The following morning was contrastingly warm in comparison to what the normal November weather would typically be. Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor felt a warm body pressed against his side and he could feel his right arm wrapped around the body as they slept peacefully beside him. Remembering that he had stayed the night with Abby and that the had been intimate, Connor looked at the sleeping technician and didn't move a synthetic muscle. She was finally sleeping and based on his observations of her physical reactions she was deep in R.E.M. sleep, and getting the rest she so desperately needed.

Lightly Connor used his right fingers to comb through Abby's loose locks of long brunette hair running down her back, while otherwise remaining perfectly still on the bed. With only the white sheet and blue comforter to keep their nude bodies covered Connor just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the beautiful morning.

There was no issue needing to be handled in that moment. No case that needed to be solved, no deviant needing technical assistance and no emergency call needing to be answered.

In that moment there was nothing that could disturb the peace between the two very good friends.

In his now single person apartment Lucas awoke at his usual time and was greeted by Lucky as she laid on the foot of his bed waiting for him to wake up. Ever since the kittens had been rehomed Lucky had been essentially stalking Lucas everywhere he went in the apartment, and was always in the same room he was in. It was as if she was depressed and didn't want to be alone. The kind deviant understood that sense of loneliness, and sympathized with the fluffy kitty entirely. Unfortunately that day Lucky needed to go to the vet and that meant she couldn't spend her whole day cuddling with her deviant master.

Confirming the time for the veterinary appointment through cybernetic relays Lucas proceeded to climb out of bed to get dressed, and to find the pet carrier to transport Lucky around. The poor cat was starving but as per the vet's instructions she wasn't allowed to eat anything in the twenty-four hours prior to her appointment.

"I'm sorry, Lucky."

Rubbing her ears Lucas went about his business and knew that Lucky would follow him down the hallway in search of food.

"I know you're hungry. But you cannot eat yet."

Sitting down on the couch as he put on his shoes Lucas smirked as the cat rubbed against his shins and mewed in search of some food.

"I'll be sure to give you some extra food tonight, and a few treats."

Petting her ears again Lucas looked around the empty apartment and sighed in such a way it actually echoed off the walls.

"It's just not the same without Gavin or your kittens around, is it?"

Lucky hopped up onto Lucas's lap and purred loudly as he ran his hand down her back.

"Maybe I should look for a roommate or find a new place to live? This place is too big for just one person."

Mewing again Lucky gave her deviant master an affectionate stare.

"Correction. One person and one cat."

Back at the house Hank awoke with a small 'crack' in his back as he rolled from his side and onto his back to stretch out for a minute. Having indulged on the pizza and soda the night before after Connor took his leave Hank was quickly regretting that decision as his stomach ached, and his breath carried the lingering aroma of garlic. Climbing out of the bed Hank made his way into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take something for his aching stomach. As he opened the medicine cabinet Hank wondered if Connor would say anything about him overeating the moment the deviant's back was turned.

Brushing his teeth and rinsing out his mouth Hank popped two anti-acid tablets in hope of soothing his stomach, and turned off the faucet in the sink. Trudging out of the bathroom and down the hallway Hank was a little surprised to not see Sumo lingering near his food bowl or the backdoor waiting for him to get up.

"Weird. Sumo?"

There was a small whimper from the livingroom that pulled Hank's attention away from the kitchen. Spotting Sumo laying on his pillow looking miserable made Hank's stomach suddenly feel worse.

"Are ya' sick, boy?"

Kneeling beside the large dog Hank patted Sumo's side and noticed that there were a few chewed up pizza crusts on the pillow near Sumo's head, and a what could've been a small pile of vomit.

"Ah, shit. Ya' ate out of the garbage can last night."

Whimpering again Sumo gave Hank a big eyed stare as if trying to apologize.

"Don't look at me like that. You know better. But," patting Sumo's side again Hank stood up and put his hands to his hips. "I didn't take care of the garbage last night, so it's my fault, too."

Heading back down the hallway Hank got dressed and grabbed his phone to make a quick veterinary appointment for Sumo since the massive breed of dog was middle aged, and hadn't had a check-up in almost four years. Explaining to the vet that Sumo was sick after getting in the garbage and now had no appetite Hank was booked in for the only available slot in an hour, and proceeded to confirm the details over the phone.

"Sorry, boy."

