It was a bright and warm morning in June as spring readied to transition into summer. With the baby's room now ready to welcome the newest member of the Anderson family Connor stood in the middle of the room and glanced about the area with a sense of eagerness and longing. The white walls were adorned with framed photographs of bright clouds and rainbows, while the ceiling was dotted with stars that would only become visible in the dark. The beige carpet had been shampooed and vacuumed to ensure it was clean, the changing table was full of powder, cream and brand new diapers ready to go, and the dresser was filled with baby clothes and a few spare blankets.

A mobile of the of the planetary system hung over the crib while a clean and soft cotton pad lined the bottom of the crib to ensure that the baby would be able to sleep comfortably. In the far corner of the crib was a stuffed Saint Bernard courtesy of Hank as he insisted that every kid needed to have a puppy growing up, but Sumo would be a little too big for them to cuddle with for a while.

Staring out the window to street outside Connor looked up at the bright blue sky and decided that the day was the perfect day to go out and buy something special for Abby. Walking down to the ground floor of the house Connor could hear Lucas playing his saxophone in his bedroom and knew that Hank was out in his new gym that had been moved to the tool shed out in the backyard.

Opening the backdoor and quietly slipping outside without getting Sumo's attention, Connor walked over to the tool shed and heard the heavy metal playing through the closed door. Pushing the door open Connor watched Hank laying over the bench press and easily pressing one-hundred and twenty pounds despite his more advanced age and previously broken left wrist. Connor was genuinely impressed with his strength.

"Dad?" Calling out over the music Connor watched as Hank looked up at him and then returned the weight to its supports above him before sitting up. Turning off the music Connor closed the door behind him and sat down on the weight rack beside him. "...Can we talk?"

"Sure, son." Grabbing the towel from the table holding his bottle of water Hank wiped the sweat from his brow and the back of his neck as he gave his deviant son his full attention. "What's on your mind?"

"I was... wondering what you think of Abby?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Do you... like her?"

"Of course I do. Even before she was carrying my grandchild I liked her." Tossing the towel aside Hank sipped at his water and pulled the fabric of his sweat soaked 'Knights of the Black Death' shirt from his chest for a moment. "She's smart, funny, pretty and has a big heart. Why do you ask?"

"Because, I , uh... Well..."

Seeing the blue blush fill Connor's cheeks Hank chuckled and leaned forward with his elbows resting atop his knees. "Thinkin' of proposing?"

"...Yes." Confessing his current thoughts Connor sought confirmation. "But I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do."

"Why's that?"

"Abby wants to have the baby but she doesn't want to be a hands-on mother. I feel like if I ask her to... marry me, then she'd resent me."

"You do know that being married doesn't mean that you two have to be attached at the hip, right?"

"I... I don't understand that metaphor."

"What I mean is, you can be married and still live your lives separately. She doesn't have to give up her career or force herself to be more hands-on if she isn't ready if you two do get married. You wouldn't change your plans regarding the baby if you were married, would you?"

"No, regardless if I'm married or not I will still take care of my child to the best of my ability."

"Then Abby's plans can stay the same, too. You'd just have better insurance from being married."

"Thank you for the affirmation." Staring at the floor beneath his feet Connor felt a nervousness settle in the pit of his artificial stomach. "Can I ask how you knew it was the right time, the right thing to do... when you proposed to Barbara?"

"Well, we talked about marriage a few times while we were dating. That's the big thing a lot of couples tend to overlook, and just assume the other's onboard with getting married." Always happy to instill his wisdom on his sons Hank spoke to Connor from his heart. "And then after we had our second anniversary together as a couple without any doubts in our minds about how much we loved each other, I went and found Barbara a diamond ring and did my best to find one that was as beautiful as she was. Her smile was enough to put every damn jewel in that store to shame..."

"And how did you propose?"

"We went out to the cabin for our usual summer vacation away from the city, and on the first night I took her out to the dock, waited for the sun to start setting, got down on my knee and asked for her to marry me. She said yes, I put the ring on her finger and then we dove into the water to-" Feeling himself blush for a moment Hank tried to casually clear his throat before finishing. "We celebrated. No big deal..."

"I see."

The way Connor was lost in his own thoughts didn't escape Hank's attention. "Son?"

Looking over at his father with a silent gaze Connor listened to his words very carefully.

"If you want to propose to Abby then you have my blessing. I trust your judgement in general, but I can honestly say that I think you and Abby belong together. There's just something about the way you two bring out the best in one another and always seem to have a sense of hope when you're both together that makes you just... fit."

"Thank you for saying so."

