The following morning Connor actively had his badge updated to reflect his new name and made sure the placard on his desk was changed as well. Being the second Detective Anderson to grace the Central Precinct was quite the honor for the deviant, as he went about his usual routine as if nothing had happened. Sitting down at his desk with his new name on proudly display Connor was acting as if his adoption and legal name change was just as common as a passing Tuesday. The way Connor could just adapt and move on with the changes in his life and overcome every single obstacle that came his way was impressive to say the least.

For Hank it was a little different. He was actually in a good mood and wasn't complaining about the foul weather that was slowly suffocating the city under an increasingly heavy layer of cold. Sipping at his coffee Hank began filing away his reports and didn't bat an eye when Captain Fowler handed him a tablet with a new assignment ready to go before he even had the chance to file his first report.

It didn't take Ben long to notice that Hank wasn't complaining about the weather or work, and as he was about to ask about the sudden shift in Hank's demeanor he caught sight of Connor's new name and actually chuckled a little. It wasn't exactly surprising to see that Connor's name had been changed to that of 'Anderson', but the timing of the name change was a bit of surprise.

"Another Anderson graces the bullpen." Ben said in passing as he made his way into the breakroom with a bit of pep in his step. "Good thing, too."

Connor heard the comment but was unsure of what to say or how to react.

"Nothing gets by you, Ben." Hank's reply was curt but not hostile as he sipped at his coffee and handed the tablet over to Connor to take. "We gotta' deviant case to handle. What do you think?"

Accepting the tablet Connor read over the details and his posture slouched where he sat. "I think it's a hate crime."

"Yup. Two deviants minding their own business at the train station were assaulted and nearly killed by a group of teenagers armed with baseball bats. The assault happened at seven-seventeen this morning, and two good Samaritans called for help when they came across their bloody bodies at the bottom of the escalator."

"The two victims confirm that they saw their attackers' faces and they can give us a full description." Putting the tablet down on his desk Connor's right hand twitched for a moment as he sought his coin tucked safely in his vest's right pocket. "We need to interview them at the facility."

"Why can't they come here?"

"The damage to the first victim left him without a functioning right leg." Relaying the information being provided through his cybernetic interface with the victims' technical files, Connor's L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a moment. "The second victim had their left eye destroyed, and is refusing to leave the facility until he receives a replacement."

"Ah, shit. Sounds like they really were beaten nearly to death."

"That's a very accurate statement."

"Okay, let's go talk to the victims at the facility and see if we can get them some justice."

"Sounds good to me." Rising to his feet just as Hank did the same Connor returned his coin to his pocket as they crossed the floor. "The victims are currently resting at the Zeta Facility."

"Right. I'll drive."

Taking their leave of the bullpen Connor noticed that Gavin was staring at his phone and of the sonogram of the unborn baby daughter he was going to adopt in February. The way he was staring at the phone screen was indicative of someone who was truly enthusiastic about an impending change, and internally Connor wondered what the baby's name was going to be considering Gavin and Aaron didn't change their surnames after being married.

"What about..." Tina turned from left to right very slowly in her swiveling chair as she nonchalantly twirled a blue ink pen between her right index and middle fingers. "Crystal?"

"No way."

"Why not? That's a pretty name for a pretty little baby!"

"Do you know how many strippers and hookers I've interrogated that were named 'Crystal'?" Gavin refuted as he pulled out a list of possible names from the top right drawer of his desk. The list was massive and many of the names had already been crossed out. "And 'Amber', and 'Chardonnay' and 'Cinnamon', and 'Star', and 'Destiny', and 'Twinkle'..."

"To be fair, if you named your daughter 'Chardonnay' or 'Twinkle' you would've been personally responsible for putting her up on that pole."

"Exactly!"

"'Cinnamon' is a good name for a kitten, though."

"Sorry, we already named her 'Gizmo'." Referring to the final kitten that he and Aaron kept from Lucky's litter, Gavin gave his partner a smug look. "And no, we're not naming the baby anything trendy like that."

"Well, 'Sophia' is a nice name, too."

