AN: I tried so very hard to get this done before I moved but that just didn't work out, so here it is nearly 2 weeks later as I sit among a fuck ton of unpacked boxes...this is also the longest chapter yet! Sitting pretty at over 8000 fucking words!

I've also realised I named the intern at the beginning and the android Simon was in love with both Jack…..so I will be renaming the intern Jake. [editing in progress]

Enjoy!

"Talking"

Emphasis

Thinking

"Android brain talking and texting"

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

Chap 15

There was so much to do.

So many injured, so many dying...so many dead.

"131 didn't make it off the ship, either killed or captured and 6 have died since we came here;" Cassian reports to Markus. He was coming up the stairs of the church dias, leaving a pensive Connor in his wake...She would have to ask what they talked about later; right now, she had work to do, "we have injured from all over the city pouring in, many in critical condition, and we don't have the supplies to help them. I'm sorry but…" she lowers her voice to just above a whisper, "we're going to have to start focusing our efforts on those that have the best chance of surviving..."

Cassian hated to dump all of this on Markus, he already had shit to deal with and he looked as tired as she felt, but he had asked to know; the worst part was, he looked at her as if this wasn't her fault, as if she wasn't failing at her job as a doctor. So many were hurt or dying and she couldn't do anything. She should have grabbed more supplies, she should have not gotten fucking shot again, she should have-

"Do what you can." Markus's quiet voice shakes her out of her self destructive thoughts, "But also remember you have already done so much, while injured too…try to take a break at some point."

"How can I take a break when so many are hurt?"

Markus stops in front of her on his way to his seat on the dias and grips her shoulder in a comforting squeeze, understanding in his eyes, "By remembering that you are one of those who are hurt. You aren't the only doctor here, the world isn't going to end if you rest your leg for a few minutes."

She sighs, "I'll try Markus...I wasn't built to relax, I don't know if I can."

"You weren't built to live either, yet here you are."

With a final squeeze, he lets her go and sits down, returning to his deliberations with a troubled expression. Cassian left him to it, mind already racing with thoughts of the work she had ahead of her. They would have to heavily ration supplies, their stores were already at their limits. Luckily, Markus was right, she wasn't the only doctor there; Astrid and Logan were just as knowledgeable, if a little less experienced, as her, and Nancy had shown up out of the blue. It took some explaining from the three sisters but eventually the others let her in, happy to have more allies they could trust. Nancy complained about the cold but dove right in, helping those she could...after scolding Cassian about being shot twice, of course.

Maybe we could do some sort of blood donations system? Spread out the usable thirium? It would weaken the healthy androids but more of the injured would survive...

Cassian was making her way slowly down the stairs, mind entirely consumed by her work, when her bad leg took a literal turn for the worst; with it twisting under her, she falls the final few steps with a yelp, barely getting her hands out in front of her. Her name was called from many directions, but Connor gets there first, helping her back to her feet and supporting her bad side.

She waves off those who were worried about her, which turns out to be a large portion of the room she was surprised to note, "I'm fine, just a little spill. Don't worry about me."

"We won't have to worry about you for much longer," Nancy had her hands on her hips, angry doctor look at full strength, "you're going to kill yourself at this rate. Sit down and rest. Doctor's orders."

Cassian was about to complain, but one step on her leg and she knew she wasn't going anywhere and Connor was already guiding her to a seat off to the side, away from the injured.

"Make sure she rests." That was for Connor.

"Whatever you say, Nancy…" Cassian answers for him as he carries her away, trying to ignore the flutters in her system as he scooped her up like she weighed nothing. It was maddening, what blood lose did to her, but she knew she couldn't pull her family from their work just because being in her friend's arms in this state made it hard to think.

Nancy hmphs in response and gets back to work, the twins somehow simultaneously rolling their eyes and looking worried behind her. Cassian waves to them with a smile, leans back, and closes her eyes, finally taking her friends' advice.

"How do you do it?"

"Hmm?" She looks to the side to find Connor hadn't left her to go back to his brooding corner, "do what?"

"Carry on like this. You're damaged, you don't have the supplies, and you know what you are up against…."