Ending the call Hank walked over to the front door to get Sumo's leash and then hailed an autonomous cab to take him to the veterinary clinic.

"You need to get up and walk. You're WAY too heavy for me to carry."

Sumo seemingly grumbled in response to the news, but slowly got up to his paws to walk over to the front door as Hank held out the leash for him.

Another hour passed before the quiet of the morning was disturbed by Abby waking up for the first time in days without being startled awake by a sound outside, or a nightmare with one of her exes. As she opened her eyes Abby could hear Connor's calm heartbeat under her ear and she remembered that she and her friend had caved into temptation the night before. Smirking at Connor as the deviant was feigning sleep beside her Abby lightly traced her right fingertips over the raised scars on his torso in a way that it actually managed to tickle the deviant.

Watching Connor's breath hitch as she accidentally tickled him Abby pressed her palm smoothly over his abdomen instead after his eyes fluttered open. She didn't see the scars as anything that needed to be repaired, she saw them as a tribute to Connor's heroics as a detective and liked touching them.

"Good morning." Connor greeted in a soft tone as he continued to play with Abby's hair as they laid together.

"It sure is." Looking up at him Abby settled back down for a while and closed her eyes again. "Thank you."

"I presume the 'thanks' is for staying with you, not for... You know."

Laughing a little Abby lightly slapped his abdomen as if to scold him. "It's good a thing I know you're actually very modest, otherwise I'd have to punch you for being so bold."

"...That wasn't a 'no'."

"Don't you dare start growing an ego! I won't lose my only good guy friend to such a toxic trait."

Letting go of Abby's hair Connor pulled the technician in closer as she snuggled in at his side again. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well. That was the first full night's sleep I've had in days." Wrapping her left arm around his abdomen Abby held onto the deviant as she happily went back to sleep for a while. "...Then again, after what we did last night I used up what little energy I had left, so it's no wonder I slept so hard."

Remaining still as possible beyond his simple breathing pattern Connor didn't budge, and just held Abby at his side as she returned her much needed sleep. He had nowhere to be that day, and he had a feeling that Abby had the same plan in mind.

Walking Sumo into the veterinary clinic Hank checked in with the receptionist and let the vet intern take the massive dog into the back for a quick exam. Hank had no reason to go back there since Sumo wasn't a scared little puppy anymore, and he wasn't a fan of seeing animals frightened or in pain. Just as he turned away from the desk to sit down in a chair in the waiting room Hank caught sight of Lucas already sitting in a chair in the private space with his eyes closed and his L.E.D. cycling in a steady yellow in his temple.

"Lucas?"

Opening his green eyes Lucas looked over at Hank and nodded to acknowledge him. "Hank, hello."

"What're you doing here?"

"Lucky, my cat, is getting spayed and a check-up. Is... something wrong with Sumo?"

"Not really. The big oaf ate something that made him sick." Sitting down in the chair across from Lucas the senior detective pressed his left hand over his stomach as he sympathized with the massive dog. "I know how he feels."

"Is it serious?"

"Doubt it. I just figured since Sumo's getting old and hasn't had an appointment as of late it'd be best to bring him in to see an expert. So," leaning back against the uncomfortable chair Hank sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "what were you thinking about so hard when I walked in? Your light was yellow."

"Oh, I was checking through the city to see if anyone was seeking a roommate, or if there was a smaller apartment available to rent."

"Getting lonely?"

"A little. I do miss having someone to talk to in the morning and have the answer be something other than 'meow'."

"I get that. Any luck either way?"

"Well, those who are looking for a roommate either hate deviants or cats, or they have a criminal record. As for the apartments, there are none available that allow pets."

"Oh, well..." Tilting his head a little to the side Hank offered up a possible solution to Lucas's current dilemma. "You could always just... move in with me and Connor."

The gracious offer caught Lucas off guard for a moment. "What?"

"Come on. You do have your own room already back at the house, so why not?"

"It's just that... You don't like cats and I won't abandon Lucky."

"I do like cats, I just don't like the idea of bringing a cat into a house where there's a very big dog always laying around. I don't want to freak her out."

"Oh, I see."

"Since we're both here and both of our respective pets might be a little doped up after their appointments, why don't you come visit with Lucky and see how she responds to Sumo? If they get along then problem solved! You can both move in."