"That's an old lady name!"

"She'll be an old lady eventually!"

"No. Way."

"Gertrude, then."

"Stop trying to piss me off."

Chris overheard the conversation as he walked over to his desk and grabbed his jacket to keep warm during his patrol. "Keep away from the name 'Renee'. Me and Julia call dibs and our baby is going to be born before your baby."

"Hey! It's not a race AND you can't call dibs on names."

"Just did!"

"That doesn't mean it's valid!"

"Does too."

"No, it- Ben!" Spotting the senior detective walking back to his own desk with one doughnut in his mouth, a second doughnut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand, Gavin asked for back-up. "You can't call dibs on baby names, right?"

"Can too." Sitting down behind his desk Ben flashed the detective a coy grin. "Remember how Wilson threatened to sabotage the breakroom snacks if anyone took the name 'Jason'? He wasn't joking, either."

Growing frustrated Gavin refused to accept that as an enforceable fact. "Threats and dibs don't count!"

Sipping at his coffee Ben gave Gavin a simple nod and returned his attention to his terminal. "Do too."

"Son of- Shit! This is so hard..." Running his fingers through his hair as Chris walked away triumphantly and chuckling to himself Gavin sighed, and began texting Aaron to see if his husband thought of anymore names while he was at work. "We have the middle name picked, but not the first!"

"Really?" Tina was intrigued and needed to know what name had been chosen. "What it is?"

"...Kimberly." He sounded so somber as he spoke the name. "After my late kid sister."

Smiling kindly Tina approved of such a sweet gesture. "Kimberly is a perfect name. If anything you can just call her by her middle name if you can't find a first name you fall in love with."

Looking up from his phone Gavin's eyebrows raised inquisitively as he stared at Tina around his terminal screen. "Yeah?"

"Sure. It happens all the time."

Contemplating the suggestion Gavin suddenly relaxed where he sat and he just stared at the names already written down on his list. "Yeah, okay. Kimberly is a go, so it's no big deal."

Smelling her chance to cause trouble again Tina leaned forward against her desk and casually traced her pen in a circle over top her pad of purple sticky notes by her keyboard. "So... Did you pick the color for the baby's room yet?"

"Don't get me started again, Ti'!" Tensing right back up Gavin let out a deep sigh and proceeded to check his phone for an update from Aaron. "I'll put you on diaper duty until she's ready to be potty-trained if you keep it up!"

Arriving at the Zeta Facility just in time to see a layer of salt being spread over the icy cold blacktop Hank shook his head and made a mental note to stock up on salt to keep his own sidewalk and front walkway from freezing over any time soon. In Michigan winter didn't arrive on a schedule, it arrived whenever it damn well pleased and it stuck around well past its very faint welcome. Parking the Oldsmobile a few spaces away from the facility's entrance Hank opened up his door and watched as Connor did the same from the passenger side of the vehicle to head toward the android hospital.

It wasn't the first time that they had been to the Zeta Facility, but fortunately their visit was to interview victims and not check on Connor or Lucas after being damaged in the line of duty. Patting his right hand along Connor's left shoulder Hank motioned for the front entrance casually.

"There are two victims." Connor stated as he confirmed their current assignment. "And they're both recovering from significant damage."

"You take the lead on this, Sergeant Anderson."

Connor felt an odd swelling of pride fill his Thirium pump as he and Hank walked toward the entrance side by side. "I'll do my best, Lieutenant Anderson."

Smirking at the retort Hank trailed a pace behind Connor as the deviant took the lead on the interviews, and walked into the facility doors with his his head held high. Approaching the receptionist desk Connor asked Barry about the victims and had been directed to the correct recovery rooms to speak with the deviants as they healed.

The corridor leading to the back of the facility was quiet and smelled of astringent. The lack of activity was a good thing as it meant the day had been otherwise calm and uneventful.

"They're in here and in here." Approaching the first door Connor motioned to victim one, and then pointed to the door directly behind him to indicate where the second victim was resting. Pressing his right fingertips to the glowing L.E.D. in his right temple Connor looked to Hank and hovered his exposed left palm over the door's access panel as he spoke. "It'd be best if we spoke to them together. They may not be very receptive to a human asking them questions."