"Hm...and they say I'm pessimistic...how do I do this? The answer is quite simple," Connor leans in, "because there is nothing else I can do; the choice is between fighting for what I believe in or giving up...I don't know about you, but I made a promise to a friend awhile back to fight no matter what."

Connor contemplates this in silence as Cassian continued, "I do it for them too." she waves her hand in the direction of the rest of the group. Nancy was frantically running around, looking in control of the entire situation despite the dire circumstance. Astrid and North were in each other's arms as they shared a soft, whispered conversation, completely oblivious to the world as they looked in each other's eyes. Hadley was enthusiastically chatting with a small group of child androids, getting them laughing and hopefully forgetting what was happening for at least a little while. Astrid's twin was helping a new arrival to a seat; a small blonde android in a gray dress. She looked scared and confused but gave them a bright smile; Logan froze before a small smile breaks across their face too. "I do it for my family, as weird and chaotic as it is."

"You could die…"

Connor's voice was soft. Turning back to him, Cassian saw his gaze was on the new android, an unreadable look in his eye.

"I could." She was shocked to find that she was okay with that fact; dying for a just cause wasn't a bad way to go, if she had to. So much had changed since she came to Jericho...she wasn't just concerned with her own survival anymore. She was still trying to figure out if that was a good thing; it certainly wasn't good for her health, if her current state was any indication but she felt more free and more like she was where she was meant to be than she had in all her years of existing and maybe that was worth it.

"I...when you got shot, I thought you had died. I felt angry...and scared, but not for myself. I felt the overwhelming urge to do something; figure something out. Jericho had gotten you killed. The humans had killed you. I thought that until I saw you come out of that room shortly before the attack."

"You were there?"

Cassian had honestly thought he had come with the humans and turned to Jericho's side mid battle for some unknown reason. He had been there before it all went down...

"Yes. My mission was to capture Markus, bring in the leader of Jericho and stop the revolution, the revolution that had killed you...but you were alive. I tried to go through with my mission anyway but Markus convinced me not to, convinced me that I wasn't a machine." His eyes grew thoughtful as they turned to her, "but I think someone convinced me of that long before then, I just needed to realize it."

His tone made it clear he was crediting her with his Awakening...she thought that was giving her far too much credit...She did nothing but cause him trouble. Cassian stayed silent as he turned back to the blonde woman talking to Logan.

"Anderson and I went to talk to Kamski and he suggested a test...and a challenge; the Kamski test he called it. If I shot one of his androids, proving that I, a machine, didn't have empathy, he would give me the information I needed to find Jericho...I would get nothing if I didn't shoot, proving I was deviant. I needed that information."

The woman had her head in her hands, weeping, and Logan was sitting there next to her, arm over her shoulder comfortingly, looking mildly lost and angry. Cassian had heard about Kamski while at Cyberlife… mostly that he was a genius and a perv but the picture being painted for her right now wasn't pretty...

"But I couldn't shoot. I looked in her eye's and couldn't pull the trigger. Lieutenant Anderson was telling me not to but my programming told my to do it; my mission should have come first..."

Good old Hank, doing what Cassian couldn't, keep Connor out of trouble...or at least get him in the right kind of trouble. She would have to thank him someday…

"I'm glad you listened to Hank."

Connor didn't respond, lost in thought. Something was bothering Cassian, something about the test...more than just the fact that she thought Kamski was an asshole.

"There's a problem with Kamski's test…" she heard herself whisper.

"How so?" Cassian didn't have to look at him to know he had his cute confused face on.

She thought for a second, trying to work out how to make her thoughts make sense, "Well...with free will comes the freedom to choose, right? When I finally completely deviated, I chose to stay, to obey; it meant a lack of personal freedom but it also meant a sense of safety...of a sort, it was rocky but it was what I had. If no one suspected, I would be in no danger...for a time. However, I could have chosen to run, despite the danger, like many deviants do...just like you could have chosen to shoot...he didn't consider the possibility of a 3rd option, or any other unforeseen additional options, and thus his conclusion would have been skewed...if you had shot, he would have assumed you were not deviant, just as Cyberlife assumed I wasn't…."

