The slow drive to the cabin was impressively calm and beautiful as the two deviants coaxed Hank into one final visit to their secret retreat before the year came to an end. Connor led the way in the Oldsmobile with Hank in the front passenger seat and Sumo in the backseat, while Lucas trailed in his pick-up truck with Lucky in her carrier and a few large suitcases that otherwise didn't fit in the Oldsmobile itself. The isolated dirt roadway was still covered in fresh snow, but it wasn't nearly as difficult to navigate in comparison to the oil slicked snow and ice back in the city streets.

Connor admired the bare trees that were sheathed in a layer of ice and under large clumps of snow on the branches. It was one of the few times he'd seen a snowy landscape that was bright with sunlight instead of dark and windy. The way Amanda cruelly froze over the Zen Garden within his Mind Palace had left a deep scar over Connor's heart, and made him dread the wintry weather as much as Hank did.

When the car pulled into the front drive of the cabin Connor heard the snow crunching loudly under the tires in a somewhat calming rhythm. The way the snow was evenly distributed a beautiful display of nature's power, but seeing it easily destroyed by the vehicle reminded Connor that actions had consequences; actions he was in control of.

"Thanks for driving, son." Hank hadn't said a word until that very moment. It was as if he was afraid that any sign of potential hope during the journey would be quashed by the brutal hand of fate itself. "It's been a while since I was able to enjoy the scenery of the forest since I'm usually the one who drives."

"You're welcome, Hank."

Opening his door Hank stepped out of the Oldsmobile and took in a deep breath as he admired the pure white snowy landscape that surrounded him. "It's actually beautiful when you don't think about how many different ways snow and ice can ruin things. It's peaceful and silent out here."

Lucas pulled his truck into the driveway beside the Oldsmobile and eagerly climbed out of the vehicle to admire the snowy landscape with his own eyes. The younger of the two deviants had no negative association with the wintertime, and as such he was more energized to see what winter had to offer.

"Come on, Sumo." Opening the backdoor of the Oldsmobile Connor watched as Sumo bounded out of the car and happily began checking out the familiar property of the cabin he hadn't seen since he was a puppy. Sniffing at the front porch and the front door Sumo wagged his tail enthusiastically as he waited to be let inside. "Good dog."

Making his way up the porch Hank unlocked the front door with the cabin's key, and let Sumo head inside so he didn't get barrelled over by accident. "Man, you'd think Sumo was expecting a big plate of bacon the way he's acting."

"He must be happy to be out of the city as well." Connor noted as he and Lucas gathered the suitcases and brought in Lucky still inside her carrier. Closing the front door behind them the two deviant set everything down and glanced about the livingroom with a sense of belonging. "Sumo only gets to go to the dog park or the veterinarian when he leaves the house."

"Well, if the big oaf could've stayed puppy size he'd be a lot more portable."

Opening up the carrier Lucas let Lucky out of the protective case and watched as she casually stepped out of the carrier, stretched out her back and promptly began exploring her new environment fearlessly. "I'm glad Lucky doesn't mind traveling. She slept the whole way."

"She's got the right idea." Hank put both hands to his lower back and leaned backward to stretch out his tight muscles for a moment. "It's only an hour long drive, but to my back it takes an entire year."

Seeing an opportunity to get Hank distracted for a moment Connor took it before it passed. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest your back? The past week of chasing suspects over uneven and slippery terrain has undoubtedly aggravated your arthritis."

"Yeah, 'undoubtedly' is damn right." Grabbing onto his suitcase by its handle Hank made his way upstairs to unwind in his bedroom on the second floor. "I'll be feeling better after an hour or so."

Lucas knew what Connor was doing and agreed with him entirely. 'The more Hank rests the better off he'll be.' The silent cybernetic discussion was for Hank's benefit as the quiet of the cabin would let him rest easier. 'I've already detected that his vital signs have improved as his blood pressure has lowered to a much more manageable number.'

'Agreed. I made sure to back a cooler of Hank's favorite foods and put his favorite books in his suitcase so he can relax as much as possible this weekend.'

'Should we do anything else to assist Hank during this weekend vacation?'

'No, I believe if we back off and let him alone until he wants to socialize with us again it'd be for the best.'

'Very well. I'm going to unpack everything and scope out the forest area and investigate it. I've never seen wintertime outside the city.'

'Okay. I'm going to check on the rose and let Sumo out for a walk so he can burn off some energy and get some exercise.' Picking up his dufflebag from the livingroom floor Connor slowly began to silently creep up the staircase to put his own luggage away in his room. 'By the time we return I'm sure Hank will be awake again.'

Everything was serene and still as Lucas trekked through the forest and admired the snowy trees overhead. Watching as the high afternoon sun rapidly dipping into the horizon shone through the thick pine branches covered in equally thick snow, Lucas could see small thawed droplets of water trickling from the sheaths of ice and icicles that hung from the tree branches overhead. As he journeyed deeper into the tranquil forest Lucas's scanner detected the presence of local fauna lurking in the brush and he stopped walking. Holding entirely still he peered deeper into the forest and caught sight of a dark gray fox hunting for prey in a snowbank just a few yards away.

Keeping low and quiet Lucas observed the fox and admired its grace and beauty as it foraged for food in the deep white snow. It was a treat to see a wild creature in its natural habitat.

'Brother, do you see this?' Sending Connor a cybernetic recording of the fox in the forest Lucas made sure to keep as quiet as possible. 'I've never seen a fox before.'

'Me neither. It's magnificent.' Taking a moment to admire the creature as well Connor chimed in about his own previous encounter with fauna in the forest. 'I have seen a doe and her fawn in this forest before. Maybe they are still in the area.'

