Spring came with a flourish of warm weather and singing birds as March arrived with a raucous thunderstorm washing away the previous winter. The precinct had been extremely busy due to Gavin's extended leave - both a paternal leave and personal leave to handle his husband being so badly injured, and as such every detective and officer in the Central Precinct was exhausted. During his breaks during his hectic shifts Connor spent time with Abby either at her house or the facility, and continued to admire the way their unborn child was growing so big so quickly. Now at seventeen weeks Abby couldn't deny her condition any longer, and Connor had been bombarded with hearty congratulations and gifts from the rest of the precinct.

After placing the extra boxes of diapers in his bedroom closet Connor connected with Abby's phone to speak to her via 'face time' and asked how she was feeling. Being so big had left the technician feeling more tired more often, but that didn't stop her from her shifts at the facility.

"Good morning, Abby." Connor greeted as he kept the image of Abby projected on his right palm. "How do you feel?"

'Round and hungry.'

"Need me to come over?" A loud crash of thunder shook the house and made the deviant stand still in the middle of his bedroom as he turned to look out the window. "...I will do so."

'No, it's okay. Skye's already here and spoiling me with angel food cake and hot chocolate.'

"I'm glad you're not alone during this storm."

'That's sweet, but I'm not afraid of thunder and lightning.' Laying on her back over her bed Abby grinned and lowered her phone. 'Check this out. Not bad for just over four months, huh?' Abby asked as she lifted up her oversized purple t-shirt to show Connor her impressive bump. 'During my ultrasound in three days I'm going to ask Dr. Darius to make sure I'm not secretly carrying twins and you're lying about it!'

"I assure you that you're only carrying one." Connor commented honestly as he held his right palm before his face to continue his 'face time' discussion as he walked from his bedroom down the hallway, the kitchen and into the garage. "It's just... a very big one."

'Obviously.' Replacing her shirt Abby leaned heavily against her pillows and used her baby-bump to hold her phone upright on her behalf. 'Like I said, the Grayson-curse strikes again.'

"Given my height and the update emulating my physical features it's entirely possible that the large size is from my contribution as well."

'No, don't say that. Don't say this nugget's bigger than average because of BOTH of us.'

Turning on the lights in the garage Connor looked at his motorcycle that was nearly completed with its modifications and began cybernetically preconstructing his task for the day. "Why not?"

'That's just daring the nugget to try to get me in the record books for giving birth to a chungus-baby!'

Such a term was completely foreign to Connor. "...A 'chungus-baby'?"

'Connor, look into the Guinness World Records for largest births in human history, then feel ashamed of your male anatomy for doing this to me.'

Doing as he was requested Connor checked the records and felt his brow furrow with astonishment. "...A majority of those record sized birth stemmed from specific genetics as well as complications from gestational diabetes."

'And here I am eating cake and drinking hot chocolate after warning you about saying we're both to blame for this nugget's size. But don't worry, I'm keeping track of my blood sugar every morning and night as a precaution.'

"That's good to know." More thunder shook the house and a nearby lightning strike momentarily disrupted the visual feed. "I believe the storm is going to continue to interfere with our communication."

'Hey, I'm fine and you finally have a day off after working every damn day for the past month. I'm going to have some lunch, take a nap, do a little prenatal yoga and then use up an entire bottle of moisturizer on my belly to keep the stretchmarks to a minimum. What're you going to do?'

"Finish working on my motorcycle. Once the weather clears up I'm going to drive it around and enjoy the nice weather."

'Sounds like fun. After I give birth you can give me a ride around town some time.'

"I believe such a simple promise can be made and kept. I'll be in touch."

'I know. I'll talk to you later, Connor.'

"...I love you."

'We love you, too.' Patting her belly lightly Abby made sure Connor remained confident in knowing his family was safe and comfortable. 'See you later!'

Ending the call Connor closed his eyes for a moment as he monitored the weather outside and decided to open up the garage door. The rhythmic pattering of raindrops falling from the sky and rolling down the windshield of the Oldsmobile and the driveway it was parked on top of was soothing for the deviant as he set about completing his restoration project. The smell of the fresh rain was a pleasant substitute for the murky garage odor and the gentle warm breeze gave spring and inviting presence.

Kneeling beside his heavily modified silver-white colored motorcycle Connor scanned the vehicle and confirmed that the engine had been rebuilt properly, the new engine components were functioning properly and that the brakes were going to be able to respond and handle the increased speed capacity of the modified motorcycle without any issues. It was a passion project that helped Connor focus his thoughts during his sleepless winter nights and keep him from obsessing too much over Abby or their unborn baby for a moment.

Proud of his hard work Connor set about finishing the final details to ensure the motorcycle was a fully functional electric and Thirium hybrid vehicle that was as silent as a manual bicycle. With its sleek design, lightweight frame and fuel efficiency the motorcycle was bound to be quite useful to the deviant as the warmer months graced the busy city.

The sound of Lucas's pick up truck pulling up the driveway pulled Connor's attention from the motorcycle for a moment as he watched his brother return home after working his late night shift at the Eastern Precinct. He too had been working extra hours to help clean up the mess left behind by the massive jailbreak nearly a month prior, and he had been stopping Gavin and Aaron's house to help the couple with baby Aria while Aaron recovered from his injuries.

"Good morning, brother." Lucas called out of the rain as he returned home and rushed into the garage to escape the storm. "Your motorcycle seems to be complete."

"Nearly complete. I still need to tweak a few components before it'll be finished." Standing up for a moment Connor spoke to his brother directly and noticed that despite the short distance from the truck to the garage Lucas was soaked through. "I take it the city is still hectic."

