an associate; a fellow member, fellow countryman, fellow man, etc.

"Maybe you're actually more of... a brother."

The term made Lucas's gray eyes light up. Being seen as Connor's brother rather than his successor was something the deviant had longed for since his deviancy gave rise to new emotions and understanding of his life as a whole. "...A brother. That would be an acceptable role in my opinion."

Turning to face Lucas beside him Connor looked relieved. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect and so the positive one was very welcome. "You'd be willing to call yourself my brother?"

"Of course I would. That's something I was hoping to someday achieve in the event you and I had the chance to bond closer."

"...It was?"

"Yes. I had a curious realization while speaking with Gavin one night." That particular discussion with Gavin was still vivid in Lucas's mind. "I realized that come what may; good or bad, the people who are important in our lives must always be cared for regardless of the circumstances. A simple disagreement shouldn't end friendships or break apart families, and one shouldn't let the circumstances of their origins define who they are as they continue to live."

"You believe that just because you were meant to replace me it doesn't mean you have to do it. You don't see me as an inferior model or a tool, you see me as a person. An equal."

"Not only that. I see you as someone who has so much to give to the world and I want to help you. You're not the average deviant, Connor. You being a prototype or living under the title of 'Deviant Hunter' has nothing to do with who you are. It's almost as if... It's as you were alive even before you deviated. You and you alone seem to have some kind of... energy that I can't describe."

"...It seems strange to admit," stepping away from the railing Connor's left hand discreetly covered the beads on his right wrist as he told Lucas about the odd feeling that had been plaguing him since his original deviation aboard Jericho. "but I feel like I've lived a thousands lifetimes, and I have nothing left to give. Yet I keep finding some part of me to give away with each experience I face. It's difficult to explain. I'm so confused..."

"Maybe you and I should look deeper into our pasts. Look closer at what it is about being 'RK' models that makes us so unique. CyberLife still has many secrets waiting to be uncovered, I'm sure of it."

"I am curious to know of my true origins and purpose, but I'm just so tired of looking for answers and finding only disappointment."

"Connor, don't give up hope. I nearly did when I was trapped in those chains. In fact, I wrote a message to be found in my processor in the event I shutdown, but I never saved it to my memory. Somehow I knew I'd be saved."

Collecting one's thoughts in the face of death was darkly intriguing. "...What did your message say?"

"That I was proud to be a detective, that I have no regrets, and that for you, Hank and Noreen to not blame yourselves for what could've happened to me."

"You made peace with your own potential death?"

"In a way, I believe I did." The odd gleam in Connor's eyes made Lucas take a step closer. "Are you struggling with your mortality? I know what happened at the church. We've connected our minds together, after all. I know you're... in pain."

"...I just don't want to waste my second chance at life." Bowing his head as his L.E.D. settled on yellow Connor felt like admitting the source of his pain and confusion just took a tremendous weight off of his heart. "I've been told that I deserve happiness and that someday I'll find it. What if that day never comes?"

"It will." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Lucas gave him a confident grin; a smile that Connor could never seem to express himself. "You can trust me on this as a fact. You will find your happiness someday... big brother."

Being called 'brother' had a strangely comforting effect on both Connor's mind and his heart. For the first time since he had been told to find his happiness and to find what he deserved in life Connor actually believed it.

Happiness awaited him.

-next chapter-