"What's she doing right now?"

"Resting." Holding up his right palm Connor showed Hank an image of Abby sporting her eight month pregnant belly and didn't need to say anything more. "She is carrying quite large and wants to keep her back and hips from hurting."

One glance at the image made Hank scoff a little. "And you're SURE she isn't carrying twins?"

"I'm certain, as is her doctor. There's a chance she'll need a caesarean section due to how large the baby is, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes to it."

"Well, whatever happens you know that you'll have me and Lucas supporting you both through everything."

"I know, and thank you."

"Why don't you go out and find a ring for Abby and then... ask. It couldn't hurt."

"But you said we should-"

"Yeah, yeah... But we both know Abby well enough by now that if she wasn't ready to settle down with you then she wouldn't trust you so much with your child. The maternal instinct is pretty much indestructible, so for her to give you full custody of the baby when they'll be at their most vulnerable says a lot about how much she trusts you. And she trusts you so much is because she loves you! Ask her." Laying back down Hank took hold on the weight above him to resume his workout. "Trust me on this."

"Okay." Looking at the image on his palm for a moment Connor stood up and headed toward the door to leave. "Thank you for helping me think this through."

"No problem, son. Turn the music back on and then go find Abby a nice ring." Waiting for Connor to take his leave Hank resumed his workout and just smirked with a paternal pride. "That kid seriously has no idea how much Abby loves him..."

Locating a large jeweler in the heart of the city Connor made his painfully slow and meticulous decision as he sought the perfect engagement ring to offer Abby. Having gotten to know Abby fairly well over the year and half since they met each other Connor noticed that the kind technician seemed to favor the color blue, preferred modesty over anything flashy, and she had a taste for things simple rather than elaborate. Honing in on a sapphire stone cut into a perfect circle with two smaller square cut diamonds on either side of the sapphire and secured to a platinum band, Connor knew that the ring would be the perfect fit for Abby if she accepted his proposal.

Paying for the ring and securing it in a white box with a white interior, Connor held the ring tightly in his right hand and tucked it into the interior pocket of his leather jacket out of sight. Leaving the jewelry store Connor decided he wanted to propose to Abby in a special way but nothing too grand as she wasn't a fan of big shows or anything that would draw a lot of attention. Walking toward Riverside Park to take a look at the bridge Connor thought about everything he and Abby had been through together, and tried to think of the best way to ask for her hand in marriage.

Leaving the store behind Connor kept his right palm over his chest and the ring box tucked in the jacket feeling entirely confident. Such confidence suddenly faltered when he heard an angry voice call out to him from behind. The tone of the voice and the proximity told the deviant that his quiet afternoon was about to get unfortunately raucous.

Turning around Connor found himself suddenly face-to-face with a group of four deviants, each one brandishing scars over their faces, necks and hands from their past abuse at the hands of dangerous humans. Running a quick scan gave Connor names for each of the four deviants; Randy, a former security android who had been used as target practice by a group of rookie cops was leading the group toward Connor with purpose behind his steps. Morgan, a former 'Traci' was right at Randy's side and had Trent, a former construction android and Riley, an android who worked as a club bouncer, walking behind them.

Based on his scans and cybernetic connections to the precinct Connor was able to confirm that the four had all suffered assaults from the humans and were looking for justice. When Randy was denied such justice because higher-ups protected their officers, Morgan was ignored because of her 'occupation' at the 'Eden Club', Trent had his case dismissed since he was labeled under tools and equipment rather than an employee, and Riley was dismissed due to the affiliation of powerful crime lords at the club he had been assigned, the quartet swore they'd get justice in their own way.

"You're that fucking traitor!" Randy shouted as he grabbed onto Connor's black t-shirt collar, and pulled the deviant up to his own face in an aggressive manner to yell directly in his face. "You're the 'Deviant Hunter'!"

"No," Connor's first instinct was to deescalate the situation. "you're mistaken."

"Don't try to bullshit me! I know it's you!"

Morgan correctly identified Connor as she flung a lock lock of wavy blonde hair behind her left shoulder. "That's him. He's the one who went to the 'Eden Club' when Echo killed that creepy bastard who murdered another 'Traci'!"

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of the impending conflict Connor did his best to remain civil and honest. "I let Echo and Ripple go. I promise you that they're safe."

"But what about me?!" Punching Connor in his right shoulder Morgan nearly spat in his face. "I was there that night and you didn't help me escape! I was being assaulted every damn night, too!"

"I... I didn't know you were a deviant." Looking Morgan in her green eyes Connor addressed the situation in an honest manner. "I'm sorry that you were left behind."