Lucas felt a small grin creep over his face as the offer seemed too good to be true. "Thanks, Hank. I'll do that."

"Cool. You can also give me a ride back to the house since Connor's using the car today."

"Oh. Where is he?"

"Probably still keeping Abby company. She's been having a rough few nights, so Connor went over to her house to help her relax enough to get a decent night's sleep."

Gathering up his clothes from the floor Connor listened to the sound of Abby turning on the shower in the bathroom just down the hallway, and walked toward the private space for a moment to let her know he was going to head for home. She had left the bathroom door slightly ajar as the bathroom itself steamed up. With her back presented to the door Abby had wrapped herself up in a thick white towel and was waiting for the water's temperature to adjust to a much more comfortable degree before stepping in.

Pushing open the door slowly and quietly Connor stepped just inside the doorway to talk to Abby without startling her in the process. "Abby?"

"Yeah?" Reaching her right hand into the flowing water of the shower Abby turned to look at Connor over her left shoulder and grinned at him.

"I'm going to get dressed now and leave. Unless... You need me to stay for a while longer."

"Well, 'need' is a little subjective." Dropping her towel to the floor Abby playfully grabbed onto Connor's hand causing him to drop his clothes as well, as she began to hungrily pull him toward her shower with her. "'Want' on the other hand... That's far more accurate. Join me, won't you?"

The temptation was too strong to resist. "...I don't see why not."

More relieved to see that Abby was no longer afraid of the world and behaving more like her usual fiery self, Connor had no problem stepping into the shower as she had prompted. Before he had the chance to react she had kissed him again and was wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he supported her back and hips.

"I think you're the best therapy I could've ever found." Abby teased as she kissed him again. "You make me feel like I'm safe to just be myself."

"You make me feel the same way."

"Ready for round two?"

Parroting his earlier response Connor pulled Abby closer to himself as the warm water from the shower beaded their skin in steamy droplets. "I don't see why not."

It's not like either of them had anywhere else to be that day anyway...

Sitting in the livingroom together Hank and Lucas watched as Sumo slept off his stomachache on his pillow in the corner, while Lucky, who slowly crept out of her pet carrier, approached the sleeping dog warily. She was curious about Sumo, not afraid of him. Slowly sniffing at Sumo's paws and then his nose Lucky rubbed her forehead against his jaw while purring loudly. Whether or not Lucky was being so friendly because she still had painkillers in her system, or because she didn't mind being around dogs, neither Hank or Lucas could say for sure.

As the fluffy cat put her front paws on Sumo's outstretched front leg and began kneading the limb the two detectives decided to to that as a good sign and were no longer worried. Sumo's tail began to slowly thump in response to the friendly gesture as he acknowledged Lucky's presence.

"Huh. I guess she likes him." Hank noted with a truly impressed lilt. The way Lucky curled up in a ball against Sumo's chin and arm made it clear that neither animal saw the other as a potential threat. "Yup. She likes him."

"I believe it's safe to say that Lucky was getting lonely without her kittens and with less people in the apartment. This could be something good for her."

"Maybe having a friend to chill with will perk Sumo up, too. He loves his walks but I don't think him laying around all day and then going for a walk for a few hours is the most ideal exercise he could be getting."

"Well, since the two seem to be getting along I believe I'll let my landlord know that I'll be moving in here at the end of my lease."

"Or you could just ask to be let out of your lease early in exchange for deep-cleaning the place before you go. Some landlords will be cool like that."

"I'll be sure to ask."

"All right, cool. You can put her litter box in the laundry room and we'll keep the laundry room door opened, or you can install one of those small animal doors at the bottom of the main door for easier access."

"I'll be sure to do that."

Leaning back against the couch cushions Hank looked out the front window and saw a few stray snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky as the morning sun began to disappear behind darkening snow clouds. It was getting cold outside and winter was right around the corner. "Wonder where Connor is right now?"

"Want me to contact him?"

"Nah, he's a responsible kid. I'm just curious, that's all."

"It's past noon." Confirming the time Lucas noted his own schedule beyond taking care of Lucky was now empty. "I have no plans today."

"Me neither. Me and Connor got some shopping done last night, so I don't have anything I need to take care of right now."

"Is there a game on?"

"It's November, son." Turning on the television with the remote, he was never a fan of verbal commands on his electronics, Hank found a college football game beginning its second quarter. "There's ALWAYS a game on..."

