AN: Not much I can say without giving away the plot. Enjoy!

"Talking"

Emphasis

Thinking

"Android brain talking and texting"

.:internal workings like mission updates, scanning, and android googling:.

Chap 7

After Connor died, life became upsettingly normal again for Cassian and for once she didn't fight it. She had once wished for some excitement, but that urge left her quickly: excitement killed her friend, she was done with it.

"Cassian, I need your help over here."

"Of course, Nancy."

After their talk, Nancy had become increasingly attentive. Their text conversations got longer and more frequent, sometimes lasting into the mornings; Nancy coming in tired The next day. The other woman watched Cassian like a hawk, seemingly ready to pounce with motherly wisdom.

"How are you doing?"

Cassian filed papers as Nancy picked up her phone, giving off the impression that she was just being lazy.

"It's only been a week and I'm...I know you said it would take awhile but I can't afford to be this way. I'm getting sloppy."

"Maybe it's time we make that plan."

"Maybe."

"What? No 'I won't make it, Nancy, so why bother?'? That's pretty optimistic of you…" Nancy looked concerned at her attitude.

"Maybe I've had a change of heart...or maybe I've seen how fast things can change. Things can be fine one day then…"

"Yeah."

"I'm just ready to be done with all of this, one way or another…"

"Cassian. You can't think like that."

"Cassian. Another one for you."

Nancy glanced over her shoulder and froze, "What the…"

Turning around, Cassian dropped the papers she was holding in shock.

How?

Connor was standing there at her table as if nothing had happened, looking as sharp as ever; his tie was straight for once, shirt crisp under his dark jacket, the LEDs shining bright. His fingers twitched as if they wanted to do something but he was forcing them still; Cassian absentmindedly remembered that she had his damned quarter in her pocket.

"I thought he was a prototype; one of a kind...like you."

"I thought so too…"

"Are you going to work on him?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"I could send one of the twins over."

Logan was standing off to the side, doing nothing. Cassian could have said yes, that she couldn't handle coming face to face with a Connor lookalike, but her feet were already pulling her across the room. Her normal smile appeared, weak but there. She was going to let herself live in the dream that he was alive for a little longer.

As she opened her mouth to introduce herself, he interrupted her with a smile "Hello, Cassian. I guess this makes 8 times?"

What?

"Including the last time, though I wasn't there for it."

She barely heard him; he remembered her, which means this was Connor, but she had scrapped him no more than a week ago. How-

"Cassian?"

Shit. She had gotten lost in thought again. She forced her smile back on.

"Sorry, Connor, heat spikes again. I was trying to figure out how you are here; you were irreparably damaged the last time you were on my table."

"I'm a highly advanced prototype: data is synced back here at Cyberlife in the event that my body is damaged beyond repair and transferred to another body." There was that pride again, "It makes it so I can take risks and not interrupt the investigation. Some data is lost in the transfer but most makes it through."

"Lucky you. Most androids only get one body. Then you know the drill: shirt off, lay on the table."

"It's only my hand. I doubt I need to remove my clothes."

Oh…

.:Diagnostic Scan Complete: Pierced right hand. Movement impaired:.

Cassian's hands were on her hips, doing her best Nancy impression, hoping to cover up her embarrassment, "How'd this happen?"

"In pursuit of a deviant. It knocked me over right at the beginning, I hit my hand in the fall. Luckily, it didn't interfere with the chase."

Cassian once again forgot he was a deviant hunter, he was so easy to talk to. She began working on Connor's hand, turning it this way and that. She tried to focus on her work, unsure how to deal with this new Connor, even if he had the old one's memories; was it truly him? Would he react the same to her?

"I took your advice."

"Hmm?" Looking up, Connor's face was way too close...fighting the urge to jerk back, Cassian slowly sat up straighter, aware that his eyes followed her up. "And what advice is that?"

"Humans prefer doctors who aren't robotic. I figured the same was probably true for detective partners. I was programmed to integrate with humans, your advice was helpful."

"Oh? And how did that go?"

"I bought my new partner another drink and I think he liked me better after that."

Cassian nearly laughed.

"I also found out he has a dog: Sumo. He seems to really care for it." After a second, he spoke up again, almost looking surprised, "I like dogs."

She did laugh then, soft and nearly silent. Connor looked pleased at her reaction.

"Tell me about the people you're meeting?" When his face switched to an oddly curious one, she hurried to 'explain,' "I have to understand humans to work on them. I only see so many people here and most are doctors in this office."

In reality, she was just interested in hearing about the outside world.

"Lieutenant Anderson is...difficult. He's a drunk, aggressive, and he does not want an android partner...but he also listens to my deductions, trusts me to get the job done, and stopped me from running across a freeway to chase a deviant who had a little girl with it, saying I would get killed. It's hard to get a read on him but I believe we work well together."

"It seems I need to buy this man a drink too...he saved me a lot of work."

Cassian couldn't stop herself from commenting, hell she'd buy this man a whole bar if he kept Connor from killing himself again. She didn't know how she would have handled seeing Connor dead a second time. His laugh startled her, pausing her hand on his.

"I think he would like that."

They share a smile as she gets back to work.

"Is he the only one you've encountered?"

"No, but the others are...less pleasant. Other than Officer Miller, all others have been aggressive...more so than the Lieutenant. Captain Fowler seems to be that way with everyone but Detective Reed has an outward and often violent hatred for androids; he assaulted me after I wouldn't get him coffee, punched me hard enough to stun me."

Note to self: stay away from Detective Reed.

His hand was quick work, quicker than she would have liked, but all too soon, Connor was ready to be on his way out the door.

"Cassian?" He sure did like interrupting her clean up routine.

"Yes, Connor?"

"You...haven't seen my calibration coin, have you? The engineers insist I don't need it anymore, so they won't issue another but I found it allowed me to work off excess energy that my model seems to emit...it helps me think."

She had, it was in her pocket at that exact moment, but there were some questions she wouldn't be able to answer if she gave it back. Why did she keep it? Even she didn't really know the answer, but she did know she wouldn't be able to tell it to him anyway. So she did what she always did: she lied.

"Sorry, I haven't. I hope you find it."

"Thank you. I shall try not to get damaged from now on." Even Connor seemed skeptical of his ability to do so.

Cassian smiles, "you know I'll be here if you do, like always."

She was done with excitement. If Connor could stay out of trouble, she'd be happy. His damned quarter was heavy in her pocket.

AN: Connor was back literally the day after he was shot but didn't feel the need to come in to tell Cassian "btw im not dead"...rude.

His injury doesn't happen in game, I just needed him to come back. So he got hurt in the pidgeon room when Rupert knocked him over.

Also in this world, Alice is a human. I just like that story better.

This was another chapter I feel was needed but am not 100% happy with. Shit gets interesting soon, don't worry ;)