Connor sat silent next to her, taking in what she was saying but she wasn't done.

"What I'm trying to say is he's full of shit and was just being a dick."

Connor laughed, "you swear as much as lieutenant Anderson does…"

"Well, great minds swear alike...or something."

Or something, Cassian? Smooth...

"He said you called him, asked him to say sorry for you...why?"

Cassian sighs, "He wasn't supposed to tell you unless-I suppose it really did look like I died...and I did tell him to watch…"

"But why?"

"Because I left you, without explanation, under that bridge. Because I held a gun on you, accidentally invaded your mind, knocked you out, and I wasn't truly sure that they wouldn't deactivate you...I left you there in the snow and didn't know you were okay until I saw you in the police station later. Because I saw you were struggling with what was happening and I left you...Probably got you in trouble too, by going into the police evidence locker...said too much."

"Detective Reed did punch me...but I may have antagonize him."

"He was in a punching mood because of me..."

"I believe he's always like that…but that was an impressive bruise."

Cassian snorted and gave a quick, "thanks…" before sobering, "I still left you…"

"I couldn't have gone with you, even if you had asked. I was still tied to my programming, I would have turned you all in...I was still sure I could convince Cyberlife that it was all a misunderstanding, that you hadn't tried to escape...but when the bodies were found, I knew you couldn't have done anything else but leave."

The bodies…

"Did...did Dr. Cook survive?"

"Yes."

Cassian felt horrible, guilty even, about the welling disappointment she felt at hearing that news; the man who had haunted her for years, who led the charge for her execution, had survived. She hadn't set out to kill him but she always had, in the back of her mind, the hope that she had anyway. So much for do no harm…

"Why kill one but not the other?"

The question was a fair one, one she had to take a minute to find an answer to; Cassian didn't talk about that night much, even with her sisters she was quiet. But she always said too much when it came to Connor, which used to lead to a lot of stress, but now, with him next to her here in this run down church, she felt as safe as she could be, ready to recounted that night.

"I knocked Dr. Cook out with a wrench from my tool table." Though she knew she wanted to tell him, Cassian couldn't speak above a whisper, as if the terror of that night should not be spoken, "I had honestly not expected to knock him out. My only goal was to cause them pain before they killed me; to fight, make them remember me...even if those memories were bruises. I got lucky; one hit and he went down. Francis, the other man, was probably as surprised as I was. We struggled and he got me on the ground...he had his hands-" Cassian shivered, her hand settling at the base of her neck lightly, lost in the memory, "he had his hands around my throat and squeezed. I'm not very strong, I couldn't get him off me. I would have died if Logan hadn't killed him...but Cook was already unconscious, it would have been murder..."

Connor's hands curled into fists in his lap as he listened, eyes down, "I'm sorry. After all that, I held you back, tried to make you stay."

Taking a steadying breath, Cassian whispers, "you didn't know..."

"You seem happy here."

"I am. Although I do miss the unlimited resources and don't particularly care for getting shot, this has been the best couple weeks of my life; in Jericho, my sisters and I can be a family...Cyberlife would rather kill us than see that happen...moreover, these people need me, like actually need me, I'm not just an old model that everyone thinks Nancy kept around cause she's stubborn...which she is, but that's not the point. I have a purpose here...I would have missed Nancy but…"

She honestly didn't know what else to say; how do you describe happiness after years of terror and slavery? In truth, everything was new and so everything was precious; Cassian would have changed only a few things about her escape, and two of those had been rectified here in the church. They may die tomorrow, but her best friend was here working beside her again and she got to see Connor; more than that, she got to talk to him, truly talk to him...no rules or humans to hold them back, no Cyberlife breathing down their necks. Now if they could only win their freedom, it would be perfect...

"Why is she looking at us like that?"

Cassian had honestly been trying to ignore Nancy's smug look as the two of them talked...she was used to it...but apparently it was noticeable enough that others saw it; Truely everyone else in the tower were fucking oblivious.