'Maybe.'

The fox finished its hunt and had located a mouse for its lunch. Carrying its meal out of sight and into the brush in the opposite direction from where Lucas had been watching it, the fox vanished from sight.

'It's gone. I'm going to continue my trek now. Is Hank still asleep?'

'Yes, he's resting well. I'll remain near the property at all times.'

'Okay. I'll be back in approximately one hour after I manage to circle the lake. It'll be getting dark soon.'

'See you then.'

Ending the communication line with his big brother Lucas resume walking through the snowy forest in search of the further beautiful sights that nature had to offer. It was rare for deviants in any capacity to see the splendors of nature since as machines it was unwise to venture too far away from technology in the event of sustaining damage, but many deviants who were fleeing for their lives during the Revolution were willing to take such a risk.

For Lucas being able to explore the forest was a visual gift that he wanted to cherish for as long as his processor functioned.

In the clearing beside the cabin Connor had checked over the hidden grave and made sure the area hadn't been tampered with during their prolonged absence from the property. The white stone emblazoned with the deviant's insignia for freedom was still pristine, the grave itself was still left as perfectly smoothed over as Connor and Hank had left over a year ago, and the miracle blue rose was still alive as the overturned plastic bucket kept it safe from the harsh cold. Dusting the melting snow from the plastic surface of the bucket with his right hand, Connor peered through the transparent material to see that the dark blue bud was still alive.

The fact that rose was even alive to begin with was impressive enough, but now seeing it growing through the winter with an unnatural color is what made it miraculous. The silky petals of the bud were thriving and the green coloration of the stem was a lush, rich emerald color. There were a dozen or so thorns lining the stem as a means of protecting the delicate bud as it grew on its own.

"I'm surprised to see that you're still growing so well."

Speaking to the flower like he used to do back when it was a seedling in a small pot, Connor acknowledged that the bloom was in fact a living creature sharing the world with him.

"You're a unique entity and just trying to live your own life, and not harm anyone."

Connor tilted his head a little as he ran a scan over the rose curiously.

"A blue flower growing in a green forest. You stand out and are different. I suppose... that makes you a deviant weed among the other normal flowers."

Arching his brow a little Connor decided to give the rose a fitting name after all this time.

"Maybe that's what your genus should be called: 'Pravum caeruleum rosa'. The devious blue rose..."

The winter sun was already dropping into the horizon as an early evening crept over the cabin.

Standing up from the grave Connor took a step back and stared at the snowy ground where his original body had been laid to rest. It was surreal to stand above himself all the while knowing that the body he once inhabited has been left to be forgotten save for Hank, Lucas and himself. To the world around him Connor was the only 'RK-800' who ever lived, and had managed to survive the bullet to his cranium after Markus shot him during the night of the Raid and Revolution.

Little did they know that the Connor they once knew had died and been reborn. The deviant who died was a victim of fear and intolerance, and the deviant who awoken afterward was a survivor of those very poisonous ideals.

"You deserve the chance to live, just as any other lifeform in this world deserves."

Barking from the other side of the treeline pulled Connor away from his thoughts as he registered Sumo's excited behavior a few yards away. Not wanting the massive dog to awaken Hank from his rest Connor left the clearing behind by passing through the treeline, and returned to the side yard to get Sumo under control.

"Sumo? Sumo, where are you?"

"He ran out toward the lake." Hank's voice responded as he slid open the kitchen window to get Connor's attention. "Don't worry, I was already awake."

Nodding at the senior detective Connor made his way toward the lake to find Sumo. "I'll go and get him."

"Yeah, sure. He probably saw a squirrel or something..." Closing the window with a soft 'slam' Hank went back to his business in the kitchen for a moment before heading out the backdoor of the cabin.

Tracking the sound of Sumo's barking out toward the lake Connor called out to the massive dog as Sumo stood near the middle of the frozen lake, and tried to get him to return to the property. "Sumo! Come!"

Walking out toward the icy lake Connor crossed the dock and noticed that Sumo was standing out on the partially frozen surface and barking wildly at a frightened adolescent raccoon that was on its hind legs, and hissing in response to Sumo's barks. Noting the unreliable thickness of the ice on the lake and Sumo's weight pressing down, Connor realized the large dog was at risk of breaking through the surface and falling in.

"Sumo? Come here!" Slowly venturing out onto the lake, the ice sporadically cracking under his shoes with loud 'snaps', Connor tried to coax Sumo away from the wild animal before any accidents happened. "Come here, Sumo. Come!"

Sumo whimpered as he reluctantly began to back away from the angry raccoon, while the raccoon made a mad-dash for the edge of the lake to head back into the forest. As Sumo turned to face Connor the heavy dog's weight proved too much for the disturbed ice and his rear paws and legs ended up breaking through the compromised icy surface.

Seeing Sumo's body slipping through the ice Connor started running toward the dog to get him back out of the water and to safety. "Sumo!?"

The massive Saint Bernard was able to use his strong front paws and nails to grab onto the ice to keep himself from falling entirely into the freezing water, but he couldn't get the leverage to pull himself back out of the hole he had fallen into. Whimpering and whining loudly Sumo was at the mercy of the failing ice all around him.

"I got you!" Dropping to his knees and sliding toward Sumo at a hasty clip Connor managed to grab onto Sumo's collar with both hands and shift his weight backward enough to pull Sumo out of the icy water and back onto the still solid surface beside the hole. "I got you, Sumo."

The moment Sumo's heavy and panicking weight was added to the fractured surface of the ice next to Connor's, albeit lighter weight, the ice began to fail even further.