"Right. Lead on, kid."

Nodding his head Connor opened the door with a sliding 'hiss' and entered the first victim's room. The deviant, a male 'WR-400' with mocha brown skin, chocolate brown eyes and short cut raven black hair, was resting in the recovery bed with his right leg from the knee down completely removed. The limb was so badly damaged it needed to be replaced entirely as it was beyond repair. His face was dark blue with swollen bruises and covered in small cuts. The right side of his cranium had a small dent from being struck so hard with one of the aluminum baseball bat, his right shoulder had been dislocated and the upper right portion of his chest had been fractured by repeated strikes.

Sensing his visitor's entering the room the deviant turned his head to look at the detective duo, and his Thirium pump began to race in panic. The attached Thirial activity monitor screeched in response to his elevated vital signs but didn't reach a critical level.

"Diego." Speaking with the victim in a soft tone Connor showed the victim his badge and stood beside the bed. "We're here to handle your case. I'm Sergeant Anderson and this is my partner," using his thumb to point to Hank over his right shoulder Connor finished the introductions. "and this is Lieutenant Anderson. Can you please tell us what happened?"

Diego's eyes widened as he recognized Connor and his Thirium pump raced even faster. "...You're the 'Deviant Hunter'."

"No, my name is Connor." Responding quickly Connor refused to acknowledge such a title much to Hank's relief. "I'm a detective who specializes in deviant related cases. We're both here to help you."

"You can't help me." Diego sounded as broken as he looked. "It's over, they'll get away with this like they always do."

"No, they won't. You saw their faces and I can track them down."

"The police don't care ab-"

"Wrong. I am a part of the police." Connor reassured in a stern tone as he stood beside the bed and extended his left hand out toward Diego. "We will find the people who assaulted you and your friend. I promise."

"...What difference would it make?" Hesitant to cooperate with Connor simply because of a heavy doubt pressing down on his shoulders Diego looked away from the deviant detective beside him. "You might arrest a couple of violent teenagers, but five times as many will still be wandering the streets."

"Because even if one or two violent people are locked up, even for a day, it helps make the city a little safer and it gives our people more recognition as equals who deserve justice." Retracting the artificial skin from his left palm Connor insisted that Diego give him the information. "Please. Even if you don't believe that this will make a difference, you need to try. Do it for the other deviants who never had the chance to identify their attackers and get justice."

Diego looked back at Connor, his tired and blue bloodshot eyes seeking confirmation from the detective as if he dared to hope, and slowly he offered Connor his left hand. Retracting his own artificial skin Diego granted Connor access to his memories and let Connor witness the assault that he had survived through his own eyes and ears. The brutality of the memory was enough to cause a single Thirium stained tear to roll down Diego's cheek and disappear into the fabric of the green scrub top he was wearing.

Processing the information, detailing each face, voice, scar, clothing article and the other identifying features of the violent teenagers, Connor was able to create an A.P.B. for the group. The six teenagers would all be brought in, questioned and charged with their crimes soon. The way the group singled out Diego and the second victim, another 'WR-400' android, and attacked them without provocation would ultimately lead to a lengthy stay in juvenile hall, if not jail.

"...Thank you for your cooperation." Connor sounded suddenly dour as Diego let go of his hand. "Get some rest. I'll go and speak to your friend now."

"Yeah, sure."

Turning around Connor gave Hank a simple nod as they both left the room, crossed the hallway and checked on the second victim. As the door slid open with an identical 'hiss' Connor took notice of Abby examining the second victim's left eye after she gave him a replacement optical unit. The second victim looked worse than the first.

Adrian was barely conscious and sporting numerous breaks to both of his arms after he tried to defend himself from the powerful swings of the baseball bats, and his upper chest and face were swollen from the blunt force trauma he had suffered. With white bandages wrapped around his head and arms Adrian looked more like he had been in a car accident rather than beaten by a group of angry teenagers.