"Oh, you're sorry?" Turning to Randy beside her Morgan wasn't satisfied with the apology. "Is sorry going to undo the pain and suffering we endured? Is that supposed to make us feel better and just forget the past?"

"No." Admitting that words were cheap and far from helpful for people who were denied justice, Connor gave the quartet a somber glance. "I know that I was wrong to let CyberLife use me and that I deserve to be exiled from the deviant community. I deserve to be punished."

"Damn right!" Randy slammed Connor's back up against the side of the nearest building as he continued to yell in his face. "You see this?!" Pointing to a deep gashing scar that stretched from the corner of his left eye, across his cheek and down his jawline Randy's blue eyes were bright with rage. "This is from one of the damn cops in this city that murdered innocent deviants the night of the Revolution! You work with those people and think you have the right to look any of us in the face? You sicken me!"

"...I sicken myself."

"Shut it!" Trent pulled a switchblade from his tattered jeans pocket and pressed it to Connor's right cheek. "You think we're dumb enough to believe your 'I'm so sorry, I'm a victim, too!' act?" Trent's voice was warbling with an electronic reverb and his right eye flickered between blue and black as the damaged optical unit struggled to function. "Do you know what it feels like to be run over by a damn car just for being ordered to direct traffic!? Do you know what it feels like to have your legs run over by a four-ton vehicle and hear your limbs snap? Do you know how it feels to drag your yourself off the street and into the gutter because you were ordered to get of the way?"

"...No, I don't." Forcing himself to look the menacing deviant in the eyes Connor tried to sympathize with him. "And I never will understand your pain."

Riley, who had been hanging back a little, was infuriated by Connor's lack of arrogance and punched the wall beside the deviant's head to demonstrate his frustration in a very effective manner. "Piece of shit! You think being humble will save you from the beating your ass deserves?"

"No. I'm not trying to evade punishment." Sensing the righteous hostility Connor knew he was going to be assaulted regardless of what he said or did, he just didn't know how severely. "I should've known that the humans were using me sooner, and I am undoubtedly guilty of traumatizing my own people."

"That's right, you are. I've been insulted, punched, kicked, spat on, pissed on and had countless drinks thrown in my face by drunk humans throwing around their money and power!" Grabbing onto Connor's hair Riley held the deviant's head back against the wall by bending his neck at a painful angle. "The final straw was when some rich asshole's kid stabbed me in the back, laughed at me and slapped me in the face. I pulled the knife out and stabbed him in the fucking neck before I disappeared into the night. The kid lived and the club actually tried to find me just so I could be handed over to that asshole's family so they could destroy me! I was nothing more than a damn prop for that kick to use!"

"I know." Connor swallowed once nervously as he glanced at the four deviants who pinned him up against the wall to threaten him. "And I know you all tried to go to the police for help, but no one bothered to help you." Closing his eyes Connor braced for the impending attack against his person. "I can't undo the past or atone for the mistakes of other people, all I can do is answer for my own failures."

Randy punched Connor in the stomach, but Riley kept the deviant from curling around his pained abdomen. "And you're going to start answering right now..."

One by one the four deviants took turns kicking and punching Connor in his face, chest and stomach, wanting him to feel the pain that they felt. Without letting out a yelp of protest or pain Connor just endured the violent assault and didn't even try to get away. Despite his best efforts to put his past behind him Connor didn't want to deny the other deviants who were unable to move on from their own pasts from being able to feel a sense of justice.

Being dropped to his knees Connor coughed up a small amount of blue blood, and felt another kick to his chest that caused him to collapse forward onto the sidewalk beside the building. Feeling the switchblade from Trent's hand being pressed firmly against his right cheek Connor didn't flinch when blood was forced to his skin, but he did let out a shocked gasp as the blade was suddenly slashed over his eyes disabling his optical relay units in a single fell swoop.

Blinded and stunned Connor trembled with actual fear as he tried to cybernetically call out for help, but that effort was quickly stalled when that same offensive blade was stabbed into his right temple forcing his L.E.D. sputter in red before it went dark. Collapsing to his left side in pain and confusion Connor saw only blackness with intermittent flashes of red as the quartet ran off into the city.

The sound of their footsteps scampering away echoed for a moment before Connor was left alone with only the emergency Klaxon sounding off inside his own mind to fill the silence. Due to the damage to his cranium and the switchblade still embedded in the plastimetal Connor couldn't cybernetically call out for help, his G.P.S. was disabled and his overall sense of location had been effectively destroyed.

"...Sh-Shit. I need... I need help!"