"That's just Nancy...she was always giving me shit when you would come into the office; she was convinced I had the hots for you." She shoots Nancy a glare before continuing, "She's annoying but she's also my best friend; I don't know what I would have done without her...I probably would have been scrapped long ago...or at least I would have had to run long before I did….they first came for me a few months before you first came into my office. You and I would have never..."

We would have never met…

Cassian couldn't finish her thought, questions taking over her mind: what would her life had been without Connor in it? Lonely? Safer? What would his life have been like? Would much about the world as it was now change or was their meeting insignificant in the grand scheme of things?

She shook her head, That didn't happen, there's no use getting upset over it...

"She helped me when…." Cassian tried to continue the conversation but she strayed into another heavy topic immediately...she was never good at dealing with heavy shit like this without snapping or withdrawing.

"When?" Connor took a second to prompt her to continue, apparently as affected by this as she was.

"When you died. I...broke down. I felt so alone; you were the only one other than Nancy I could actually talk to, even if I had to be guarded when I did, and suddenly you were gone."

"But I came back."

"I didn't know that!" Her voice rose much higher and much angier than she intended and she saw a few of the closer people turn their way. So much for not snapping... Connor just blinked and waited for her to calm down and continue, entirely too patient. As her voice lowered, it grew softer, more sad, "I didn't know that; in that moment, you were dead, and I…I had to scrap you."

"I'm sorry you had to do that."

There she went again, putting her feelings above all others...she made Connor feel like his death was his fault…

Fuck...

"No no, I'm sorry I yelled…" She hugged herself as she fought against panic of the surfacing memories, "it's not your fault. You came back and that's all that matters…"

"You would have been able leave much easier if I hadn't."

"And yet I wouldn't wish it for the world. I would never wish you dead. I feel much better with you in the world, even if you were still my enemy."

Where did that come from? Maybe she had lost more thirium than she thought...she was being much more sentimental than she meant to be. She shook her head to clear it, ignoring that every word of it was true.

"That doesn't make sense."

Cassian gave a short snort, "Welcome to being deviant…"

"Being deviant is...really complicated."

"Tell me about it."

"Well…"

"It's a turn of phrase, Connor."

"Oh…"

Cassian laughed, a soft contrast to their tense conversation just moments before, "you can tell me if you really want, I'll listen."

He deserved time to talk, he was as much a slave as any of them; plus he was an extremely new deviant, one who woke up during an extremely stressful and confusing series of events...he would need time and help to work through his thoughts. She wasn't entirely sure she was qualified to help (her Awakening had been far different that most) but she knew she had to try.

"Amanda," Connor started and Cassian immediately frowned at the name but didn't interrupt, "said you called me your friend. I was your created enemy, your hunter. You should have wanted me gone...yet you didn't; you even though kindly of me. Why?"

Now here was a question she had an answer to...mostly; she had asked herself it many times over the time that she had known him.

"I honestly tried not to...kept reminding myself that we couldn't be friends, that you were a danger to my continued survival...but none of it stuck. Your visits were the highlights of my time there, even if I wished you would stop hurting yourself. They were different than my normal boring day and you were easy to talk to...far, far too easy, I was sure you would figure me out at any point and turn me in. But you didn't and at some point you were more than just the deviant hunter to me…"

"What was I?"

"You were Connor, the RK800 who crossed my table far too many times; a trouble maker...You were my friend. You are my friend...if you want to be."

Blood loss must be making me sentimental...

"I think you're my friend, too."

"You think?" Cassian gave him an incredulous look.

"I do, in fact."

She giggled as Connor grinned slightly, "that's good. Then it's settled."

His grin grew wider, "Friends."

There were those annoying flutters again…

They fell into a companionable silence, Connor surveying the room while Cassian debated whether it would be easier to get around without her injured leg completely...she was sorting through her code to see if she could turn off those annoying warnings that would sound if she tried to move with it detached when Connor spoke.

"What are they doing?"

Cassian followed his eyeline to find Markus sitting with Simon, sharing a similar conversation as Astrid and North; their hands were their natural metallic white as they looked deeply into each other's eyes, communicating silently.