Approaching the bed hesitantly Connor looked to Abby for confirmation to continue walking forward before he did anything else.

"Does your eye hurt?" Abby asked in a low voice as to not give Adrian a headache. "It's responding well, but I know it has to be sore."

"...A little."

"I can give you some Thiricetomal to make the pain more bearable while your self healing program repairs the damage around your eye. I wish I knew how to deactivate the enhanced external pain receptors with that new update, but I can't do that without removing all of the update features at once."

"...It's okay, I-I understand."

"The police are here to interview you." Injecting the painkiller into the external Thirium line running into Adrian's left arm Abby let her patient know what was happening around him. "Do you want to talk to them?"

"...Wh-What are they going to d-do about it?" His voice was shaking and staticy from the damage he suffered from the ruthless beating. "M-Me and Diego were attacked by h-h-humans, they won't care."

"Not these two. They work in the deviant division and they've helped so many other deviants in the past I know they'll help you, too." Speaking sweetly Abby tried to get Adrian to find his voice and talk to the police. "Let them at least try to help you. They'll listen."

Adrian took in a pained breath as he turned to look at Connor and Hank waiting for his approval. The wounded deviant stared at the two detectives with clear fear in his blue eyes. The faint blue Thirium stains in his blond hair was only just beginning to evaporate as his cranial wounds healed, and his pale skin was all the paler thanks to his low Thirium pressure causing his artificial skin to thin out enough to make the white plastimetal frame somewhat visible under the layer. Afraid to speak up thanks to his time in the 'Eden Club' Adrian was mistrustful of just about anyone with any form of authority.

"My name is Sergeant Connor Anderson." Connor introduced himself properly and made sure to keep his head tilted slightly to the left side to make sure the L.E.D. glowing in his right temple was easily visible. "This is my partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson. We're here to get your statement."

"...T-Talk to Diego."

"We already have. I saw the six teenagers who assaulted you through his eyes and I heard the horrible words they called you."

"...Then why d-d-do you need me?"

"Because you're a victim, too. You deserve your chance to speak up and plead your case." Offering Adrian his left hand Connor waited for the second victim to accept his offer and deliver his statement. "If you both speak up you're not only helping yourselves, but you're going to give the other deviants in the city the courage to speak up as well."

Despite his reluctance to say or do anything Adrian couldn't let Diego take on the full responsibility of talking to the police. He needed to speak up and let his voice be heard. "...O-Okay. I'll sh-show you."

Taking a weak and shaking grip on Connor's hand Adrian gave Connor access to his memories of the assault just as Diego had done. With the information transferred over and shared Adrian pull his hand back quickly, and tightened his hand into a tight fist of disgust at his side.

"Thank you, Adrian." Letting his hand to drop to his side Connor replaced the artificial skin in a single smooth tide of energy. "This will aid the investigation greatly."

"...J-Just go. I w-w-want to be alone."

"Very well. Get some rest."

Quietly exiting the room with Hank at his side Connor cybernetically uploaded the two deviant statements and memories to ensure that the correct teenagers were brought in for questioning. The two identical statements and two visual records would ensure there was no mistaken identity when the police began their patrol for their suspects.

"Six teenagers nearly killed two deviants." Connor whispered as he and Hank stood in the hallway between the two recovery rooms. Seeking some form of isolation the duo stayed where no one could hear them as they discussed their case at hand. "They were between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Why would they do something so vulgar?"

"I don't know." Hank extended his arms out at his sides in a dramatic show of lost answers. "Saying teenagers do stupid shit is an insulting oversimplification and a piss poor excuse for human behavior."

"They could be charged as adults if the prosecution sees fit. Their futures will be destroyed because of a misplaced hatred for deviants."

"Son, it's not your problem to worry about how the court handles the case." Raising his eyebrows as he spoke Hank made it clear that he wasn't going to let the deviant hold himself accountable for teenagers who were raised improperly by their parents. "You just focus on making sure Diego and Adrian get their justice and nothing more."

"...I suppose you're right."