Reacting purely on a protective instinct Connor put his hands to Sumo's right shoulder and right hip, and then pushed the massive dog away from the hole in the lake just as the ice gave way a second time. Sumo was pushed far away from the weakened ice as the slick surface proved to be beneficial in that moment, but Connor wasn't able to get back away from the broken ice before it collapsed under him pulling him into the watery hole.

The moment his body was submerged in the painfully cold water Connor swore he felt like thousands of burning needles were piercing his artificial skin over his entire body. Stunned by the cold and being overcome with flashbacks of the night Amanda tried to kill him in the frozen Zen Garden of his mind, Connor seized up and began to sink down in the deep, dark, icy water.

Unable to move or react Connor's red flickering L.E.D. blinked slowly in his right temple creating a crimson barrier of light that accompanied his sinking body. As his vision was bombarded with red warnings regarding his critically dropping core temperature and freezing Thirium, the deviant felt the cold lake water filling his artificial lungs against his will. As his soulful brown eyes slipped shut Connor swore he saw a figure emerging from the red darkness above him before he lost consciousness.

From the backyard of the cabin Hank had seen Connor charging out into the lake to get to Sumo before he had the chance to tell the deviant to back off. Just as Hank had made his way to the dock where he had helplessly watched the deviant rescue Sumo, only to watch Connor disappear under the ice in a flash of impossible speed.

"C-Connor?!" Stepping onto the frozen lake surface Hank caught sight of another flash of movement as Lucas, who had heard and seen the accident from the forest, went racing out onto the lake faster than he had ever seen a deviant move before. "Lucas!?"

Watching everything play out in the distance Hank saw Lucas shed his leather jacket before making a perfect arms-over-head dive into the hole of the broken ice to find Connor sinking in the lake water. By the time Hank reached Sumo, the massive dog was shaking from both cold and fear, Lucas had broken back through the surface of the icy lake water with Connor's unconscious body pressed closely to his chest.

Connor's L.E.D. was a pale red and cycling every slowly in his right temple. He wasn't breathing and showed no sign of consciousness as his artificial skin paled to a frightening shade of white.

"I got 'im!" Hank grabbed onto Connor's jacket lapels and hefted him out of the water so Lucas could climb out as well. Wrapping his arms around Connor's upper chest and back Hank pulled the deviant up to his own chest as he walked backward, dragging the deviant along with him. Once he was certain the ice wouldn't give way Hank laid Connor down on his back on the icy surface, then knelt over him and pressed his left palm against Connor's motionless chest. "Oh, shit... He's freezing!"

Lucas managed to heft his entire body out of the lake with both of his strong arms and followed after Hank to check on his big brother. "I-I'll carry him!"

Hank could only watch as Lucas managed to easily scoop Connor up from the ice to carry him in his arms bridal style. The fact that Lucas was able to move about with surprising ease and speed was absolutely stunning.

"He n-needs to b-be warmed up. Fast!"

"You lead the way." Grabbing onto Sumo's collar Hank pulled the shaking dog up to his paws and forced the dog to walk back toward to the cabin so he too could get warm. Sumo was just too damn heavy for Hank's back tolerate, and he wasn't about to tell Lucas to put Connor down in favor of the family dog. "He isn't breathing, Lucas."

"W-Water filled his v-ventil-lation b-biocomponents." The rescuing deviant was beginning to shiver from the cold and he too was at high risk of hypothermia. Reaching the wooden dock of the lake Lucas placed Connor back down and pressed his left ear to the center of Connor's still chest. "N-Need to get the w-water out before it c-causes damage."

Hank hefted Sumo onto the wooden dock and patted the large dog's back as he watched Lucas unzip Connor's leather jacket to perform C.P.R. on the drowned deviant. "Do what you have to do, son..."

Moving on autopilot Lucas placed his right and left palms flat against Connor's middle chest to push down directly on the deviant's water filled artificial lungs to begin compressions. More focused on getting the water out of Connor's lungs rather than getting his sluggishly beating heart moving any faster, Lucas used controlled strength and weight to force the water out of the vital biocomponents.

"Come on, son." Hank encouraged first Lucas with a shake to the deviant's right shoulder and then did the same for Connor. "Both of you!"

After a gush of lake water erupted from Connor's mouth and nose in a loud gurgling manner Lucas turned Connor from his back and onto his right side as he patted Connor's back firmly between his shoulder blades. The compressions and firm impact was enough to cause Connor to cough up twice as much water as he had before.

"That's it..." Hank stated in an impressively calm voice as he rubbed Connor's back to encourage him to rid himself of the offending water and take in a clean breath. "Good job, just breathe."

Lucas coughed once as well as his thermal regulator was struggling to get his core to warm up properly after being submerged in the frozen lake water. He was down in the icy water for barely thirty seconds, but it was still enough to cause a significant drop in his core temperature. "...Thank RA9."

Hank patted Lucas's shoulder again and motioned to the backdoor of the cabin. "Get him and yourself inside the bathroom. Use the shower to warm up."

Without a word Lucas scooped Connor back up into his arms and made his way toward the backdoor as directed. He could sense Hank coaxing Sumo into following after them as the large dog also needed to get warmed up before the cold harmed him. "...I g-got you, brother."

Stumbling through the backdoor Lucas managed to carry Connor inside the cabin and just barely made it to the bottom of the staircase before his shaking legs buckled beneath him. Feeling Hank's strong hand wrap around his right bicep Lucas was hefted back up to his feet and helped up the staircase with Connor still in his arms. The nearly drowned deviant's head was resting against Lucas's right shoulder and his body was still dripping from the freezing lake water.