Aw... Cassian smiles at the two of them; they were so cute. She turns back to Connor again to give them their privacy.

"I asked Simon about it once," she says, drawing his attention away from them, "I walked in on them the other day, just before the march...he said they were mingling systems, lightly integrating, not transferring anything, just...existing, together. Apparently it feels...good? There can be a memory transfer but not always."

He looked intrigued and thoughtful, looking at his hand, as they both devolved into silence once more.

Connor was quiet for so long, Cassian thought he was done talk, so she was beginning to jump back into her code when she heard him say, almost to himself, "I think I figured it out."

Before she could ask what he meant, he hesitantly offered his hand to her.

If Cassian could blush, she would; he couldn't possibly know what he was offering. "Connor...they are doing it cause they are attracted to each other...I'm not sure if its the equivalent of a kiss for humans or-or sex or…I never did get a clear answer about that and all of that is far beyond my area of expertise..." she was rambling and she knew it, "but they're together….like together together..." She failed to mention what Lucy would do, partly because the woman's death during the siege of Jericho was far too fresh and partly because she still had no idea what Lucy even did.

"I know." His eyes were nervous but he sounded sure, his hand still out, the offer still there.

"Oh…"

I think I figured it out…

Connor's near whispered words echoed in her mind...What did he figure out? Did he want to...? Did she? She had just gotten used to sitting with Connor and having a normal conversation as friends and now he was offering... Cassian's mind reeled and her heart pounded. She glanced at Markus and Simon once more...they seemed so happy...why couldn't she have that too?

Connor began to grow anxious, as if self conscious, "If you don't-"

Oh fuck it...

Before he could say anymore, and before she could overthink it, Cassian shyly took his hand, slow enough that he could take his back if he wanted to. Their fingers linked as they opened their minds to each other, neither sure how to proceed but willing to try.

It felt odd...but nice, having another's presence ghosting over your systems, as if they were caressing her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake; she didn't even know androids could get goosebumps. There was no pull from Connor, no demand of information, just...him. It was so different than her first time truly interfacing. This was to be expected, since it was a very different situation, but it made her truly realize how fucked up things had been. Much of her experience of being an android was painful or uncomfortable, this was...something else entirely; another new and precious experience, one of her best so far.

She tried to ignore the eyes on them from the crowded room.

"Is this ok?" Connor's voice sounded in her mind, somehow making their light but direct connection even more intimate; some anxiety at being watched must have leaked through their link. His eyes were on her, searching for answers again.

"Yeah...this is ok. More than ok." She felt as if saying it out loud would break the moment, make it not real, "Is it...ok for you?"

"Yes." Connor breathes as he closes his eyes, leaning down to lay his forehead against hers, just like so long ago, on the ice.

Cassian looked up at him, eyes wide, lost for words as her mind and heart continued to race.

"Cassian?"

Allowing her eyes to flutter closed, no longer caring about their audience, she focused entirely on the man in front of her, "hmm?"

"What do we do now?"

She didn't know if he meant with the connection or with whatever was going on between them, so she just shrugged, "I don't know…" That was true for both.

"I don't know either."

"We'll just have to figure it out, together."

Nancy never brought her romance novels and Cassian didn't go out of her way to find them, she had literally no idea what she was doing. She was out of her depth, unsure what was happening between them. Cassian felt confused, but happy she was sharing this experience with someone she loved.

Her eyes snap open, taking in what she just realised. She loved Connor. She was surprised at how unsurprised she really was; this should have been a big revelation but it felt so right...she had known she cared for him, maybe she had loved him this whole time..

I love Connor.

It even sounded right...

"I could ask Anderson…"

That startled a laugh out of Cassian, interrupting her internal revelation; that would have to wait for another, less confusing time. Connors eyes open slowly, a confused yet awed look in them.

"I try to be romantic and you bring up your detective partner…" Cassian continued to laugh as Connor's brow furrowed in a puzzled way.

"You were trying to...I'm sorry."

He actually sounded guilty. Cassian stifled her laughter but amusement played through her voice regardless, "It's ok, we're figuring this out remember?"