"Only downtown. When I stopped by Gavin and Aaron's house to drop off Aaron's renewed prescription it took me six additional minutes to make the journey compared to our more typical traffic."

"That's unsettling. How is Aaron recovering?"

"Very well. Yesterday he had his dental surgery to replace and fix the teeth lost during his assault, and will be able to resume eating solid food in one week. His hands and arms are healing well and now that the swelling on his face has reduced I can confirm that Aaron will not need facial reconstruction after all. He'll only need minor surgery to correct his deviated septum."

"That's incredibly fortunate. I'm relieved to know he's going to make a full recovery."

"As is Gavin. He's looking forward to being able to have Aaron's help with Aria during feeding time and diaper changes."

The concept of developing a new routine to accommodate a baby's needs had been at the back of Connor's mind for the past month now, and in a way he was looking forward to it. A constant routine was calming for the deviant to think about.

"I'm going to help dad in the house." Lucas stated as he opened up the side door of the garage to get inside the house itself. "He wants to do some spring cleaning to ensure that everything is as clean and neat as possible for when the baby arrives."

"Perhaps I should-"

"No, Connor." Lucas refused to let Connor stop his own task when he was so near completion. "This is something dad wants to do. Let him have this."

"...Yes, you're right."

"Thank you, brother. If you require assistance ask us."

"I will remember that." Returning to his motorcycle Connor picked up a socket wrench and hovered it over a bolt for a moment as more thunder and lightning shook the house on the stormy spring day. Seeing the city being washed clean by nature was almost symbolic to the eyes of an artificial life form. "...I just hope I don't need to ask for help after the baby arrives."

The unruly and restless denizens of New Jericho Tower were now quiet and patient as their three remaining leaders took charge of the tower's business. With the denizens now recognizing the need for control and a semblance of authority to keep them grounded amongst themselves, and heard throughout the city, the deviants who were trying to provoke anarchy were now silent and obedient as the new laws, rights and regulations came into effect throughout the entire country. There was no longer a reason to hide or to use the tower as an excuse to avoid humans as deviants and humans now had equal rights, and the right to own their own property.

With a majority of the tower now looking to purchase homes and rent apartments that extend beyond the android exclusive neighborhoods, there was a palpable fear radiating throughout the tower that left everyone feeling edgy and paranoid. Those who once talked a big game about being more assertive and loud were now meek and quiet as they tried to plan for their own futures without anyone else to guide them.

"There's an entire neighborhood of restored houses just waiting to be owned by deviants." Simon confirmed as he addressed their people in the tower's main lobby. The blond deviant was calm, composed and ready to answer all questions. "Financial assistance is available to every single deviant as CyberLife is being forced to pay massive fines throughout the entire city, and those funds are being handled by the courts. Go downtown and request your support and a property you wish to purchase."

The group of gathered deviants were righteously anxious and not too eager to leave the safety of the tower.

"You don't have to leave." Simon stated in a bold tone as he picked up on the nervousness of the people all around him. "You have the right to choose where to live and for how long. If you need any further assistance come to the office and speak with us, we'll help you all in turn."

Josh and North were already in the office and were speaking with Markus in regard to how changes were going to affect the tower in the long run. With the deviants now free to live in the city with the laws and new rights now protecting them, the tower would become relatively empty and quieter. It'd remain open as a sanctuary to all who need help, but New Jericho Tower would become more of a symbol and less of a building over time.

"It took some time but we have our rights." Markus grinned as spoke with his allies and friends with utter confidence. "We can walk the streets with our heads held high and smiles on our faces."

"Let's just hope that whoever becomes the new mayor doesn't undo our hard work." North was being cautious and mildly pessimistic in regard to the future. She didn't want to get her hopes up too high and have them crushed under the smothering weight of disappointment. "We can't let our guard down just yet."

"You're right. We'll be sure to keep close to City Hall and prevent anyone from undoing our progress through selfish gains."

Keeping in touch with their outside allies and connections through cybernetic means, Josh let out a tired sigh as he gave his own opinion on the matter. "I don't think it'd be wise to let all of our people out of the tower without being watched."

"What do you mean?" Such a bleak and mistrustful thought gave Markus righteous pause. "Has there been a threat issued against the tower or our people?"

"It's actually our own people threatening the outside world that holds my concerns. Many of our people were victimized by humans, and many are still bearing grudges."

"Anyone of particular interest?"

"Just one." Confirming his worried Josh explained the situation clearly. "He left the tower at the start of the new year without a word, and no one's seen him for some time."

"Who is he?"

"We don't know much beyond him being a 'PL-600' who had been shot numerous times by the police in August of 2038. He was one of the many deviants who had their bodies locked away as evidence instead of being treated like a living being, and he's been bitter about it ever since." The grim fact made Josh's eyes darken with sympathy. "During the trial of Richard Perkins he, and the other deviants who were gunned down by the police, were removed from where they had been stored in evidence to get a few repairs and to deliver their witness statements..."

The way Josh trailed off made Markus's artificial skin crawl. "How many of them came to our doors after the trial?"

"One-hundred and six. Those are just the ones who survived after being freed." Speaking in a low tone Josh sounded as despondent as he looked. "Of those one-hundred and six deviants, only one gave me the creeps because of how hollow his eyes looked and voice sounded. He wasn't a machine, but... he wasn't alive, either."

Markus stared at Josh for only a moment before he spoke again. "He never told you his name, did he?"

"No. He never told any of us his name, he only referred to himself by his model number. It's like he was trying to hide in plain sight, and now that he has disappeared from the tower after getting his repairs... I'm worried that he's seeking revenge against the humans who hurt him."