"You're going to need to get your clothes off and warmed up." Hank stated as he helped Lucas to reach the second floor of the cabin. Leading him to the bathroom Hank flipped on the lights with the switch on the wall then the senior detective immediately turned on the shower, and adjusted the temperature so the water was warm but not hot. "Wish we had a bathtub in this place."

"I-It'll have to d-do." Placing Connor down on the floor in a gentle manner Lucas began to remove his long sleeved white shirt while Hank removed Connor's drenched leather jacket. Running a self diagnostic on his system and then a scan on Connor's processors Lucas noted that they were both in need of serious treatment for hypothermia. "His c-core temperature is d-down to n-ninety-two p-point three degrees. I'm a-at ninety-five p-point f-four degrees."

"You're both getting the 'sick treatment' after this." Having removed Connor's jacket and dark blue t-shirt Hank moved down Connor's legs to remove his waterlogged boots and socks. "Can you support him in the shower alone?"

"Y-Yes." Also stripped down just to his jeans Lucas picked Connor's limp body up one more time and carried him into the shower to sit down on the floor to warm up. With his big brother resting in his arms Lucas leaned back against the side of the showed and let the warm water fall over both of them in an attempt to shake off the cold. "I'll be o-okay here."

"Right. I'll build a fire in the hearth and find every damn blanket in the cabin."

"C-Connor brought his weighted bl-blanket from the house. It sh-should be in his s-suitcase."

"Good, that'll help. Hang on Lucas, I'll make sure you both pull through this mess."

As Hank left the bathroom Lucas continued to shiver and just barely noticed that Connor was beginning to shiver, too. Pressing his left fingertips against Connor's brighter red L.E.D. Lucas checked his brother's vitals again, and noted that Connor still had some lake water in his artificial lungs.

"Brother?" Speaking loudly Lucas addressed Connor in a firm tone. "Connor, please w-wake up."

Slowly Connor's glassy brown irises appeared as his eyelids partially opened. Lifting up his head a little Connor blinked once before his eyelids returned to their partially opened state as he became aware of the warm water pouring over his chilled body. "...Lu...cas?"

"Right here, brother. You're s-safe now."

"...C-Cold."

"I know. I am t-too."

Blinking again Connor coughed harshly as his artificial lungs tried to expel the lingering lake water our of the two ventilation biocomponents. Feeling Lucas's left hand supporting his back Connor let out a deep cough that resulted in a massive gush of lake water that quickly ran down the drain with the rest of the swirling shower water, then took in a deep breath. "...Y-You saved me."

"Of c-course I did. You're m-my brother."

"...S-Saw you sw-swim down t-to save me. L-Lost consciousn-ness after that."

"That's r-right." Readjusting his position Lucas helped Connor to sit down on the floor of the shower beside him so they could evenly share the warm water pouring down from the shower head above. "D-Do you remember falling through th-the ice?"

Nodding weakly Connor coughed again and wrapped his arms around his chilled chest to try to feel warmer. "...Y-Yes. C-Couldn't get back f-from the water before the i-ice gave way. S-Sumo?"

"Sumo's down in the l-livingroom warming up b-by the fireplace."

"...A-And you?"

"Cold, but n-not as cold as y-you."

"...S-Sorry that you h-had to save m-me."

"It's o-okay, brother. Accidents h-happen."

"...Should've b-been able t-to get out m-myself."

"You were c-caught off guard and st-stunned by the cold. I w-was for a moment, t-too."

"...I p-panicked."

Lucas was silent for a moment before he put his trembling right hand on Connor's freezing left shoulder. "...I d-did, too."

Turning to look at his little brother as they both shivered from the cold Connor tried to understand how Lucas could've panicked and still saved his life. "...H-How did you p-panic?"

"...When I w-went under the w-water I froze for a m-moment." Lucas recounted in a low tone. "Something about b-being submerged in w-water like that m-made my processor g-go into overdrive, a-and my pr-programming tried to force m-me to go back to the s-surface without you. I had to f-fight to find you."

"S-Sounds like y-you worked through a ph-phobia."

"Maybe."

"...Thank you, a-all the same."

"You're welcome."

Moving quickly Hank returned to the bathroom with a bunch of towels in his arms, and placed them down on the floor beside the shower. Seeing Connor now conscious prompted a deep sigh of relief from the worried father. "Glad to see you awake again, son."

"S-Sorry for scaring you."

"Shut up." Lightly pressing the back of his left hand against Connor's forehead while doing the same to Lucas's forehead with his right hand, Hank did a double temperature check on the deviant brothers. "You both scare me every damn day you go to work. Well, you both feel a lot warmer, but I want you to stay under there until you stop shivering."

Lucas agreed to that idea and looked over to Hank for confirmation. "How's Sumo doing?" His voice was no longer shaking and he was speak clearly again. "He may be a breed that can withstand the cold, but he isn't immune to such extreme temperature changes."

"The giant idiot is wrapped up in a towel and laying in front of the fireplace. He has Lucky laying with him, too." Already knowing what Connor was going to ask Hank answered the question without missing a beat. "Yes, I made sure his paws weren't frostbitten. He got just a little wet and a big scare. Maybe that'll teach him to not chase squirrels."

"...Racoon."

"Whatever, they're both vermin. One's just got buck-teeth and the other is a glorified 'trash panda'."

Lucas smirked a little at the comment and readjusted his position to kneel on the shower floor and then stood up slowly. Noting that his legs weren't shaking anymore the deviant stepped out of the shower and then sat back down on the floor to remove his soaked through blue jeans to wrap up in a towel. As he removed the heavy denim and wrapped himself up in a towel cocoon Lucas sighed and gave his big brother an amused grin. "I suppose swimming is another thing we're tied at, am I right, Connor?"