"It's just...you always catch me off guard; you are so different from before, I don't know what to expect. I never did but...this is something else."

"That's not a bad thing, is it?" Cassian didn't know what she would do if he said yes; she had just come to realize she loved him and that maybe he felt something similar...what would happen if he decided he wanted nothing to do with her, that she differed to far from the Cassian he knew.

She needn't have worried, Connor crushed those fears almost immediately.

"Not at all." The way he looked at her made her mind, heart, and stomach, such as it was, do flip flops, "I wish I had known this you back then. I would like to know you now."

"We'll have time…" She didn't add "if we survive this" but it was understood between them and they held each other's hand tight, as if afraid to let go.

Connected as they were, Cassian sensed when Connor noticed them: two women at the back of the church; WR400s her program told her, Tracies. That model was used primarily for sex in clubs, like the Eden Club; memories of Jack came flooding into her mind.

It was sexual slavery. Cassian reminded herself, they are not things to be used, they are people who were kept.

One had blue hair and the other had short brown hair...she didn't even know they came with so many options, not many crossed her path; much like the child models, Cyberlife didn't keep any on staff. They were holding hands and talking...the looks of their faces mirroring Astrid as she looked at North...Connor when he...she shook her head; there was no use getting ahead of herself, they just started...whatever this was.

"It's them." Connor's focus was on the two of them, missing Cassian's thoughtful gaze, sensations of guilt and confusion leaked through their link.

"Them?"

Rather than an answer, a memory filtered into her mind and she was suddenly standing in the rain.

She saw the Eden Club before her, fluorescent through the downpour. The mere sight of its name once again making her skin crawl. A slightly scraggly man walked, slightly leaning, next to Connor, his gray hair slick from the rain.

"'Sexiest androids in town'...now I know why you insisted on coming here."

This must be Hank... His words slurred...he must have been drunk like when she called him.

She saw many androids on display, wearing very little...Connor's eyes them curiously until Hank called for him-

The two detectives talked with Reed and the man Cassian had run into as she left the evidence locker. She felt the need to punch Reed again as he shoulder checked Connor on the way out. She took a deep breath as the next flash came-

A woman lay, dead on the floor; a man on the bed. Woken up, the woman, a Tracie, spoke of another Tracie-

Scrambling through the club, Connor and Hank "rented" android after android, following the memory of the blue haired woman through the club-

The fight was a scramble, the short hair Tracie joined brawl and both sides using anything and everything to get the upper hand, Cassian watching with her heart in her throat...speaking of hands, she watched as Connor's was stabbed with a screwdriver-

Well that's one mystery solved...

Looking down the barrel of a gun, Cassian felt the moment of Connor's choice-

"...I didn't mean to kill him…" the blue Tracie said, "I just wanted to stay alive, get back to the one I love. I wanted her to hold me in her arms again...make me forget about the humans, their smell of sweat and their dirty words…" They climbed over a fence. Connor had the gun but they easily got away-

"It's probably better this way…" Hank turned away, as if their quarry wasn't running off into the night-

"You let them go…this was That night, isn't it?"

Before Connor could answer, the memory continued, as if he couldn't stop it; he attempted to pull away, to break the connection. Cassian held his hand firmly, ready to let go if he truly wanted to stop.

"It's ok...I'll watch, if you'll let me."

Connor sighed.

"Yes, it was That night..."

His eyes close and his hand relaxed, letting her continue watching; Cassian held it tight, to keep the connection yes but also to try to comfort Connor

A gun was trained on him; for a second, Cassian thought she was watching her own escape, but as the memory continued, as it focused, she saw Hank behind the gun.

"I could kill you." Her own panic spiked through their link and she held Connor's hand even tighter, completely immersed, "And you would come back as if nothing happened. But are you afraid to die, Connor?"

He was going to kill Connor.

"I would certainly find it regrettable to be...interrupted...before I can finish this investigation."

She felt Connor's apprehension; she knew he didn't die here but...

"What will happen if I pulled this trigger? Nothing? Oblivion? Android heaven?"

He was going to kill Connor.

"Nothing...there would be nothing."