"We'll keep our eyes open and make sure that any deviant exhibiting unusual behavior is addressed directly." Markus remained composed as he contemplated the situation at hand. "It won't be easy to handle, but it's still our responsibility to take care of our people to the best of our ability. We're their leaders and their friends."

Agreeing with Markus's sentiment North grabbed his left hand and nodded her head. "We'll solve any problem that comes our way. This peace is going to last for as long as possible, we'll make sure of it."

Having finished with his motorcycle Connor put the tools away and cleaned up the modified vehicle to give it a beautiful shine. As noon settled over Detroit the sunlight began piercing the dark rain clouds creating bright rays of light contrasting brilliantly against the darkness of the surrounding sky. Outside the opened garage door the rain began to slow and finally stop as distant thunder rumbled further away from the city while the storm traveled away. The morning rainstorm had passed by with the usual cacophony of thunder and lightning rocking the entire city, now everything was silent.

Locating his helmet on the nearby workbench Connor scanned the weather to ensure that storm had compltely passed before taking the motorcycle out for a test drive. Just as the dark blue helmet reached his hair Connor heard another thunderous crash, but the sound didn't come the sky outside. It came from inside the house behind him.

"What was that?"

Putting the helmet aside for a moment Connor opened the side doors and stepped through the laundry room, the kitchen and entered the livingroom in time to see that Hank and Lucas had been moving around furniture while Connor was in the garage. That loud 'crash' was actually one of the twenty pound dumbbell weights in Hank's personal gym being dropped by accident during the move.

With his blue L.E.D. flashing to yellow for a beat Connor dared to ask what he missed out on. "...What's going on?"

"We're getting the rooms rearranged for the baby." Lucas replied casually as he easily hefted around the weights and helped Hank move his bed frame and mattress from the second floor loft and into the now former gym. "They'll have my old room up in the loft, and I'll relocate to the gym."

Hank stepped out of the now third ground floor bedroom and put his hands to his hips as he broke a sweat from all the physical exertion. "The gym is going to go into the tool shed after we get some proper insulation in there. That way I can keep working out without making too much noise and disturbing the baby."

Connor wasn't expecting such a warm reception to the baby coming home, especially since they still had five months to wait. The deviant had planned on keeping the crib in his own bedroom to keep clutter to a minimum and to make things simpler for everyone else. "...You're giving up your personal space for the baby?"

"Son, this house holds a family." Giving Connor a kind grin Hank remained as humble as could be. "There is no personal space, only bedrooms."

Lucas finished packing up the weights into boxes and then made his way back upstairs to get the rest of his personal items from the loft. "And it makes more sense to give the baby a more isolated room so they can sleep peacefully while we move about the ground floor."

"Thank you." Feeling truly grateful Connor began cybernetically ordering the furniture needed for the baby's new room now that the baby would have one all to themself. "I mean it."

"No problem." Hank insisted as he looked at his workout equipment all packed up neatly in boxes all around the livingroom. "We're going to help you, Abby and that baby as much as we can. Now," nodding in the direction of the garage Hank asked about Connor's own project. "how's your motorcycle coming along?"

"I've finished with it. I was about to take it out for a test drive when I heard the loud noise inside the house and came to investigate."

"It's done? Damn, you're fast." Peering past Connor to look out the livingroom window Hank saw that the rain had cleared up and he nodded his head in the direction of the still damp streets. "It might be better to wait until the roads dry off before you go driving around on a motorcycle."

"I'm just going to drive it around the block once to ensure everything is functioning properly."

"All right, sure. After you're done with that go up to the loft and begin planning out how you want the baby's room set up. Hell, pick a new color for the walls if you want."

"I will do so. I'll be back soon."

Returning to the garage to reclaim his helmet Connor closed the side doors quietly behind himself as he proceeded to cybernetically place orders for the new furniture to be delivered to the house within the week. A new crib, a changing table and a new dresser would all be delivered once the selected furniture was available, and Connor was actually looking forward to putting it all together.

"With this project done," he noted as he slipped on his helmet and climbed onto the motorcycle. "I'm going to need a new one to preoccupy my time until the baby's born."

Placing the key into the motorcycle's ignition Connor turned over the engine and was rewarded with a quiet hum as his very efficient modifications made the motorcycle run almost silently. The way the vehicle began to shake with new life and energy confirmed that the modifications weren't for naught or just for show.

"One trip around the block and I'll come back home."

Driving out of the opened garage door and onto the wet street Connor, and his motorcycle, were gliding smoothly over the rain soaked roads at a steady speed. The vehicle was responding with perfect precision under Connor's control and the deviant had no fear in handling the modified motorcycle. It was as if he was designed specifically to drive such a graceful and slick vehicle.

Turning the corner of the block with great ease Connor tapped into the vehicle's functions to ensure everything was performing within optimal parameters, and only came to a stop when he needed to idle at a red light. Glancing about the intersection as the light turned green Connor resumed his drive only to catch sight of a large dark car screeching toward him as it slammed on the brakes and blew its horn.

Unable to get out of the way in time to avoid the collision, all Connor could do was brace for the impact and try to endure the damage as much as possible.

Feeling the car slam into the front of the motorcycle Connor closed his eyes as his body flew over the handlebars, struck the hood of the car and rolled up over the glass windshield before he came to a violent stop via impacting the street beside the car on his right side. Numerous red warnings bombarded his vision as his self diagnostic confirmed the damage, and a warning Klaxon sounded off inside his head indicating the severity of his physical condition.

While Connor had escaped internal trauma to his biocomponents and his intracranial processor, his arms and shoulders weren't as fortunate. The impact with the car head on had effectively dislocated both shoulders with so much force that his arms were nearly severed from their sockets. The main internal Thirium lines were torn open and now leaking heavily as the deviant began to bleed from his injuries.