Looking up at Lucas now sitting a few feet away Connor's red L.E.D. flashed to yellow as he contemplated the statement. "...Next time w-we should us a pool."

Hank chuckled a little as Connor cracked a joke and then noticed that Connor wasn't shivering anymore. Reaching up into the shower he turned off the water and passed Connor a towel to dry off and warm up. "Once you're dry change into your heaviest clothes and then go sit in front of the fireplace for a while. I already have two bottles of Thirium near the hearth so that should help you warm up from the inside out."

Accepting the towel Connor wrapped it around his shoulders as he too removed his soaked jeans from his legs. As he and Lucas sat in their boxers and wrapped up in their own towels Connor tried to push the unsettling images of the frozen Zen Garden from his mind and remind himself that Amanda was forever gone. The only people he needed to answer to were his father and his brother.

That odd moment in the freezing cold water was a true bonding experience for the two rogue brothers.

It took about ten minutes for the two hypothermic deviants to dry off and get dressed, then it took another five minutes for them to get downstairs to huddle up in front of the fireplace. The duo were wearing clean t-shirts under thick hoodies, Connor was wearing his black D.P.D. hoodie while Lucas was a wearing a similar white hoodie, and they were both wearing two pairs of pajama pants with two pairs of socks over their feet to remain layered up. Using their hoods to keep their heads warm the chilled brothers remained wrapped up in their own quilts and shared a third one between them as they tried to get warm in front of the glowing fire.

Sumo, who had dried off after his partial dip into the lake, was laying between the two deviants' legs with his chin resting on Connor's thigh as if he was trying to apologize to Connor for what had happened. Lucky was curled up on Lucas's lap and purring loudly as she sensed that the two deviants were feeling quite cold after their unexpected time in the freezing lake water.

Unburying his right hand from his quilt cocoon Connor rubbed Sumo's ears and tried to not think about how cold his hand felt the moment it left the safety of the quilts. "...It's okay, boy."

Sumo's tail thumped on the floor once as he let out a soft sigh.

"For the record," Hank's deep baritone voice pierced through the heavy quiet of the cabin. Entering the livingroom from the kitchen he handed Connor and Lucas their respective black and white mugs of warmed up Thirium to drink as they continued to try to shake off their hypothermia. "as much as I care about that furry idiot, his life isn't the same as yours or Lucas. If I had to choose between the family pet or my sons, I'd pick you both over him every time."

Accepting the mugs the deviant brothers glanced at each other for a moment but didn't say a word.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're all okay." Hank continued as he sat down heavily on the couch behind the frozen deviants and wrapped up in a quilt of his own. Just seeing how cold the brothers had been was enough to make Hank feel cold as well. "But don't ever risk your life like that ever again."

Closing his eyes Connor sipped at his warmed up Thirium and ran a self diagnostic. The numbers weren't great, but they weren't terrible either. He was certain that Lucas was showing similar numbers. As he put his black mug aside for a moment Connor let out a soft cough and quickly reburied himself under the thick quilts and his weighted blanket to keep warm.

"You gotta' cough, too?" Pressing his right palm over over Lucas's forehead Hank couldn't stop his paternal side from performing the mandated fever check on the two deviants. "You're not running warm, so that's good." As his hand met Connor's forehead the adoptive father grimaced. "Your brother on the other hand," dropping his palm Hank let out a weary sigh. "is starting to feel unusually warm."

Resisting the urge to pull his legs up to his chest as he didn't want to disturb Sumo, Connor spoke up in a weak voice. "...Fine."

Lucas didn't agree with the assessment and ran a cybernetic scan on Connor's vitals. "I don't have a cough since I didn't inhale any of the lake water, and my core temperature has already stabilized." Glancing up at Hank behind him Lucas confirmed that Connor's temperature was abnormal. "It's possible that the cough and elevated core temperature is his system's attempts to rid any lingering water from his ventilation biocomponents to prevent potential damage."

"Does he need to go see a technician?"

"It's possible, but with the nearest facility currently over an hour away it's illogical to make such a drive and risk subjecting to him further cold and physical disturbances."

"Well, it's a good thing we're here to help him out." Shaking Connor's left shoulder a little Hank tried to get the glum deviant to perk up a little. "Right, son?"

His only response came in the form of additional coughing as he felt his core temperature steadily rising.

"You two should just sit in front of the fire and relax." Hank suggested as he watched Lucas sip at his own warmed Thirium in the white mug. "There's plenty of firewood and we have nowhere to be right now."

Connor sat as still as possible and found his thoughts drifting back toward the city and to Abby as he began to wonder if a technician's visit was necessary. He then quickly began to worry about her being alone in her delicate condition. Cybernetically he sent Abby a text in the form of wellness check as he needed to distract himself from the cold, and he needed to know if his friend was okay on her own.

'I was wondering how you're feeling right now, Abby.' In his mind was voice was steady and normal. 'I don't like that you're alone in the city right now.'

It took a few moments but soon Abby called Connor so she could speak to him directly through the cybernetic link. 'Hey, Connor.' She sounded tired and the quiet sniffle gave away her current emotional state. 'I'm not alone right now. Not only do I have this... thing... growing inside of me, but I broke down and told Skye what's happening, and she's staying with me. She's in the kitchen making me chocolate pudding because that's awesome.'

'Good. I'm glad Skye's with you.' Coughing out loud while he seamlessly spoke cybernetically Connor didn't move when he felt Hank draping Lucas's rescued leather jacket, the garment having been temporarily abandoned on the icy lake surface outside, over his and Lucas's legs to help them keep warm. 'May I ask why you confided in her?'