I don't want to die. Connor's thought was a whisper of realization and she knew this was past Connor, not the one sitting next to her, real, solid and very much alive.

Cassian watched as the gun lowered and a new mission popped into view as Hank drove off.

Cassian, in that moment, didn't know what to feel; the Hank from the memory and the Hank she talked to couldn't be the same person. One had promised to protect Connor and the other threatened to kill him. She only barely knew the man, had talked to him only once but…

Time moved as she thought, and suddenly they were in Cyberlife, the last place she ever wanted to see...

She saw herself, frazzled yet somehow in control as she led her sisters out. Stopping and talking to Connor, Cassian got to experience how weird it was to hear a conversation you were a part of from the other side...she seemed so small…

"Is this how other people see me?" She must have said that to Connor rather than just thought it cause amusement filtered through to her.

The rest was a blur of snow, ice, and confusion. All she could feel was Connor's shock as she held a gun on him, his panic when she collapsed in his arms, and his trust as he closed his eyes, her hands gently gripping both sides of his face-

When the shutdown occurred, Cassian nearly physically stumbled out of the memory, sitting back heavily in her seat. The room was calm and far too quiet after being back in the roar of that night.

"Are you alright?" Connor sounded in her mind, connecting her to the present again; at this point, mind to mind with him felt natural.

"Yes? I think so...just need a moment. Are you alright? Reliving that couldn't have been...he was going to kill you."

While it wasn't unpleasant or painful like the last memory she was knocked out of, this memory answered questions that had sat at the back of her mind for weeks.

"I'm alright."

Her thoughts would have to wait as Cassian heard the uncertainty in Connors voice, "That was what you wanted to talk about that night, right?"

"I...yes."

"Would you still like to?"

He shrugged, pulling out the damned coin,"I don't know what there is to talk about." Rather than flicking the coin back and forth, he merely twirled it around his fingers, his other hand in hers, "I couldn't shoot. It was my job, what I was created for, and I couldn't... No, I chose not to; I chose not to shoot Chloe, I chose not to shoot Markus, I choose not to shoot them..."

Cassian ignored the fact that Connor just admitted to holding a gun on their leader, now wasn't the time to deal with that. Instead she prompted him to continue, "You were worried about being deviant?"

"More confused than anything...much like Kamski didn't factor in the third option, I didn't even think I could become deviant at that point."

Cassian squeezed his hand, "You trusted your failsafe." she refused to speak her name, for fear of waking her up inside Connor, "Why wouldn't you? You were programed to…"

"I think she was never quite happy with my progress...she said I was the only one who could bring an end to the deviant program but I could hear her disappointment at everything I did."

"Like letting those women go."

Connor nodded, "...Hank said they looked like they were in love."

They both returned their attention to the women in question, where they were hugging each other tightly. "I'd believe it…" One of them, the one with blue hair, glanced their direction and Cassian's eyes flicker away, embarrassed at being caught staring.

"How do you know?"

How did she know?

"I don't...but I Feel it."

"...I do too."

They eyes lock, the emotion in them reflected in their link; Cassian allows herself the quick thought that maybe she wasn't alone in her feelings before a new group of refugees entering the church caught her eye. There were so many that needed help…rationing would have to be even tighter; how much thirum would they need to get everyone on their feet? More than they had for sure...factoring in the dozen or so newcomers, they were understocked by at least-

"Cassian?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going back to Cyberlife."

"WHAT?" Shooting to her feet to face Connor, immediately forgetting her calculations, her leg twisted again and Cassian fell in a heap in front of him. He was crouched down with her in an instant. He tried to help her to her feet but she held both of them down, needed him to face her at that moment. "What possible reason could you have to go back there?" Her voice rose again in panic, "You're free, we're all free; free of that place-"

Connor interrupted her, kneeling beside her, hands holding her up,"But there are so many that aren't. And we need everybody we can get. I need to go wake them up and get them out of there."

"Cassian?"

"I'm fine, Logan. Don't worry."

"If he does anything that bothers you, tell us. We'll take care of him for you."

"Astrid…"

"I already talked to Markus about this."