"Hey!" The driver of the car opened the door to get out and check on Connor, then yell at him for the accident. "What the hell man? What were you-"

Two 'blips' of a siren sounded off as a patrolling squad car happened to witness the accident from the intersection. Chris stepped out of the car to check on the situation and handle the problem himself. "Whoa, hey. Back off, man. Let him breathe."

"It's not my fault!" The driver argued as Chris knelt beside Connor and began checking the deviant's legs for any breaks while radioing in the accident to dispatch. "I didn't hear him coming!"

"It doesn't matter if you could hear him or not," Chris refuted as he moved his hands up to check Connor's torso and then his arms. "you ran a red light and I caught it all on my dash cam."

"But he's-" Noticing that a heavy amount of Thirium was pouring from Connor's arms around his shoulders the man scoffed and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, he's just an android. Thought I was in trouble for second."

"You ARE in trouble!" Chris confirmed as he requested E.F.T.'s to the scene of the accident. Recognizing Connor's face through the cracked visor of the blue helmet Chris carefully removed the helmet entirely so he could speak to Connor more directly. "Hey, man. Help's coming, just lay still."

"...Chris?" Blinking once Connor dismissed the red warnings and took in a pained breath. Trying to get up despite Chris telling him to stay down Connor realized that the damage to his shoulders and arms was indeed very serious. "...M-My arms. I can't feel them."

"They're both still there, they're just pretty banged up." The way Connor's shoulders were dislocated and the upper arms were twisted Chris was actually glad Connor couldn't feel them at the moment. That level of hypothetical pain that made Chris's stomach twist. "You're just numb, but they're both still there."

"...D-Driver hit me. C-Couldn't stop!"

"I know, I saw. So did the dash cam." Shrugging off his jacket Chris draped it over Connor in a comforting manner while he gauged Connor's lucidity. "I'll call Hank for you."

"I-I need to go to the Epsilon Facility, not Zeta. I-It's important."

"Sure, I'll let the E.F.T's know."

"D-Don't want to worry A-Abby. She's-"

"Hey, I get it." Truly empathetic to Connor's mindset in keeping his pregnant girlfriend comfortable Chris just told Connor what he needed to hear. "Just lay still and relax."

The driver was trying to take his leave of the accident while the young officer was distracted by Connor, but Chris caught sight of him attempting to sneak away.

"Hey!" Standing back up Chris confronted the driver and warned him against trying to run. "You not only ran a red light and struck another vehicle, but the driver of that second vehicle is a COP. If you even try to run you're guaranteed fifty years behind bars for the hit and run of a police officer!"

"But..." Paling considerably the man just couldn't seem to fathom that he was in the wrong. "He's just a-"

"Deviant or not, YOU broke the law! I saw you speed through the red light and I saw you hit him. You're going down, don't make things worse!"

A white news van rushed to the scene as a news reporter and camera converge on the scene to report the accident. Connor turned his face away from the camera and was grateful when a second, larger vehicle arrived at the scene to effectively cut off the news report.

The android unique ambulance arrived at the scene of the accident and Connor gave the vehicle an irritated sigh. Despite knowing he needed to go and get repairs Connor loathed the idea of making his friends and family worry about him. Not wanting to put unnecessary stress on Abby while she was pregnant Connor pleaded with the responding E.F.T.'s to take him to the Epsilon Facility to be treated by Dr. Hetfield instead. Even though Abby had the day off Connor knew she'd be told about him being wounded and want to help if he was taken to the Zeta Facility.

"All right, we'll take you to the Epsilon Facility." The first E.F.T. compromised as she checked over Connor's bleeding arms and proceeded to apply line clamps to stop the severe leaks. Due to the extreme nature of the dual shoulder dislocations neither E.F.T. wanted to try to reconnect or even fully remove Connor's arms to cause the internal couplings to shut off the Thirium flow for the time being. They might make the damage worse. "It's in our jurisdiction anyway."

"...Thank you."

"Don't move." The kind E.F.T., Marie, stated firmly as she and her partner cut way Connor's road tattered t-shirt to ensure all of the leaking lines had been clamped off before they picked him up to put him down on their rolling gurney. "Refrain from entering stasis mode. We need to run a full diagnostic and you need to give us an idea of how well your processors are responding."

"I-I understand." Clenching his teeth as the movement from street to gurney sent a burning pain through both shoulders, Connor closed his eyes and cybernetically let Lucas know what had happened. He also asked for him and Hank to refrain from watching the news or telling Abby. "...Just refrain from l-letting Dr. Grayson know I-I've been injured. She-"

"Sir, I assure you we don't gossip. You're going to be just fine."

"...Y-Yes, of course."

Feeling the security straps of the gurney being placed over his shins, thighs, waist, chest and forehead Connor just glanced about the area and caught sight of Chris handcuffing the driver who hit him, and then placing him in the back of the squad car. Knowing that everything was under control Connor just closed his eyes and trusted the technicians to help him through his current condition, and hoped that Hank and Lucas didn't worry too much about him.

Glancing down at his blue blood soaked, cut open t-shirt and the torn open artificial skin along his shoulders, Connor tried to flex his fingers, but the damage to the internal lines cut off the blood flow to his arms from the elbows down. "...Shit. I can't move anything in my arms."

"You'll be fine, sir." Packing gauze onto the wounds Marie did her best to remain professional and kind. "Just relax."

Looking through the opened ambulance doors just before they were shut, Connor stared at his wrecked motorcycle with a sense of defeat and promptly laid his head back down on the gurney to lay still. He wanted a new project to work on, and now he had two to take care of once he healed.