Sitting on the foot of Abby's bed Connor slipped on his shoes one at a time, and tied the laces in perfect knots. As he finished getting dressed, his black hoodie laid out over his lap, he looked up at Abby as she used a towel to pat dry her long locks of damp hair. She had changed into a pair of black yoga pants and a dark blue tank top after she and Connor had finished their shower together. Connor had to wear the clothes he had worn the night before but since he didn't sweat his clothes only got dirty if he had to fight with a resisting suspect, or if he got caught in inclement weather.

Noticing that Abby was smirking at him as she finished drying off her hair Connor gave her a curious and silent glance.

"I think today is a good day to workout." Abby stated as she adjusted her tank top's shoulder straps. "I haven't felt this energized in a while. It's nice."

"I'm glad you're feeling better. You deserve to live a life without fear."

"Yeah? And what about you?"

"Huh?" The question made his blue L.E.D. blink once in yellow. "What do you mean?"

"Are you living without fear?"

"I believe I am." Sitting upright on the bed Connor watched as Abby slowly stretched her legs to begin her workout in a moment. "I no longer fear CyberLife or what they wanted me to be."

"Does that have anything to do with your new name?" Keeping a smirk on her face Abby studied Connor's reaction carefully as she stretched her legs out on the floor. "I noticed that you and Lucas had your personal charts at the facility updated today, Sergeant Connor Henry Anderson."

"I think it does." Connor confirmed without any hesitation to his words. "I have a real family to protect and live for now. And I know that they will do the same for me. I'm not... alone anymore."

"Must be nice to have people like that in your life."

"You're not alone either."

"Well, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"What this is," she motioned to herself and to Connor with her right index finger as she spoke. "is just beginning. As much as I like you I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a new relationship, or just two friends exploring their 'benefits' has yet to be seen." Straightening up herself Abby walked over to the bed, sat down beside Connor and leaned her head against his right shoulder. "I've been thinking about why it is I can't seem to find the right guy to be with and if I'm right, I don't want to do something that'll mess this up."

Intrigued by the comment Connor wanted to know what she had been thinking about. "What have you discovered about yourself?"

"The reason so many of my relationships in the past were so fucked up and doomed to fail is because I was looking at relationships from the perspective of an E.M.T. or a technician; as a healer. I was being drawn to people who are broken or in need of help, not people I truly wanted to love."

"You were looking to heal people rather than build a relationship with them."

"Yup. I guess I have a weakness for sick puppies and kittens lost in the rain."

"...Is that why you're drawn to me?" A strange thought of it own popped into Connor's head. "Because you've saved my life so many times and helped me heal from extensive damage?"

Resting heavily against Connor's shoulder Abby sighed and pressed her right palm against Connor's torso where she could feel the scars raised up against his artificial skin through his t-shirt. "...I'm not sure. I hope that I'm drawn to you because you're a good guy who isn't a mentally unstable psycho who wants to hurt me, but I can't be sure."

"So where do we go from here?"

"I think we should take things one day at a time and see if those days bring us back together. If it's meant to be, if we're really feeling love toward one another and not lust or impulse issues, then we'll know it."

"I hope you're right."

Lifting her head up Abby gave Connor a stunned glance. "You do?"

"Yes." Looking her in the eyes Connor laid it out on the line. "You're one of the first people I let myself trust and it'd be nice if that trust could become something stronger."

"In a way the same thing happened to me. I was still new to Detroit when you fell into my life." Remarking about how Connor had been injured by falling from the rooftop of her old apartment building was a dark joke, but a joke all the same. "And as I got to know you the more I came to feel like I was less of a stranger in a strange land, and more of a natural born denizen of a strange land."

"Do you think we'd be friends if we had met under different circumstances?"

"I'm not sure. I do know that speculating about the 'what ifs' in life only create anxiety and doubt."

"You're right about that. I've endured enough of both for what feels like my entire life."

"Same." Letting out a soft breath Abby pulled a blue scrunchy off her left wrist and proceeded to pull her long hair up into a ponytail behind her. "So, do you want to stay for a while longer and workout with me?"

"...I don't need to exercise."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you can't help me... warm up. You know?"

Picking up on the hint very quickly Connor gave her an inquisitive look before he replied in a coy tone. "I suppose I could do that."