The door to Adrian's room slid open with another 'hiss' as Abby stepped into the hallway as well. The normally upbeat woman's demeanor was dour and she had dark purple circles forming under her hazel eyes from chronic exhaustion and sleeplessness. Walking toward the two detectives Abby ran her right fingers through her somewhat messy brunette hair and used her left hand to catching an escaping yawn.

"You're exhausted." Connor noted just by Abby's appearance alone. There was no biometric scan necessary. "You've been suffering from chronic insomnia."

"Yup." Admitting her lack of sleep Abby sighed and put her hands to her hips as she stood before the two detectives. "It's surprisingly hard to sleep when every little sound makes you jump out of your bed."

"Perhaps you should go back to a hotel for a few days so you can sleep properly."

"No way. I don't want to live in fear of my own house." Yawning yet again Abby looked ready to drop where she was standing. "I'll be fine, and so will the deviants who were attacked this morning."

"Please keep us updated their recoveries." Despite his concern for Abby's current state of exhaustion Connor didn't want to push the insomnia matter any further. That was something Abby would have to deal with on her own at a later time. "We will be returning to the precinct."

"Sure, no problem. And if you can get away with it, smack the ring-leader upside the head for being so damn stupid! They ruined my morning and gave way too much paperwork to file."

"...No promises."

Hank patted Connor's shoulder again as he motioned for the facility's entrance door behind them. "Let's go deal with those reports while patrol goes and picks up our local idiots. If we time things just right we can go on break right after we're done."

"Yes, of course." Glancing back at Abby for a moment as she slowly turned around to take a break for herself Connor couldn't help but worry about the tired technician. She had gone through so much in a small amount of time and now she was all alone. "I'm right behind you, Hank."

Smirking to himself Lucas cybernetically kept track of the ongoing discussion about his unborn goddaughter's name, and politely asked for Tina to give poor Gavin a break. She of course declined such a simple request. Doing his best to actually help his friend rather than just stoke the flames, Lucas began searching through potential names and what each name meant, to try to inspire Gavin and Aaron to find the perfect name for their daughter. Having never named anything before, not even one of the kittens, Lucas was a little out of his game with trying to help his friends choose a name for their baby girl.

From her own desk Noreen chipped in with a few names of her own and let Lucas relay the suggestions to his friends on her behalf. She had helped her own kid brother name his twins, so she had some experience in the naming babies department, but also didn't know Lucas or Aaron well enough to get directly involved.

"It seems Gavin and Aaron are still struggling with the first name despite all of the suggestions they've been given." Lucas admitted as he and Noreen took their lunchbreak in their precinct's breakroom. "In a way I'm glad I don't have to name a child."

"Yeah, names are a pretty big deal." Popping a strawberry into her mouth Noreen watched as Lucas checked over the Thirium-based pasta he had decided to try that day. He had stirred it around in the container without actually tasting it. "I got my name because my dad wanted to name his firstborn after himself, and because 'Noreen' means 'light and honor'."

"Interesting." Lucas noted as he waited for an update on the cybernetic discussion. "'Lucas' also means 'light'."

"It's like we were drawn together."

"Maybe. 'Caleb' means means 'faithful' and 'bold'."

"That's your middle name, right?"

"Yes. Hank gave me a proper middle name and chose Caleb after his father... Arguably my adoptive grandfather."

"That's sweet. My middle name is 'Maria'. I'm named after my maternal grandmother."

"I do know that the baby's middle name will be to honor Gavin's younger sister, so maybe they should choose her first name to honor someone on Aaron's side of the family."

"You may have just given them the answer they need." Liking the idea Noreen finished off her fruit and then stirred her bottled ice tea with a straw. "Tell Gavin that since he got to pick the middle name then Aaron gets to pick the first name, BUT they both have to agree on it. That way they won't end up fighting."

"That sounds like an ideal compromise." Sending the suggestion to Gavin and Aaron's phones Lucas decided to focus on other things regarding the baby. "What should I do for the baby once she's born?"

"Well, as the godfather you're already going to be a babysitter on call, so you should stock up on toys and books to keep the baby entertained. Also, go buy a bunch of diapers so Gavin and Aaron don't get caught off guard."