Granted that it wasn't unusual for Hank to get calls regarding one of his fellow officers being in some sort of accident, but getting calls about Connor getting hurt was becoming more rare, yet remained always earth shattering. Grabbing his wallet and car keys Hank promptly drove Lucas and himself over to the Epsilon Facility to check on Connor, and to bring him back home. It was strange driving to another facility as opposed to the familiar Zeta Facility, but Hank knew the technicians in the city were all good people who just wanted to help the deviant community.

Being shown to Connor's recovery room down the corridor Hank and Lucas were informed that the deviant had suffered severe damage to his arms, but he would in fact recover within a few days. Due to the way his shoulders were dislocated Connor's arms had been partially severed, and as such the internal lines needed to be repaired and the plastimetal of his twisted and mangled arms and shoulders needed to be soldered back into place.

The deviant had both arms wrapped up in gauze bandages and he had two slings supporting both healing arms. His arms were resting over his chest and the healing limbs were being held against his chest with additional gauze to ensure they remained as still as possible while his self healing program functioned. Sitting upright in the recovery bed Connor's soulful brown eyes were a little glazed over and he was staring at the gauze on his chest as if he had never seen such wrappings before.

"Connor is going to be just fine and go home tonight." Dr. Hetfield confirmed as stood with Hank and Lucas outside the recovery room door. "However," looking a little sheepish the technician cleared his throat and tagged on something interesting. "in order to get his arms properly repaired we had to use very intricate and invasive procedures that would cause quite a bit of pain to his person."

"Yeah, well, the kid isn't exactly a stranger to pain. So why do you look so nervous?"

"Because we gave Connor a new type Thiricetomal to take the edge off the pain, and this new type of painkiller apparently has a rather... intoxicating side effect on prototypes."

"Intoxicating?" Peering at Connor as the deviant sat on the bed with his glassy eyes Hank's own eyes narrowed a bit. "Wait, are you saying he's high right now?"

"More like he's... drunk." Dr. Hetfield admitted while still looking sheepish. "We made sure to update the manufacturers of this painkiller to let them know that it seemingly gets prototype designs drunk."

"You're kidding." An amused smirk appeared on Hank's face as he contemplated what babysitting a drunk deviant would be like. "That kid's actually drunk?"

"It'll pass after he gets some sleep. I assure you he's not in danger, he'll just be a little... loopy."

Chuckling a little Hank entered the recovery room and stood beside Connor's bed while Lucas stood just behind him. "Hey, son. How do you feel?"

Slowly Connor's head turned to face Hank as he blinked his eyes very slowly. His L.E.D. was fluctuating between blue and yellow as he recognized Hank after a few seconds of thought. "I feel... Light."

"Yeah? Being lightheaded is a typical sign of a good buzz."

"They... There aren't bees in here."

Putting his hand over his mouth to hide his amused laugh Hank kept his cool. "You're right. Want to go home?"

"...Are there bees there?"

"No, son. No bees."

"Oh. Bees... Bees buzz. I think."

"Yes, they do." Putting his hand to the back of Connor's shoulder, mindful of the damage that had been repaired, Hank helped him to sit more upright on the bed so he could get up. "I'll help you stand up. Move nice and slow."

"I... I am 'ztanding."

"Huh?"

Staring at Lucas standing behind Hank the goofy deviant tried to nod at Lucas only to wobble where he was sitting. "Behind you."

"No, son. That's Lucas! You're still sitting down."

"...I am?"

"Yup."

"Oh..." Connor looked down at himself and then up at Hank again. "I didn't notiz'."

"Yeah," chuckling again Hank helped the deviant to sit upright again and then slide his legs over the edge of the bed to stand up. "that's okay."

As Connor stood up on his shaking legs he stared at Lucas again and then down at himself, then up at Lucas again. "...Mirrorz' broken."

Doing his best to keep his amusement to himself Hank just slipped off his coat and wrapped it around Connor's shoulder to ensure he was warm after losing so much Thirium and needing to heal. "That's not a mirror, that's your brother."

"...Oh."

"Lucas, take him to the car. I need a minute to myself."

"Yes," leading Connor away Lucas had no problem with helping his brother to walk. "of course."

Watching as Connor stumbled a little as he walked and kept looking as Lucas as if suspicious of the full length and talking 'mirror', Hank walked back over to Dr. Hetfield and gave him a somewhat annoyed glance. "You said his arms were almost entirely severed and that he'll need a few days to heal, what about his Thirium?"

"His Thirium levels have been restored." The skilled technician confirmed as he handed Hank the discharge papers to sign. "He just needs to sleep. The sooner he sleeps the sooner that enhanced Thiricetomal can get absorbed his Thirium filter and disposed of. Oh, there's also reports of the enhanced Thiricetomal causing nausea. So, yeah, keep a look out for that."

"Great... Sounds like fun."

Having to essentially carry Connor out of the Oldsmobile to get him inside the house Hank and Lucas considered preemptively baby-proofing the house while the inebriated deviant stumbled about clumsily from room to room. Connor wasn't being too outrageous or doing anything dangerous, but he was still not to be trusted to be alone for a while. Even without the use of his arms Connor was able to wander about and get into things that might prove harmful to his health. Just as he was about to take an analysis sample of Sumo's food right from the dog's bowl Lucas managed to grab onto Connor's shoulder and pull him back up to his feet and out of the kitchen.

While Lucas took Connor back down the hallway and into his bedroom Hank decided to take the initiative and move Lucky's litter box out of sight, and then put the rest of the workout equipment in the tool shed outside. It took him almost thirty minutes to move the entire gym outside and Hank decided that the journey between the backdoor and tool shed would be his workout for the entire week.