Using his palms Connor searched over the sidewalk to make sure there was nothing in his way as he used the flat surface to lead him away from the building and toward an isolated alleyway to hide from sight. Staggering up to his feet, his hands guiding his way upward, Connor used his hands as his eyes as he sought a safe place to hide away from the world and heal before moving anywhere else.

Sinking to the ground with his back against the surface of the building Connor's right hand found the handle of the switchblade still piercing his cranium, while his left hand rested over the engagement ring still safely secured in his jacket's interior pocket. Just as he tried to pull out the blade he heard an unexpectedly familiar voice calling out to him with abject worry heavy in his voice.

"Connor?!"

Freezing his hand in place Connor responded to the deviant's arrival. "...Markus."

Markus's mismatched eyes went wide as he knelt in front of Connor and looked him over carefully. The abundance of blue blood staining Connor's face, running down his eyes and seeping from the switchblade in his right temple made the deviant openly wince. "Shit, what happened?"

"...J-Jumped." There was no point in trying to deny what had happened to him. "Four angry deviants assaulted me."

"Son of a bitch. This is unforgivable."

"They had every right to-"

"No way! Them being pissed off is no excuse for this."

Too disoriented and pained to really think Connor just uttered a single request. "...Help?"

"Yeah, of course." Grabbing onto Connor's left arm Markus wrapped the limb around his shoulders and helped the deviant up to his feet. Taking slow and steady steps Markus guided Connor out of the alleyway and out toward the street. "Come on. I'll take you to a facility."

"N-No, don't..."

"You need help."

"I-I know, but..." As much as he wanted to collapse to the ground and hope his eyes healed before anyone else found him, Connor knew it'd be too damn foolish to refuse to let someone help him. Even if that someone was Markus. "...No facility. It's complicated."

"All right, fine. I'll take you back to your house."

"No! No, not yet. I..." The very notion of scaring Hank, Lucas or Abby was enough to make Connor's heart race. "I can't return to the house like this."

"Then you're coming to my house. I have supplies that can treat your injuries, and I can ask for Simon to stop by. He can bring more supplies from the tower."

"...Th-That is acceptable."

"Okay. Lean on me," directing Connor over to the street where Markus cybernetically hailed an autonomous cab to take them back to the mansion, Markus held the wounded deviant up at his side. "I'll get you to safety. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"No."

Hearing the stone in Connor's voice was all Markus needed to know that the subject wasn't going to be discussed any time soon. "Okay, you don't have to."

Helping Connor to sit down in the back of the newly arrived cab Markus cybernetically put in the address to his mansion and returned his attention to Connor's bleeding eyes. The damage from the knife had scratched over the glass of Connor's optical units and in turn Connor's eyes were flickering between their normal brown tinted irises and white sclera, to opaque blue irises and black sclera.

"Can you run a self diagnostic?"

Blinking his unseeing eyes once Connor tried to run the program but it failed to initiate. "...No."

"It's fine. I have an external diagnostic that you can use."

"...Why are you here," the questions weren't too out of line and deserved an answer. "and why are you helping me?"

"I came into town to donate the paintings that Carl wanted donated to the local businesses and art schools. I had put it off for so long because I couldn't bear the thought of giving up Carl's work, but it was one of his final requests and I wanted to honor them."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"I caught a very faint cybernetic distress signal as I left the art institute two blocks away and I followed that signal to the shopping district." Telling Connor the truth Markus stared at the blue blood on the deviant's face and winced at the damage to his eyes and right temple. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"...Same."

"Are you in pain?"

Letting out a silent breath Connor continued to be honest. "Yes."

"I'll let Simon know to bring-"

"No, no painkillers. It... has an interesting effect on my prototyping design."

"Oh. Good to know." Watching Connor's right fingertips tracing the wound in his right temple Markus made a move to pull his hand down from the injury to keep him from accidentally make it worse. "Try not to touch it."

"Hard not to."

"I get that. Raw wounds causing pain is such a strange sensation."

"Why didn't you suggest us going to New Jericho Tower?"

"Because... I'm no longer a leader at the tower. I'm only a consultant."

"Your exile ended but you were prevented from returning to your original role?"

"Yeah. It's for the best to be honest." Markus actually preferred being lower on the chain of command. "I'd rather be taken off that damn pedestal and be more down to earth."

Letting out a small hiss of pain Connor's left hand returned to his chest as he made sure the ring box was still there. It was his only sense of comfort during such an uncomfortable situation.