"Fantastic." Pushing Connor backward to lay over her bed Abby climbed on top of him and began working on removing his t-shirt again. "I don't do yoga just for my health, you know..."

Helping Lucas with the last of his personal belongings Hank plopped down in his recliner and listened to the sound of the deviant unpacking his items in his now official bedroom up on the second floor loft above. The deviant had managed to get out of his lease and had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening cleaning up the entire apartment, leaving it perfectly spotless as he packed up each room. It helped that Gavin had moved out first and taken the food and other human exclusive items with him, whereas the furniture that Lucas didn't need; couch, recliner, kitchen table, chairs, lamps and bed were donated to the neighbors, taken to Gavin and Aaron's house, or taken to local charities for donation.

Packing up his clothes, his saxophone, his posters, Thirium, Lucky's food, toys, bowls and litter box, Lucas made the final drive from his apartment and back to the house to rest for the night. Luckily he had plenty of energy and could take care of everything without anyone else's help.

Hank meanwhile had to deal with Lucky deciding that his lap was a better bed than Sumo's snoring and drooling form over on the pillow. Rubbing Lucky's chin and enjoying her company Hank sighed and realized that he was officially back into 'dad mode' as he couldn't say 'no' to one of his sons asking to keep something.

"You really are 'lucky', do you know that?"

Lucas finished with his bedroom and made his way downstairs to join Hank in the livingroom. Happy to see that Lucky was already making friends with Hank, and that she was showing no sign of infection or other complications after her surgery, Lucas sat down on the couch and reached his hand over to rub her ears in a gentle manner. "Thank you for letting us both be here."

"Yeah, no problem, son. I told you that you're welcome here at all times, so you might as well just stay here at all times."

"Makes sense to me. Especially since our work schedules seem to clash."

"This will make it a hell of a lot easier to spend time together during the holidays, too."

The sound of the Oldsmobile pulling into the driveway beside the house filled the air and both detectives looked a little relieved to know that Connor was finally back home.

"It's about time he came back." Hank stated as he watched the front door open up. The deviant entered the house through the front door casually, and was only surprised when he saw Lucky laying on Hank's lap. "Hey, son. How's everything with Abby?"

"It's... good." Unsure of what to say Connor stuck to simple and positive answers. "She's good."

"No problems sleeping?"

"Not at the moment. She's doing much better." Pointing to Lucky as she purred on Hank's lap Connor asked about her presence. "Why is Lucky here?"

Lucas chimed in happily from the couch as he told Connor the good news. "I've officially moved in and Lucky came with me."

"Oh!" Reaching his hand down Connor pet Lucky's ears as well and was rewarded with loud purring. "That's good to know. I'm glad to know you'll be living here with us."

Hank rubbed his hand along Lucky's back before he gently picked her up and then placed her back down on the recliner as he stood up. "And to celebrate Lucas now moving in, I say we cook up a few of those steaks we grabbed the other night and watch the Gears game. It'll be nice to just chill out and watch a game without one of us needing to take off before the night is over."

"I agree." Lucas stated and walked toward the kitchen. "Since it's my first night in the house I'll be the one to cook."

"Sounds good to me." Hank grabbed onto Connor's shoulder before the deviant had the chance to walk down the hallway and disappear for a moment, and whispered to him. "Kid, level with me."

Turning to face Hank directly Connor felt his heart beginning to race nervously in his chest. "...Level with you?"

"You spent the night and then most of the day with Abby, is she really okay?"

"Yes, she's fine. We just spent the day together so we could talk and help find perspective on everything that's happened as of late."

"So she's not scared or feeling vulnerable?"

"No, she's okay. If she wasn't in the correct mindset to be left alone I wouldn't be here right now."

"Okay. Cool." Dropping his hand from Connor's shoulder Hank motioned to Sumo still snoring away on his pillow in the corner and let out a sigh. "Just so you know, Sumo go into the garbage last night and made himself sick. He gets no treats for a week because he left me with a two-hundred dollar vet bill. He's fine by the way, just sleepin' it off."

"I'll be sure to refrain from giving him treats for a while."

"All right then. Now," pushing Connor forward a little Hank motioned for the deviant to join him and Lucas in the kitchen. "let's help with dinner and talk. It's been too long since I had a family dinner and I don't want anything to ruin it."

-next chapter-