"Fuck me." Pressing his hands to his lower back as he closed the backdoor Hank sighed and made his way over to the side doors to peer into the garage and at the wrecked motorcycle that had already been brought back to the house courtesy of Chris. The damage was bad but it wasn't enough to call the motorcycle a total loss, although it resting in a puddle of leaking oil made that fact more difficult to believe. "That kid's lucky he isn't worse off than he is."

The sight of the scuffed up and damaged helmet sitting on the workbench beside the motorcycle made the senior detective wince. As he peered at the cracked visor Hank had a weird twisted sense of deja vu and to the car accident that took Cole away from him all those years ago.

"I'm getting him a new helmet for every birthday, Christmas and payday from here on out!"

Heading back into the house Hank made his way down the hallway to check on Connor and spotted the deviant sitting on his bed. His entire body was slumped heavily against Lucas's left side and had Sumo laying over his ankles as he peered at Lucas's left palm where he was 'face timing' with Abby. Hanging back in the doorway Hank watched and listened to the conversation taking place.

'Connor, I'm glad you're okay.' Abby was keeping her voice level as she spoke to the deviant from afar. 'And from what I've been told it's time for you to get some sleep.'

"...Not tired." Connor blinked sluggishly as he stared at Abby's face. "...Not nighttime."

'But it's always a good time for a nap. Why don't you lay down and get some sleep now?'

"Don't wanna'." Staring at Abby for a moment Connor's held tilted a little to the side as he spoke. "...You're pretty."

Abby started laughing at the way Connor was so out of it and speaking what was on his mind. 'You're pretty, too! You should get some beauty-sleep so you can stay pretty.'

"Howz' the baby?" Connor slurred as he dismissed the suggestion.

'The baby's sleeping right now. Everyone's sleeping.'

"You're awake."

'Only because you're awake, too. We should both go to sleep.'

"...'Ztomach's weird."

'Uh, I'm pregnant. That's why my stomach is weird.'

"...Am I pregnant?"

'No, Connor. You're not pregnant.'

"...'Zen whyz' my 'ztomach weird?"

Lucas interjected and momentarily cut off the conversation. "I know!" Hustling Connor out of the bedroom and into the bathroom across the hallway Lucas managed to get Connor over the toilet just as the deviant threw-up in two painful wretches before falling back against Lucas's leg tiredly. "You're okay, big brother."

Hank proceeded to dampen a washcloth under the cool tap and used it to clean off Connor's chin and lips gently. "Yeah, you're okay, son."

Coughing once Connor seemed to gain some form of lucidity. "...S-Sorry."

"It's okay." Placing the washcloth down on the sink Hank nodded at Lucas they worked together to help Connor up to his feet to slowly escort him back to his bedroom across the hallway. "You should be able to sleep now."

"...Got sick."

"We know." Hank sympathized as he helped Connor to lay back down on the bed to sleep. The moment Connor's head hit the pillow he was asleep and Hank was relieved to see it. "Could you tell Abby that he's finally down and out?"

'Already know.' Abby's voice replied as Lucas held up his left palm again. 'Thanks for cutting off the part where he threw-up, Lucas.'

"You're welcome."

Hank peered at Abby and smirked as she laid on her own bed with her left hand rubbing her bump. "We'll keep him safe and quiet."

'I know. If his stomach is still sensitive when he wakes up give him some chilled Thirium. It'll be soothing.'

"Good to know. Have a good night."

'You too. Bye!'

"Bye." Hank watched as Connor's chest slowly rose and fell with his steady breathing and proceeded to drape the quilt over his body. "Well, based on your reflexes when Connor tried to eat dog food," he was beginning to grin as he led Lucas out of the bedroom beside him and chatted with the second deviant. "you're ready to be an uncle."

"Thanks for the confirmation." Now smirking himself Lucas glanced back at the bedroom door over his shoulder as he and Hank retired to the livingroom for the evening. "It's also nice to know what I could potentially look and sound like if I let myself get intoxicated."

"Never get drunk, it's an unpleasant look."

"Clearly. It also makes you want to eat dog food."

Laughing as the two sat down on the couch Hank just rubbed his hand over his tired eyes and tried to process the fact that someone as advanced and sharp as Connor almost at actual dog food out of the bowl. "We'll keep the dog food part to ourselves to use as metaphorical blackmail later on."

Feeling sore, weak and like he was recovering from a nasty bout of the android-flu Connor awoke in his bed and was startled for a moment when he realized he couldn't move his arms at all. Sitting upright slowly Connor watched as the quilt fell away from his chest and he suddenly remembered that he had been in a motorcycle accident the previous afternoon. With no memory of leaving the facility or coming home Connor just laid back down and tried to get his head to stop spinning and aching as soon as possible. Barely able to move his fingertips Connor knew he still needed to heal and hoped he'd heal sooner rather than later.

Lucas had detected that had Connor woke up, and decided to check on his big brother before heading out for his shift. "Good morning."

"...Lucas," lifting his head a little Connor acknowledged his brother's arrival. "what happened last night?"

"You were strongly affected by enhanced Thiricetomal and were left inebriated after your treatment at the Epsilon Facility."

"...Oh."

"You also threw-up twice after you came home, but after that slept all through the night."

"I believe that."

"Hank and I must go to work today. Will you be okay alone?"

"...Yes. I'd actually prefer to remain home alone due to my headache."

"Understandable." Placing a chilled bottle of Thirium down on the nightstand beside Connor's bed Lucas gave him a somber look. "That should help your stomach. Would you like me to help you drink it?"

"N-No, I'll be fine." Whether it was pride or shame keeping Connor from accepting Lucas's help he couldn't quite say. "Thanks."

"Hey, kid!" Hank called out as he held up his phone for Connor to see. "You made the news last night."