'Well, she stopped by the facility last night needing technical records on a client she's defending, and I ended up breaking down and crying in front of her thanks to being overwhelmed by emotions and even a few excess hormones.' The explanation was oddly logical yet unusual. 'When I stopped crying I told her what was happening, then she started crying and that got me crying again, and after we finished crying together Skye promised to help me through this in the same way you did. Between you and Skye I won't be alone as I try to figure this mess out.'

'What are you doing right now?'

'Sitting on my couch and doing way too much research into human pregnancy for my own good. This shit is terrifying on a sci-fi level...'

'Perhaps you should stop researching for the night and get some rest.' Another cough escaped his lips, each passing cough sounded harsher than the last, and continued with his train of thought. 'It'll be best if you have a clear mind as you make your final decision.'

'Easier said than done.' The sound of Abby closing her laptop echoed in the background of the cybernetic phone call as she took his advice. 'You're not the one having nightmares of some demonic, monstrous creature eating you from the inside out.'

'That is true. I haven't had such a nightmare before.'

'Enough about me, I'm sick of that subject. How's your weekend away from the city?'

'...Colder than expected.'

'It's December in Michigan, what were you expecting?'

'...Not to fall through the ice.'

Abby paused for a moment as a very faint chuckle escaped her throat. 'You did what?'

'The cabin has a lake in the back. Sumo went out on the ice in pursuit of a raccoon and almost fell in. I saved him and ended up in the lake myself.'

'Oh, Connor... Your prototyping makes you incredibly vulnerable to the cold!'

'Lucas saved me and we're both warming up in front of a fire as of the moment. I am also smothered under quilts and blankets courtesy of Hank.'

'That should help. I can't diagnose you over the phone but I want you to take precautions against your thermal regulator going into overdrive. You might end up with a scorching hot core temperature in the night if you're not careful.'

'I'm monitoring my core temperature very closely.'

'Did you inhale any water when you fell in the lake?'

Despite the distance between them Connor knew Abby would pick up on it if he even tried to lie about it. '...Yes. I have expelled most of it and my ventilation program is attempting to rid any excess water through mild coughs.'

'As soon as you're back in the city I need you to stop by the facility so I can give you an exam.' She gave Skye a quiet 'thanks' as the deviant joined her in the livingroom and handed her a bowl of pudding. 'I don't want you to be sick all winter long.'

'I don't want to be sick, either.' As he coughed again, much harder than before, Connor could feel Lucas's right hand plant on his left shoulder to help him hold steady where he sat. 'I'll see you as soon as I can. Please take care of yourself and get some rest. We can talk anytime you need to talk.'

'Thanks, Connor. You're a good friend. Goodnight.'

'...Goodnight, Abby.'

Opening his eyes Connor stared at the glowing fire before him and felt Lucas remove his palm from his shoulder.

"Brother, you're beginning to overheat. Perhaps you should remove your hood for a moment so you can cool down."

"...I feel-" His latest coughing fit cut off his attempts to ease Lucas's concerns very quickly.

"Lay down." Rising from his place on the floor Lucas guided Connor toward the floor to lay on his left side for a moment. Watching as Connor instinctively curled around himself to stay warm Lucas could see his brother's paled complexion slowly beginning to regain a healthier color. "If you're going to overheat it'd be best to remain in the livingroom where you can be watched over as you rest."

"...I'll be fine."

"We know you will." Looking over at Hank as the senior detective watched the brothers, Lucas gave him a subtle nod. "You just need to rest. Please lay still and get some sleep."

As Connor laid on his left side and curled up under the quilt cocoon Sumo snuggled down over his legs again, and Lucky promptly curled up against Connor's torso as she too decided to help him feel warmer. The deviant felt safe and warm with his family gathered around him, but he also felt guilty. He had fallen into the lake because he foolishly failed to scan over the integrity of the ice before setting foot on the weakened surface, and he had failed to get Sumo to obey his commands when called.

"Lucas?" Muttering the name as he watched Lucas sit down in the nearby recliner with his quilt still wrapped around him, Connor addressed his little brother in a kind tone.

"Yes, Connor?"

"...Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome, brother." A kind grin graced Lucas's lips as he curled up in the chair to sleep. "Get some rest."

Turning his head a little Connor looked up at Hank as the senior detective stretched over the sofa behind him, as he too wanted to get some sleep. "Hank?"

"Yeah, son? What's up?"

"I'm sorry for ruining-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, kid." Placing a spare blue pillow down on the floor under Connor's head Hank refused to let the deviant blame himself for a silly little accident on the ice. "No apologies, only sleeping."

Laying his head down on the pillow Connor sighed and pulled the quilt tighter around himself. "Okay. Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, Connor." Glancing up at Lucas as the second deviant sipped at his Thirium again, Hank extended him the same courtesy. "Goodnight, Lucas."

Closing his eyes Lucas prepared to enter rest mode for the night. "Goodnight."

The trio remained wrapped up in quilts and laying before the warmth of the fireplace as the cold weather outside continued to bombard the forest. What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend away from the city and its drama had turned into a bit of a fantasy rather than a reality for the small family.

After only three hours of sleep the silence of the cabin was disturbed by a sudden coughing fit and deep gasp for breath. Connor's core temperature had spiked to a dangerous one-hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit, and he had entered emergency stasis mode in an attempt to conserve energy. The moment he began coughing and gasping for air Lucas was awake and began tending to his brother's illness. After carefully rolling Connor from his left side and onto his back Lucas pulled up Connor's hoodie and shirt to press his exposed left palm down against Connor's chest to run a direct scan over his ill brother's now critical vital signs.