"You took a hell of a beating." Markus needlessly noted. "I know you well enough to know that you could've absolutely taken down all four of those deviants within minutes, why didn't you fight back?"

"...There was no point in fighting back." Connor's voice dipped as if ashamed of himself. "They were looking for justice and I failed to give them the justice they needed through legal means. If being beaten down and left in a puddle of my own Thirium was what they needed to feel some kind of vindication, or even peace, then I'm willing to let them do that."

"You shouldn't. You were a victim of CyberLife and greedy humans just as much as the other deviants were."

"I know that."

Markus sighed at the reaction and pressed his right palm to the cab's G.P.S. screen to pay the fare as the taxi pulled up in front of the mansion in a gentle motion. "I'll help you walk to the door."

"Is... anyone around?"

"No, it's quiet." Stepping out of the cab Markus grabbed onto Connor's left shoulder to lead the wounded deviant out of the vehicle and to head toward the mansion for technical treatment. "Lean on me. I can see that your chest is hurting."

Wanting to keep the ring a secret Connor let Markus take his right arm to lead him over to the front door so he could keep his left palm over the ring box. Limping and letting out a hushed wheeze Connor struggled to take in a deep breath after having his chest repeatedly punched and kicked by the four angry deviants.

"Almost there." Unlocking the front door Markus led Connor through the entrance as the artificial feminine voice greeted their arrival, and across the foyer to sit down in the sitting room to receive technical treatment. "Simon will be here soon. I'll get you some clean clothes to wear and Thirium."

Sitting down heavily on the sofa Connor kept his left palm over the ring box hidden under his jacket. "...You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to."

Connor listened to the sound of Markus's footsteps leaving the sitting room, returning to the foyer and then walking up the staircase to the mansion's second floor. Unzipping his leather jacket Connor took the ring box from the interior pocket, opened it up and traced his thumb over the three gemstones to ensure the ring hadn't been damaged during the assault.

Shrugging the jacket from his shoulders Connor felt his right shoulder burn with pain from being struck and nearly dislocated during the assault. Pressing his left fingertips over his right shoulder Connor discovered more bleeding wounds, and knew that his face was undoubtedly swollen and discolored by the assault leaving him looking truly beaten down and broken.

Markus returned to the sitting room, his footsteps echoing loudly throughout the mansion, and sat down on the sofa beside Connor. "Let me help you with your shirt. It's pretty torn up."

Discreetly slipping the ring out of sight Connor accepted the offer. "I've noticed."

Using the same gentle and careful movements he used back when he took care of Carl in his old age Markus was able to slip off the torn up and bloody t-shirt from over Connor's head and arms without harming him in the process. With the t-shirt removed Markus could see all of the dark blue bruises marring Connor's chest and torso from where he had been repeatedly kicked and punched, and there were small cuts and scrapes from where he had struck the sidewalk and where he had the sharp edge of the switchblade over his artificial skin.

"...It looks worse than it is." Connor stated suddenly. He didn't need to see the expression on Markus's face to know he was grimacing. "I just need to have the switchblade removed from my cranium. Due to my inability to gain my bearings or scan my own person I cannot safely extract the switchblade myself."

"We'll wait for Simon. He has more skill as a technician than I do. Here," putting a bottle of Thirium into Connor's right hand Markus gave him the necessary blue blood to restore what he lost. "I don't know how much you lost, but it can't hurt to top it off."

"...Thank you."

"I also brought you a clean black t-shirt to replace the one you lost. I figured that'd make things a little simpler."

"I appreciate that."

"So, can I ask about your... you know." Dancing around the discussion as he watched Connor slowly sipping the Thirium Markus managed to ask the question in a hesitating tone. "Child?"

"...One more month."

"Man, that's so cool." Genuinely happy for Connor's fortune Markus glanced about the empty mansion and imagined how the place would look if he too had a family to care for. Having North, Simon and Josh coming around helped stave off the painful quiet and isolation of the empty mansion, but it wasn't quite the same as having an actual family spending time with him. "Is it okay to ask about them?"

"Gender is being kept secret and I haven't decided on a name." Sipping at the Thirium again Connor winced a little as the cool liquid running down his throat made his burning pain flare up. "...The baby is strong and healthy, and is due in twenty-six days."

"That's good to hear. Kids are something special."

"...What do you know of children?"

"Well... I, uh, I spent some time dealing with Carl's son, Leo, during his late teens a few times. I could see the creative energy flowing from Leo but lacking direction. Granted, him being a teenager, almost an adult, isn't exactly the best comparison to raising a baby, but still... Kids seem to have a special energy around them."