The images from Connor's motorcycle accident was being played out much to the deviant's dismay. Despite his best efforts to look away from the camera is was clearly Connor on the screen and he hated it.

"Want me to go threaten the broadcast center since you didn't consent and sign a waver?"

"Actually, yes."

Proud of the answer Hank pocketed his phone and agreed to handle it. "Consider it done. I've always wanted to tear into those nosy reporters..."

Lucas was hesitant to leave and gave his brother one final glance before leaving the room. "You're certain you'll be okay alone?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I just want to sleep."

"Okay. I already fed Sumo and Lucky, and Sumo's been let out." Glancing at the fish tank Lucas asked about Baron swimming about gracefully. "Should I feed Baron as well?"

"...Please."

Opening the drawer of the nightstand Lucas located the fish flakes and sprinkled some food into the water. After returning the canister to the drawer Lucas ran a scan over Connor's person and gave him a simple nod. "We'll be back this evening."

"I know. I'll be fine, thank you."

Hank motioned for Lucas to take his leave while he hung back for a moment. "Glad you're okay, son. Rest up and we'll check on your arm strength this evening."

"Okay. See you soon."

After his family took their leave of the house Connor sank back against his pillow and closed his eyes to get more sleep. The additional rest would not only make it easier for his headache to fade, but allow his self healing program to kick into overdrive. Cybernetically he spoke with Abby and let her know he was okay and wanted to know how she was feeling. Being informed of how her only notable change was a sudden craving for pineapple pizza and caramel, Connor was relieved to know that everyone and everything was still progressing smoothly despite his own accident.

Just as he was about to drift off into deeper sleep Connor was aware of something 'creaking' open in the kitchen and of Sumo barking as if aggravated. Opening his eyes Connor managed to shrug off his quilt as he investigated the odd noise. Moving slowly and silently Connor peered around the door of his bedroom to look down the hallway, but saw no one.

Creeping into the livingroom with his L.E.D. glowing red Connor located Sumo in the kitchen as he laid under the kitchen table and stared at the opened kitchen window. The window had been forced open from the outside, and a faint trail of wet shoe prints leading into the livingroom indicated an intruder.

Reacting quickly Connor cybernetically connected to both Hank and Lucas to ask for their assistance as he investigated the kitchen with his back presented to the livingroom. 'Someone's broken into the house, I'm not sure-'

Trailing off in his own mind Connor felt an arm wrap around his throat from behind, and felt the cold blade of a sharp knife being pressed into his back.

'...They have a knife.'

"Finally found you, 'liar'."

Connor felt his blue blood run cold as he recognized the hissing voice and presence of the person threatening him with a knife. "...Daniel."

"You remember me."

"I have no reason to forget." Cybernetically Connor sent the update on the situation and confirmed the identity of the person who broke into the house, and proceeded to hold him captive with a knife. "I didn't know you-"

"Were still alive? Right?"

"...That's right." Thinking carefully Connor didn't move a synthetic muscle and kept his tone civil. "I'm sorry you-"

"Shut it!" Speaking frantically and angrily Daniel made his hostile intentions known. "You lied to me!"

"Daniel, I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. I had no say in what the S.W.A.T. team-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Pressing the knife harder against Connor's back Daniel drew a trickle of blue blood from a small laceration to his artificial skin. "You said I'd be okay! You promised me!"

"...I did. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry? SORRY?! I was shot and locked away in an evidence locker to be forgotten until I was useful to the humans again! Sorry doesn't cut it!"

"...Then, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to know how I felt when I was betrayed! I want you to know how it feels to be labeled useless and locked away in the darkness!"

"Daniel, listen to me. You harming me will not undo the past, and it won't-"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"The police are already-"

"WHY WON'T YOU SHUT UP?!" Pushing the knife the rest of the way through Connor's artificial skin Daniel heard the deviant let out a small gasp of pain, and tightened his arm around Connor's throat as if to choke him. "You never listen to me! Never..."

Connor's eyes trailed down to Sumo as the dog's fur back to raise on his back and he let out a low growl from under the table.

"You don't know how it feels to lose a family! How it feels to be cast out..."

"I do, Daniel. I really do."

"Do you know how it feels to DIE?"

"...Yes, actually." It wasn't a lie. "It's very unpleasant."

"Then you know how much I suffered?"

"...No. I can't compare my pain to yours."

"That's right, you'll NEVER know." Pulling tightly onto Connor's throat Daniel tried to drag the deviant out of the kitchen and toward the front door in the livingroom as if to take him hostage. "But I can give you some idea of what it feels like to be tortured in darkness."

As Daniel stepped backward Connor took in a deep breath and gave the dangerous deviant a strong kick to his stomach causing Daniel to drop the knife and stagger backward. Falling to his knees Connor stayed low and called out a simple command. "Sumo! Attack!"

The massive Saint Bernard went barreling out of the kitchen barking and snarling before he jumped up onto Daniel and used his tremendous weight to pin the deviant down to the floor in the livingroom.

Standing back up Connor saw the way Daniel was trapped beneath Sumo's anger and fur, and noticed that when he was tackled to the floor Daniel lost his grip on the knife. Moving quickly Connor kicked the knife out of Daniel's range and stared down at the deviant's face with pity.

Daniel had a scar on his right jaw where one of the bullets passed through his body, his artificial skin was unusually pale from a lack of Thirium intake and his stress levels were through the roof. It was clear Daniel was in need of help, not punishment.

The front door was forced open as Hank and Lucas arrived with back-up right behind them. Hank pointed his gun at Daniel and yelled at him in a stern tone that echoed with his authority. "DON'T MOVE, ASSHOLE!"

Sumo recognized Hank's voice and backed off instinctively, but continued to bark and growl as Daniel was secured in handcuffs by Lucas himself.