Hank was awoken as well and knelt beside Connor as he rested his own palm over the deviant's forehead. He immediately felt the dangerously high fever plaguing the deviant's system. The sight of Connor so weak and sounding so pathetic as he coughed and gasped for breath made Hank's skin crawl.

"I'm checking his vitals now." Lucas stated firmly as he assessed the situation. "His ventilation program has finished removing the excess water, hence the aggravated coughing."

"Easy, son..." Pulling back his hand from Connor's forehead Hank waited for Lucas's yellow L.E.D. to stop pulsing so quickly and return to blue. "He's burning up. How bad is it?"

"His core temperature is critical at one-hundred and four point two degrees. He needs to be cooled down, now."

"Then help me remove the quilts and hoodie."

"No, don't do that."

"He's burning up! He needs-"

"The reason he's overheating is because his thermal regulator is trying to compensate for the extreme cold that overwhelmed him in the lake." Replacing Connor's hoodie and the quilts over top of him Lucas rose to his feet to gather ice packs from the freezer in the kitchen. "He was warmed up quicker than his thermal regulator could process. The extreme thermal fluctuation has caused his thermal regulator to essentially fail and is glitching as we speak."

"Shit." Rubbing his palm over Connor's messy dark hair Hank watched Lucas gathering items in the kitchen. "Can you fix it?"

"Yes, but even after it's fixed it'll take some time for his temperature to return to normal." Kneeling down beside Connor with the three ice packs in his hands Lucas placed the packs down under Connor's neck - using the hoodie to hold it in place, then placed one over his Thirium pump in the center of his chest before placing the third pack down over Connor's forehead. "This will help him cool down to a more manageable degree, and by keeping him layered up the cooling process will happen at a consistent and steady pace rather than rapidly."

"What about his coughing?"

"Expulsion program." Speaking as he pressed his left fingertips to Connor's red glowing L.E.D. Lucas gained access to Connor's processor and began manually rebooting the thermal regulator. "It's removed the remaining lake water from his ventilation biocomponents and every gasp he takes will assist the thermal regulator in balancing out his core temperature."

"I'm going to pretend I understood that." Standing up for a moment Hank felt and heard his back 'crack' as he made his way toward the staircase. "I'll bring him a cool washcloth for his forehead. Stay with him."

"I won't go anywhere, Hank."

Finished with the manual reboot Lucas watched Connor's every move very closely and grabbed onto Connor's right wrist to count his pulse. "You'll be okay, brother. We just need to remember that your prototyping has left you with a susceptibility to thermal irregularities."

Lolling his head from side to side Connor began to mutter and take in frantic breaths as if unable to breathe.

"You're safe." Lucas reminded his big brother as he fought to get Connor's temperature under control. "You're at the cabin with Hank, myself, Sumo and Lucky."

"A-Abby..."

"No, she's not here. She's-"

"N-Need to help her!" Sitting upright quickly on the floor Connor's eyes were glazed over and wide as he stared blankly into nothingness. The abrupt motion caused Sumo to back off nervously for a moment and whimper once. "She... She..."

"She's safe!" Lucas reassured Connor as he forced him to lay back down and rest by pressing on Connor's shoulders. Forcing the deviant to get some rest Lucas watched as Sumo laid back down over his legs again while Lucky hopped up onto the sofa to watch over Connor for a moment. "I promise you that Abby is safe."

Hank reappeared in the livingroom and placed the cool damp washcloth over Connor's forehead after the ice pack slid away. "I thought he was supposed to be unconscious whenever he gets fevers this high."

"The update he received seems to have rendered that particular safety feature useless." Picking up the third ice pack Lucas placed it down on Connor's chest to help him cool down. "I imagine its tied to the enhanced external sensors that make him very sensitive to pain and temperature changes."

"Makes sense to me." Smoothing the washcloth over Connor's forehead Hank kept his palm over the compress to ensure it didn't move. "Did I hear him say the name 'Abby'?"

"Yes, I suspect he's suffering from sort of hallucination or delirium brought on by the intensely high core temperature."

"Wonder what's up?"

Connor let out another weak cough as his right hand weakly reached up and grabbed onto Hank's left wrist as the senior detective continued to hold the cool washcloth over the deviant's feverish forehead. "Abby... Is she..."

"Back in the city and probably asleep. You should sleep, too."

"...Sh-She's in trouble... Hector."

"Yeah, he's hallucinating." Hank confirmed as he leaned over Connor so the deviant could see him more clearly. "Son, that guy is GONE. He can't hurt her or anyone else ever again, Abby is safe."

"N-No... He's... Abby's-"

"Shh..." Trying to soothe to the deviant's fever while getting him to rest Hank looked to Lucas for help. "Can you do anything to knock him out for a few hours?"

"I can try. If his system is able to override a safety measure designed to keep his processor from overheating then I doubt any manual instruction will be able to have a more definitive reaction."

"Go for it." Putting his right hand down on Connor's chest, Hank held the ailing deviant as steady as possible. "Anything's gotta' be better than him burning up and hallucinating all night."

"Agreed."

Despite being told that his friend wasn't in any danger Connor tried to get up again only to be held down by Hank's hand. "A-Abby needs me..."

"Abby's SAFE." Speaking calmly as Lucas manually initiated rest mode Hank watched Connor's wide and frightened eyes scanning the ceiling blankly. "You're safe, too. Everyone's safe. Take it easy."

Just as Lucas accessed his processors Connor's eyes drifted shut and his voice trailed off into a whisper. "She's... P- Abby..."

"That's it, go to sleep." Relieved to see Connor's eyes close and his body relax Hank felt Connor's racing Thirium pump beginning to calm down under his palm, and Connor's hand went lax around his wrist. "Good work, Lucas. How long will he be out?"