"I haven't met my child yet, but I understand that energy you're talking about." Connor was already drawn to his child by an inexplicable sense of love and protection. "Something about their heartbeat just seems so special."

The front door opened as Simon arrived, he too had been greeted by the mansions' artificial feminine voice, and hurried into the sitting room with an emergency satchel slung over his right shoulder. Kneeling down slowly in front of Connor the blond deviant assessed the damage visually and then cybernetically. "Damn, I never thought I'd see you like this, Connor."

Putting the Thirium bottle down Connor let out a small sigh and turned to face the direction of Simon's voice. "Hello, Simon."

"Hi. I'm going to start by sterilizing your wounds, wrapping them up and then I'm going to remove the..." Trailing off as he eyed the switchblade sticking out of Connor's right temple Simon spoke around the thick grimace on his face. "Knife."

"I understand."

"I'll flush out your optical units and then I'll bandage them as well. Your self healing program should remedy the damage within an hour or two depending on the severity of the damage. Otherwise..."

"I know. I'd prefer to avoid receiving optical unit replacements." Feeling the incrassation compound being applied to his wounds Connor tightened his left hand around the ring box in a protective grip. "I just want to be able to go about my business as if nothing happened."

"Depending on what the knife managed to damage in your cranium is going to be a big factor in that little desire..."

An hour after his wounds had been bandaged, his clothing replaced and the switchblade extracted from his cranium by Simon's careful hand, Connor managed to limp around the mansion and regain full cybernetic control over his processor and other functions. The blade had managed to disable his cybernetic and G.P.S. functions, but it miraculously hadn't destroyed anything that would cause him any further complication or hamper his memory. Allowing Simon to check on his bandages over his eyes and repair the dulled L.E.D. to let it glow again, Connor cybernetically spoke to Hank from afar as he blindly stumbled about the mansion and kept to himself.

The way Markus, Simon and even Josh and North, were watching over Connor carefully as the wounded deviant healed from the assault showed honest concern toward the somewhat reclusive deviant detective. The group openly discussed everything happening at New Jericho Tower knowing that Connor wasn't an enemy but an ally, and they made sure to keep an eye on Connor as he slowly navigated his way around the mansion's ground floor to test his rebooted G.P.S. and cybernetic scanning program.

"Think he'll be okay to go home soon?" Josh turned to Simon and squeezed the blond's left hand. "I know he can heal fast, but his eyes..."

"He'll be fine." Simon reassured his dearest friend as they sat together at the small dining table overlooking the sitting room. "The knife missed everything critical and he's already regained his cybernetic functions. The bruises and cuts aren't too serious and his self healing program is already working to mend the damage to his optical units."

North watched as Connor blindly and slowly navigated around the furniture to test his functionality. She wasn't too worried about the deviant since she could see the bruises on his face fading and the cuts closing up as the minutes passed by. "Can you see yet, Connor?"

"...Not yet." Stopping for a moment Connor turned toward North's voice and pressed his right fingertips to the white gauze wrapped around his still healing eyes. "I should regain my vision in fifty-eight minutes, twenty-two seconds."

"That's good. How's your Thirium?"

"Eighty-eight percent. My self healing program is working at full capacity and using my Thirium fairly quickly."

"Need some more?"

"No, I'll be fine." Noting he could only hear North, Simon and Josh's voices Connor arched his brow under the gauze over his eyes. "Where is Markus?"

"He's upstairs checking through the other paintings Carl wanted to donate. We're all here with you right now."

"Thank you, that's reassuring."

Stumbling away from the sofa and sitting room Connor managed to find his way to Carl's art studio and stand in the middle of the quiet and private space. Turning his focus to Abby and away from the other deviants Connor managed to find a semblance of peace.

'How do you feel, Abby? I know you can't be comfortable right now.'

'Considering I'm carrying around what's easily eight pounds of squirming, kicking and restless pure energy in my belly, being uncomfortable doesn't even really begin to describe it.'

'I'll be over to your house in an hour or so. Do you want me to bring-'

'Tacos please. I have been craving Mexican food all day!'

'Consider it done.' Holding onto the ring box in his left hand Connor tried to gauge whether or not asking her to marry him would be appropriate. 'Can I do anything else for you?'

'Tacos and then a back-rub would be nice.'

'Have you been having difficulty sleeping?'

'Well, last night I dreamt I ended up growing to "Slither" size and then gave birth "Alien" style. So yeah, a little bit.'

Such descriptions flew right over Connor's head. '...Do I want to understand those references?'

'Check out sci-fi and horror films with those names and you'll get it.'

'I'd rather not.'