"Yes, good idea. I know Aaron is going to take the six week paternity leave first to bond with the baby, and then Gavin will take his paternity leave when Aaron's leave ends so he can do the same. It will make things easier if they have a stock of supplies on top of their own supplies."

"Sounds like they got everything planned out and ready to go."

"They do."

"Are you ready to be a godfather?"

"I think so. I don't know what it's like to be around children, but if they trust me enough to make me the baby's godfather then I should be able to handle it. If I can't I'll ask Hank for advice."

"And that confidence," Noreen noted as she sipped at her tea. "is why they chose you. So, how's your pasta?"

Lucas had been absentmindedly twirling his plastic fork in the pale blue pasta dish but still hadn't tasted it. "...Don't know."

"Then maybe stop thinking about baby names and focus on your lunch." Teasing Lucas lightly Noreen watched as Lucas finally picked up his fork to taste the new dish. "I don't want to deal with a 'hangry' partner today."

Working through his lunchbreak to ensure the deviant victims received their justice Connor danced his coin over his right knuckles, and cybernetically chronicled every little detail that was relevant to the case at hand. The six teenagers were all brought in one at a time to be questioned and as expected the parents arrived to defend their kids. It was only when the parents were shown the beatings through the eyes of the victims, only when they saw the hate burning in their kids' eyes and the foul words they were shouting, did most of the parents back off and stop defending their child. Only one parent, a lawyer, tried to argue that it was a witch-hunt but none of the other parents were going to back up such a bogus claim.

The way the six teenagers were being held accountable for their acts of violence, not vandalism, was a sign that the rights and laws designed to protect deviants were being upheld. The deviant victims were going to get justice.

"Kid, take a break." Grabbing onto the coin Hank urged Connor to stop obsessing on the case for a while. "Everything is under control."

"I know."

"Then relax. Don't stress yourself out."

"I can handle my stress." Leaning back in his chair Connor gave Hank a blank stare as he thought about visiting Skye later. "I'll be fine."

"Sure hope so. This winter is going to be nasty and I don't want either of us to get worked into the ground."

Tapping into the Doppler radar Connor noted the impending foul weather coming their way. "We should stock up on supplies."

"Yup. I'm getting salt for the front walk and driveway tonight. Maybe even grab some stuff for Thanksgiving dinner..."

The idea of Hank doing something for that particular holiday was a little unexpected. "Oh?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since I made a giant meal on that particular day, and I kinda' miss it. We should grab some stuff and look into a few Thirium recipes for you and Lucas to try this year."

"That'd be interesting... Thank you."

"Cool. We'll get stuff for ourselves and then we'll be sure to get another large bag of dog-chow for Sumo. It's a hell of a lot easier to heft around those giant bags around without ice underfoot."

"Agreed. I'll help you with the shopping tonight."

"Thanks, son. Much appreciated."

With the case handled properly and the late evening shopping finished, Connor returned to the house through the backdoor with Sumo right at his side. The Saint Bernard shook off his fur and checked out his bowls a few feet away, while Hank pulled a slice of pizza out of the steaming hot box on the kitchen table. Getting something hot and greasy was a small blessing for the senior detective as the impending cold air always put him in a foul mood. Having his dinner ready courtesy of take-out Hank carried a plate loaded with pizza and a bottle of soda into the livingroom to sit down, and watch the Gears game just starting on the television.

Using a towel from the nearby laundry room Connor dried off Sumo's damp fur and then tossed the towel into the washer to be cleaned with the next laundry load. Entering the livingroom as well Connor sat down on the couch beside Hank and began focusing on the game for a while. It was nice to get lost in something as mundane and harmless as a basketball game after a mentally taxing day like he just endured.

"Thanksgiving's in a few days." Hank suddenly stated. "Odds are me, you and Lucas will all have to work on that day since, you know, we're cops." Taking a sip of his soda Hank leaned back in the couch cushions and sighed. "We should have our Thanksgiving on whatever day we all have off together, either just before or after that particular date."