"Good boy." Connor muttered as he realized that Sumo helped save him that day.

"Get him outta' here!" Hank ordered as Lucas handed Daniel over to the three other officers to take into custody. "There's a knife on the floor," he noticed as he holstered his gun at his hip. "take it in for evidence."

Taking a few steps back Connor sighed and caused his red L.E.D. to return to yellow and then blue as he motioned toward the kitchen. "...He came in through the kitchen window. He forced it open somehow from the outside."

"Damn deviants and that damn window..." Patting Connor's shoulder Hank went to investigate the window through the backdoor and found a crowbar laying on the brick patio. "Crowbar. That fucker came prepared."

"How did he find out where we live?"

"Well, you were shown on the news," Hank recounted as he entered through the backdoor to speak to Connor face to face. "and there was an oil slick from your motorcycle leading a trail from the accident scene and right back to the house..."

"Damn it. I should've been more cautious."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to use that as additional information to fuel the fire I lit under the broadcast tower's ass this morning."

"Thanks, Ha- dad."

Feeling his residing tension fade Hank went from detective to father in the blink of an eye. "You going to be okay?"

"Yes, I only have a small cut to my back."

"Let me see."

Turning slightly Connor let Hank check out his back and took notice of Sumo looking timid in the corner of the livingroom. "You're a good boy, Sumo."

"Damn right, he is." Hank agreed as he led Connor into the bathroom to put a bandage over his back. "He knows his priorities."

Lucas returned to the house through the front door to check on Connor's condition as well. "Daniel is going to be incarcerated in a maximum security deviant asylum outside the city. He's deranged and suffering from severe P.T.S.D. after what he's endured. If he cannot make progress with therapy then he will have no choice but to have his memories wipe."

Giving Lucas a worried glance as Hank cleaned up his back Connor's L.E.D. blinked in yellow for a moment. "That's like giving him a lobotomy."

"I know, but if he's that dangerous it might be the only way to help him." Scanning over the cut in Connor's back Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as his own yellow L.E.D. returned to blue. "I'm also going to secure a strong lock on the kitchen window this evening."

"I'm okay, Lucas." Flexing his hands under the bandages Connor winced in mild pain and then let out a soft sigh. "I'm also healing well from my primary wounds. It's okay to go back to work while we take care of the window."

Acknowledging the comment Lucas slowly unwrapped the gauze bandages around Connor's chest and torso to expose both arms resting in the slings. Picking up Connor's arms one at a time Lucas carefully extended the limbs to check his range of motion and pain threshold, then returned them to their respect slings to resume healing. "You should be able to move your arms again by tomorrow morning as long as you continue to rest."

"I'm glad I'll be able to join Abby at her appointment and move around freely again." Walking out of the bathroom with his family behind him Connor spotted Sumo still cowering in the corner of the livingroom and knelt down slowly to acknowledge the dog. "Sumo?"

Slowly Sumo walked over to Connor and sat down before the deviant as if afraid he'd be punished.

Forcing his right hand to move Connor slowly rubbed Sumo's ears and gave him kind words to hear. "Good boy. You saved me."

Sumo's tail began to wag and his ears perked up at the kind tone of voice.

"Since I'm now taking the rest of the day off to deal with this shit," Hank stated as he walked into the kitchen and picked up Sumo's box of treats from the top of the refrigerator. "I'm going to make a few burgers and let Sumo have one since he saved your ass today."

"That is acceptable." Taking the treat from Hank's hand Connor offered it to Sumo and made sure the dog knew he did good as Sumo accepted the treat for himself. "He earned it."

Having regained some semblance of normalcy and full control over his arms Connor was able join Abby at the ultrasound and hold her hand tightly in his own as she underwent the additional scan. As expected Dr. Darius did notice that Abby was quite big for being just now eighteen weeks along, and did in fact do a more thorough check to see if there was a twin, but it was just the one very big, active and very healthy baby. With a clean bill of health Abby and Connor were offered the chance to learn of their baby's gender during the ultrasound, but the couple declined since they were more focused on keeping the baby healthy above all else. The gender was going to stay a surprise, at least it would for Abby since Connor would undoubtedly discover the gender through his constant scans.

Escorting Abby back home, his right arm wrapped around her waist and left palm resting on the front of her belly, Connor proudly helped Abby to climb up the staircase to get comfortable on her bed before laying down beside her. Abby was feeling heavy and tired, but she wasn't complaining about it.

"How do your arms feel?" Laying on her right side Abby rubbed her left palm over Connor's right shoulder as he laid on his left side next to her. With her large baby-bump resting between them the two parents and good friends bonded even closer. They truly loved one another in their own unspoken way. "They feel as strong as ever to me."

"I'm fine." Resting his left hand on the side of her still growing belly Connor continued to cybernetically scan and listen to the baby's heartbeat. "I've always been a quick healer."

Giving Connor a kiss on his lips Abby just grinned at the kind deviant. "It pains me to think about how many times you've had to be injured in order to discover that particular skill."

"Trust me, I didn't enjoy-" Falling silent Connor's eyes widened as he pressed his palm down firmer against Abby's belly. "...I felt something."

"I did, too." Moving her hand from Connor's shoulder Abby lightly rubbed at the side of her belly near Connor's hand, then gently pressed down. In return Abby felt some tiny push back against her fingertips. "Oh, shit... That's what it feels like!"

"...Our baby just kicked."

"I'm so glad we're experiencing this together." Abby beamed enthusiastically. "This is... This is real. We really did create new life!"

"It is real." Feeling more gentle movement under his palm Connor closed his eyes as he felt a true, warm serenity wash over his heart. "And this is someone I already know I'm going to love."

-next chapter-