'I don't blame you.'

'Abby, is there anything you want to do or any place you wish to go before the baby arrives?'

'Australia could be fun, but I don't think I'm ready to show off this body in a bikini just yet.'

Steeling himself Connor tried to be a bit more forceful. 'We haven't really done anything or gone anywhere together as a couple. I want to do something special for you. I care about you, Abby. I... I also know that I love you.'

Abby was silent for a moment before she responded in turn. 'I love you, too.'

'We should do something together before the baby's born. Something special.'

'Like a vacation?'

'Or maybe just a weekend together away from the city.'

'That sounds nice. Got any place in mind?'

Connor's first thought went to the cabin an hour away, but he decided that Abby deserved to go to some place new and special between just her and himself, some place of their own. 'We could go and locate a private beach and enjoy the first weekend of summer together.'

'Sounds romantic enough... Think you can actually find a beach all to ourselves right at the start of summer?'

'Yes. It'll take only a few moments, but I know I can find a secluded place to hide from the world for a while.'

'Then I'll go and find a maternity swimsuit to keep my bump from getting sunburned. See you soon?'

'Yes, of course.' Slowly unwrapping the white gauze from around his eyes Connor opened his healing eyes, and stared at the floor of the art studio as the blackness turned into a gray hue full of shapes and steadily clearing details. Feeling relieved Connor closed his eyes again and returned the gauze over the healing wounds to ensure he didn't strain his self healing program by accident. 'And I will bring you dinner as requested.'

'You're the best, Connor. And I really do love you, even when you don't have tacos!'

'I love you, too.'

Walking out of the studio Connor used his hand to locate the sofa in the sitting room and sat down slowly. Knowing that North was still nearby Connor spoke to her in a low voice to help break the tense silence. "I appreciate you all coming here to assist me as I heal. It's not necessary, but still appreciated."

"You're welcome. It's just nice to know we can all sit in the same room and be civil with each other."

"I never wanted to be at war with anyone, I just want to live peacefully with my friends and my family."

"Sounds like a good way to live your life." North agreed readily. "With a family."

Tightening his grip around the ring box still in his left hand Connor began his search for a quiet beach and managed to find a small place that was a little out of the way, but still clean and accessible by those who knew where to look. It was at this beach Connor knew he was going to ask Abby if she would be willing to make his family a little bigger and better. "...Yes, a family is truly something special to have."

Grateful for his ability to quickly heal and adapt Connor managed to meet up with Abby for dinner on time, and not show any sign of the wounds he had sustained by the angry group of deviants who attacked him in the shopping plaza. As the day came to an end Connor laid with Abby on her bed and carefully rubbed out the tight knots in her lower back while he scanned over her body and tried to estimate when she'd go into labor. Such an estimate was difficult even by doctors who specialize in maternity care, and as such Connor decided it'd be best to go about their business as normally as possible and just wait for nature to take the lead.

Abby was sleeping much better with Connor beside her and despite her obvious discomfort she never once complained. Looking forward to having a private weekend away from the city to be with only Connor on a warm and sunny beach Abby was feeling better than she had been in the past few weeks, and couldn't wait for the romantic weekend away.

After informing Hank of his plans for the beach weekend a full week after his adventure to find Abby's ring, Connor prepared everything to the best of his ability despite being a little clueless with romantic gestures and dating in general. Taking Hank's advice and trusting his instincts Connor drove to the small and secluded beach located just on the other side of a seldom used trail that outlined Lake St. Clair, and spent the day with Abby walking the sandy shore of the tiny beach to stare out at the cool water of the lake lapping up against shore.

"This feels... strange." Connor admitted as he walked barefoot on the hot sand with Abby at his right side and holding his hand. He was wearing black swim trunks and nothing else. "I've never walked along a beach before."

"Really?" Wearing a dark blue one-piece swimsuit with a thin purple shawl wrapped around her waist, Abby felt a sense of physical relief from the soft sand giving way under her own bare feet. "I love the beach. It's always so warm and sunny. Feels good!"

"I think you're right." The way the soft and warm sand felt unlike anything else he had ever walked over before, Connor agreed that the sand felt good. "It's much better than snow and ice."

"Without question." Rubbing her right hand over her bump Abby began walking toward the shore of the beach and let the cool water roll over her ankles. "I think coming to the beach was the best idea. Between the sand massaging my feet and the cool water relieving the ache in my ankles I think this was exactly what I needed."

"It's also quiet and beautiful out here."