"That sounds good to me."

"Maybe we could bring in a few people who don't have anywhere to be this year, too."

"Huh?"

"Not everyone has a family to celebrate with, son. Before Chris got married Ben took him in for his first Thanksgiving without his parents or siblings, and Jeffrey managed to put up with Gavin for a couple years until the prick's pride kept him from accepting the invitation anymore."

"I see. Are you talking about Skye and Noreen?"

"Them, and why not Abby? She's had a pretty shitty few weeks and I don't want her to get so jaded by all the stupid shit that happens in this city that she closes herself off."

"I'll inform Lucas of the invitation being extended toward Noreen, and I'll ask Skye and Abby if they want to join us."

"Cool."

Cybernetically Connor sent out the message to Skye and was given the unfortunate news that she'd be busy with court cases every day for the remaining weeks of November, and right into the beginning of December. Turns out the new laws and the lack of nominees for new mayor was causing controlled chaos in the courthouse as of the moment. "...Skye won't be able to make it. She has many cases to handle."

"Shit. Well, let her know if she miraculously manages to get time off then she's welcome here all the same."

"I will do so."

"What about Abby?"

"I sent her a text but she-" Pausing for a moment Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow as Abby replied to his text rather quickly. "Damn."

"She gotta' work, too?"

"It's not about that." Leaning forward with his elbows against his knees Connor sighed and looked up at Hank for his advice. "She said she's afraid to go inside her own house, and wants to know if it's ridiculous to ask the police to check out her property."

"Never. Especially after her house was actually broken into by some psycho with a gun." Tilting his head a little Hank let out his own sigh and motioned to the car keys sitting on the bookshelf behind them with a point of his thumb over his shoulder. "Go and check out the place yourself. It'll give her a peace of mind."

"Then what do I do?"

"You've played bodyguard with her before, do it again. If she's developing P.T.S.D. after what she went through then she's going to need a friend to rely on until she can begin to overcome her fears."

"Right." Standing up from the couch Connor grabbed the car keys from the bookshelf and made his way toward the front door. "If she wants me to stay-"

"Then you'll stay." Hank had no problem with the deviant being out all night. "You're free to make your own decisions and no one can tell you that you're wrong about any of them. Just make sure Abby is going to be okay, that's what's important right now."

Without any judgment toward Abby in any capacity Connor thoroughly checked over her house's property, inside and out. Checking the front yard, the small backyard, the two side yards, the garage door, front door, backdoor and the ground floor windows thoroughly, Connor saw no sign of tampering whatsoever. Waving Abby over from where she had parked on the street just a few yards from her house Connor stood beside her front door to wait for her. After pulling her car into the driveway Abby opened the garage door, waited for Connor to check it out, then pulled her car into the garage to be locked up.

Connor continued to watch everything happening very carefully as Abby locked up her car and the garage door before rushing to the front door. Her frantic breathing was visible in the air as massive white, misty clouds were disappearing as quickly as they were appearing. Watching her shaking hands fumbling with her keys to unlock the front door Connor put his right hand to Abby's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"...Sorry."

"Don't be sorry for being nervous. It's understandable."

Finding the lock with the key at last Abby pushed the door open and stepped inside quickly and pressed her back to the nearby wall so Connor could follow her inside the livingroom. Flipping on the lights with the switch beside her Abby didn't move while Connor checked every room, closet and second floor window for any sign of potential sabotage.

"...Connor?" Having watched the deviant walk up the staircase to the second floor Abby waited for the deviant's return and locked her front door. "...I know nothing happened to you, but please talk to me so I don't imagine that something horrible did somehow happen to you 'Final Destination' style!"

"I'm fine." Shouting his answer Connor finished checking over the other rooms of the house and then walked to the middle of the staircase to lean over the banister and speak to Abby without needing to yell to communicate. "Your house is secure."

Letting out a sigh of relief Abby leaned back against the wall and closed her heavy, tired eyes. "...I don't feel secure."

"It's also understandable." Walking back to the livingroom Connor stood before Abby and waited for her to speak again. "It's hard to let go of fear."