"Approximately eight hours." Pulling back his hand Lucas looked up at Hank and gave him a simple nod. "His core temperature is already beginning to drop. He's down to one-hundred and three point eight."

"Hard to believe that's an improvement, but I'll take it." Sitting down on the couch Hank rubbed his right palm over the back of his tense neck as he watched Connor's chest slowly rising and falling in a steady rhythm. "You get some rest, too. I'll watch over him."

"But I can-"

"Sleep." Cutting off Lucas immediately Hank put his foot down on the situation. "You went into the lake, too. You need to rest so you don't end up sick like him."

"Hank, I assure you-"

"As your father I'm telling you to go to sleep. Don't make me ground you."

The playful smirk that accompanied Hank's words made Lucas's lingering tension suddenly fade away. "...All right. I will rest for one hour, check on Connor and then go back to sleep."

"Or you just sleep unless I have to wake you up. It's not the first time I've spent the night awake watching over a sick kid. I can handle this."

"Okay, you win." Standing back up Lucas walked over to the recliner to return to sleep for the remainder of the night. As soon as he was curled back up in the chair under his quilt Lucas had Lucky climbed onto his lap to join him for a nice long sleep. "Awaken me the moment-"

"I know the drill, son."

Using his own quilt Hank wrapped himself up and moved to sit on the floor beside the fireplace to stoke the flames and add another log to the fire to keep it roaring throughout the rest of the night. With the fire taken care of for the night Hank returned to the couch to watch over Connor as he slept on his pile of quilts with Sumo laying over his legs.

"Even while on vacation you can't seem to escape trouble, can ya', kid?"

A high pitched 'beep' pulled Lucas out of his rest mode as the sound was unfamiliar and foreign to his ears. Opening his green eyes Lucas looked over to where Connor was still resting on the floor with Hank kneeling beside him. The loud 'beep' was the sound of the digital thermometer in Connor's mouth sounding off as Hank checked on the deviant's fever with the only way he knew how. Lucas sat upright in the recliner and watched as the senior detective read the number on the thermometer's digital display. The way Hank's expression remained calm and complacent told Lucas that his brother's fever had improved dramatically throughout the night.

Holding up the thermometer Hank let Lucas see the device as he pulled back the ice packs and washcloth from Connor's person. The fire in the fireplace was growing weaker and the ice packs had thawed after morning graced the forest.

"Down to ninety-nine point four degrees." Lucas noted as he ran a self diagnostic on his own system after reading the thermometer. "I'm back to ninety-eight point six degrees myself."

"Then you're both on the mend." Breathing a sigh of relief Hank rose from the floor and let out a deep yawn as he sat on the sofa. "You were out for the full eight hours you put Connor out for."

"I was?" Noting the current time Lucas confirmed that he had in fact been asleep for the past eight hours, fourteen minutes and twenty-three seconds. "It seems you were right and I needed to rest."

"Of course I was right, a father always knows."

"How do you feel? You look exhausted."

"I am, but, I'll wait until Connor wakes up before I take a nap."

"Then I'll let Sumo outside and prepare breakfast."

"Nah, I'll skip breakfast and wait until lunch. Thanks."

As Lucas rose to his feet he noticed Connor's eyelids fluttering as the deviant regained consciousness. "Good timing, brother. It's morning."

Glancing about confusedly Connor took a moment to gain his bearings, only to have the memories of the evening and night before come flooding back. Sitting upright with a breathy sigh Connor cleared his throat and was met with Sumo's cold, wet nose pressing to the side of his neck affectionately. "...It seems I've made a full recovery after suffering from my hypothermia."

"Yup." Hank confirmed as he patted Connor's right shoulder. "You spiked a fever, but it's gone now. How do you feel?"

"Strange." The admission was quite appropriate given the circumstances. "I think... I think I was dreaming but I can't be sure."

"Fevers do that to ya'. You kept asking about Abby, is that who you were dreaming about?"

Closing his eyes Connor rubbed both of his hands along Sumo's neck and sighed. "Maybe. That seems right."

"You were freaking out a little because you thought Hector was going to hurt her again."

"...Yes," suddenly aware of what he may have unknowingly stated Connor hoped he didn't give away Abby's secret during his delirium. "that seems familiar. What else did I say?"

"Nothing much. Just that you wanted to make sure she was safe. Want to call her and let her know you'll be visiting her after your dip in the lake?"

"...Maybe later." Looking up at Lucas as his little brother rubbed Lucky's ears, the fluffy cat having awoken before anyone else and was now laying over the back of the sofa, Connor asked about his own brother's condition. "How do you feel, Lucas?"

"I'm fine. We're both going to be just fine." Extending his right hand Lucas helped Connor up to his feet and noted that his big brother's complexion was much better than it had been, and his L.E.D. was now a healthy blue. "You should rest a while longer. Perhaps in your bed instead of on the floor this time."

Noting that he was still feeling fatigued Connor agreed to the idea and glanced at the second floor longingly. "Yes, I believe that'd be for the best. I don't want to have deal with the rest of the winter with any lingering complications due to poor rest."

"Come on, son." Hank stood up from the sofa and wrapped his left arm around Connor's shoulders. "We'll both get some sleep and then we'll all spend the rest of the weekend INSIDE the cabin by the fireplace, and far away from that lake. Deal?"

Nodding a little Connor agreed with the idea of sleeping in a nice warm bed and staying away from a freezing lake. "Deal. I dislike the cold immensely."

"We all do." Peering over the banister of the staircase Hank smirked as Lucas bundled up under his leather jacket over top of his thick white hoodie before he led Sumo to the backdoor to be let out for a few minutes. "Just for different reasons."

-next chapter-