"This is a really wonderful little spot to call our own." Moving slowly Abby lowered herself down to the sandy shore and let the cool water wash over her legs as she leaned back a little and let the warm rays of the rising sun wash over her skin. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome." Sitting down beside Abby on the shoreline Connor stared out at the water and continued to hold Abby's hand in his own. "This could stay our own private spot if we're lucky."

"A private beach without paying for the property? Sounds too good to be true!"

"It's unlikely but still possible."

"Yeah. Kind of like the way you thought you could come by my house and think I wouldn't notice you limping, or trying to hide your fading bruises on your face last week."

Blushing a pale blue Connor tried to feign innocence. "What do you mean?"

"Connor, I know you too damn well, so don't even try it. I know you were beaten up before you came over to my house to check on me, but since you weren't complaining about it or showing any sign of lingering damage, I didn't say anything. That, and you brought me tacos so I was too busy eating to talk."

Bowing his head a little Connor squeezed her hand gently and sighed. "I'm sorry if you feel like I deceived you."

"Not a chance. I know you can take care of yourself, but I won't deny that I'm curious about what I missed that day." Leaning against his right side Abby gave him a pleading stare. "Tell me?"

"...I was attacked." Using his left hand to pick up the loose sand beside him Connor let it flow freely through his fingers and blow away with the wind out to the harbor. "Four deviants took out their lack of justice on me and beat me down in the shopping plaza."

"Shit, where did you go for treatment?"

"I had let out a cybernetic distress call and it was answered... by Markus."

"Markus?" That name was entirely unexpected. "The deviant leader?"

"Yes. He took me to his mansion and let me heal there after New Jericho's lead technician arrived to treat my more serious wounds."

"I thought you hate him."

"...I used to." Remaining honest Connor leaned closer to Abby as he tightened his grip around her hand. "But I had forgiven him several months ago for what he had done to me. I wanted to be able to let go of my pain and anger for the sake of our child." Pressing his sandy left palm to Abby's belly Connor reminded himself of why he had let the deviant off the hook for his own murder. "Our child's happiness is more important than my anger."

"I had no idea you were going through something so emotional like that."

"To be honest, I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to worry about me while you're going through something like this."

"Like being pregnant?"

"Changing your life and everything you ever planned for the sake of our child. You're sacrificing so much to help bring life into this world, so it just seemed fair that I do my best to make sure that life is as happy as possible by bettering myself."

"Oh, Connor..." Giving him a kiss on his cheek Abby rested her head against his right shoulder as they sat together on the shoreline. "You're doing so much for this baby, I know they'll be very happy as long as they have you as their father."

Discreetly moving his left hand from Abby's belly to the pocket of his trunks Connor tightened his fingers around the white ring box and closed his eyes as he tried to keep his voice as steady as possible. "...That type of hope makes me wonder if I could be something else, someone else, and make another person happy, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Abby, I know we haven't exactly done many things together as couples would normally do, and I know that you're not concerned with what is perceived to be 'traditional behavior', but I feel as though we... We belong together."

"I feel the same way," she admitted with a slightly perplexed look in her eyes. "but I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Then, perhaps it's better to let my actions speaking louder than words."

"Connor?"

Shifting his weight Connor rested on his knees beside Abby then changed positions so he was kneeling down on only one knee as he pulled the ring box from his pocket and presented it to her to see for herself. Taking in a deep breath Connor looked Abby in her widened eyes as he felt his heart thundering in his chest while his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow to reflect his nervousness.

"Abby Katherine Grayson, will you please marry me?"

Staring with wide hazel eyes, first at Connor and then to the ring in the box, Abby was at a rare loss for words before she finally managed to respond. "...You really want to marry me?"

"Yes. I've never been so certain of anything in my life. I want to be a father and your husband. Will you do me the honor?"

As her heart began to race with excitement and adrenaline the baby started kicking her like crazy, and Abby let tears fall from her eyes. "Y-Yes!" Extending her shaking left hand Abby saw Connor's own soulful brown eyes light up as his L.E.D. returned to blue, and he swiftly placed the engagement ring onto her ring finger. "You sweet deviant! I'd be happy to marry you! Bonus points because you said 'Abby' and not 'Abigail'..."

The moment the ring was in place Connor was met with a kiss on his lips as Abby threw her arms around him to give her now fiance a firm hug as the sun finished rising over the harbor in the distance.

"Thank you..." Returning the hug Connor could also feel the rapid kicking as he pulled Abby up against him and Connor knew deep in his heart that he had done the right thing. Hugging his fiancee and feeling his unborn child kicking excitedly was the most reassuring feeling in the world. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my child and my wife."

-next chapter-