"But it's possible, right?"

"Right, of course it is."

"Connor," looking to the deviant with tears in her eyes Abby was clearly losing control and about to break down emotionally. "please don't go tonight."

"I won't go anywhere."

"I feel so foolish! It's like I'm a scared little kid and asking for someone to chase away the imaginary monster in my closet!"

"Abby, you were attacked by a monster. You didn't imagine it."

"How am I supposed to get over this? I'm afraid of my own damn house!"

"You could potentially find a new house."

"I can't afford to move again." Putting her hands to her face Abby breathed through her fingers with a deep sigh. "And I don't want to live out of a hotel."

Putting his right hand to Abby's left shoulder in a comforting way Connor coaxed her away from the wall and toward the staircase. She desperately needed to get some proper sleep for the night. "You could stay with a friend for a while."

"I hate to break it to you," she mumbled as she tripped a little as she walked up the wooden staircase with Connor guiding his every step. "but you and Skye are my only friends in this whole city."

"Stay with Skye. She cares about your and her loft is-"

"I don't want to hide from my problems." Reaching the top of the staircase Abby finally let her frustrated tears flow down her face and she entered her bedroom at the end f the hallway before throwing her purse and coat on the floor. "I love Skye like a little sister, but I can't just hide behind her whenever shit gets too tough."

"You're not hiding, you're seeking support."

"And I'm a technician. I should be the one-"

"Abby," directing her over to her bed Connor made her sit down and then sat down beside her. "you're saying the same things I would say about myself as a detective. Hank has helped me realize that just because I'm a detective doesn't mean it's impossible for me to also be a victim... even a criminal. As a technician you're allowed to feel broken and ask other people for help to feel better."

Letting out a short and relieved sob Abby leaned against Connor's right side as he actually managed to get through to her in some way. "...I know. And I know I need help."

"Then let me help you."

"How? I'm afraid to even go to sleep!"

"Then I'll stay here with you again. I don't mind."

"For how long? I can't ask you to sleep on my couch forever."

"I'll stay with you for as long as it takes for you to sleep and feel safe again."

"What if I never feel safe?"

Slowly wrapping his right arm around Abby's shoulders Connor pulled her in closer to make her feel safe at least physically. "I'll still be here to help you."

Leaning even closer against the deviant Abby pressed her right ear to his chest and listed to his calmly beating heart. Him being calm was keeping her calm even as her mind raced with exhausting paranoia. "Thank you for being here."

"You're welcome."

Moving her left arm Abby instinctively embraced Connor fully and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Something about his presence was very reassuring and almost soothing.

Returning the hug Connor held Abby close, and let her press up against him as her exhaustion wore her down to her bones.

"Connor?"

"Yes?"

"How come when I've kissed you in the past you never freaked out?"

"I had no reason to have such a strong reaction to a kiss."

Looking up at him Abby blinked her tired hazel eyes and leaned even closer against him. "...Did you like it?"

Feeling his heart skip a beat at the unexpected question Connor looked down at Abby as he continued to hold her in his arms. "...Yes." Admitting how he felt made Connor's brown eyes light up. "I liked it."

Locking onto his soulful brown eyes Abby shifted her weight and slowly cupped her right palm to his left cheek. Leaning in a little Abby dared herself to go in for a kiss and was surprised to have the affectionate gesture immediately reciprocated. As her lips met his Abby suddenly wrapped her hands around his shoulders to pull him in closer and didn't even flinch when Connor pressed his hands to her middle back and hip.

Breaking the kiss for a moment Abby looked Connor in the eyes and thought about what they were about to do very carefully. "Is this wrong?"

Whispering in response, Connor too thought about what was happening. "No. This feels... right."

"Good answer." Unbuttoning her blue blouse Abby grabbed onto Connor's black hoodie and quickly pulled it off over his head, then did the same for his black t-shirt. Feeling Connor's hands reach around her back to get to the clasp of her black bra Abby leaned in and kissed him again as she let him gently lay her down on her back on the bed. "I've been waiting for this for far too long..."

-next chapter-