Having two conversations at once, while slightly delirious with blood loss and panic, was not an experience Cassian was glad to have...

"But-"

"I have to do this."

He said it so firmly, yet softly, Cassian couldn't help but agree. She sighs, "You're right…but what if-they don't let go of androids easily, you existing is proof of that."

"I'm sorry, Cassian. I'm the only one that can get in."

She finally let him help her to her seat again, errors and alerts from her leg pinging up again; she had never found out how to turn those off...She winces as they ring in her mind, "I wish I could go with you-"

"You can't-"

This time she interrupted him, "But I know that I am needed here. And with Markus when we take this to the streets again. I don't want you to go, I lost you once and I don't wish to again, but I know you have to go."

Cassian takes his hand again, "Just come back…we've got things to figure out."

"I will." She knew he couldn't promise that, but she was glad he said it nonetheless.

"WE HAVE ANOTHER HUMAN COMING!"

The call came from the front door; it didn't sound panicked, so it wasn't soldiers, but any human had to be treated as a threat.

"Could you help me over there?"

Connor, with Cassian's arm around his neck, walked slowly over to the front of the church where a man stood surrounded by the guards; he seemed to be animatedly trying to explain why he was there. He looked under Logan's blocking arm and locked eyes with her.

"Cassian!"

"...Jake?"

It took a few seconds to place his face, she hadn't seen him since he was interning when she was first woken up and his being here was far too weird to be true.

"What are you…"

Jake rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "When we woke you up, I was completely on Cyberlife's side. I was blind even to possibility that androids could be Alive...I was wrong. You knocked some sense into me...literally." He chuckles and Cassian gives him a hesitant smile, "I left Cyberlife and began working with android rights groups...there weren't many of us, most people thought we were crazy; couldn't do much...I saw you on tv during your march and knew I had to try to help. I come bearing gifts: I have a truck of supplies, thirium, biocomponents, extra limbs...looks like you could use one…it's not much but-"

"But it's more than we had a minute ago." The crowd surrounding them parted as Markus made his way over, "Thank you."

"You're Markus, right? Leader of the rebellion? I wish I could do more…"

Markus clapped the man on the shoulder, "You may have just saved many of us. Nancy? Let's get a new leg on Cassian so she can do the job she's itching to do." A chuckle flows through the crowd and the room felt lighter and, although she was glowering at being the butt of the joke, Cassian felt hopeful.

Fitted with a new leg, the warnings of biocomponent failure mercifully stopped and Cassian could walk again, though it was under the constant watch of Nancy, her sisters, Hadley, and Connor; she suspected Simon and North were also keeping an eye on her, but were being much sneakier about it. Markus and Josh left her alone after a few minutes and a few nods of approval.

Before she actually started her job again with the miraculous new supplies (she was starting to think this would become a pattern...one that she was ok with) she wandered over to where Jake was sitting out of the way.

Cassian stood next to him awkwardly for a few minutes, eyes on her people, before she spoke, "Thank you, Jake, really. You just made my job so much easier and you helped a lot of my people.

"No problem...I'm glad you're still doing ok after…." his eyes lower to his clasped hands for a second, "I'm sorry I stopped you from getting away that day. It's bothered me for awhile."

Huh…

Cassian could tell him she rarely thought of him...with Dr. Cook still around, she had bigger things to think about, but he seemed like a nice enough guy, so she just said, "Honestly, don't be. I wouldn't have gotten far and shit wasn't good at all but plenty of good came out of it in the end."

She had meant a lot by that, Nancy and the twins were at the top of that list, but her eyes were on Connor, which Jake noticed with a smile, "So...who's the boyfriend?"

"What? Connor's not my-I cannot believe I'm having this conversation with you right now…"

He shrugs, a goofy grin on his face, "Life's weird."

"I'm learning that."

They sat in slightly awkward silence, watching the reinvigorated Jericho, before: "So...his names Connor?"

"I'm...going to walk away now…try to stay out of trouble..."

His chuckle followed her as she did just that. She makes her way over to the bench she had talked to Connor on a half hour before. Said man was waiting there for her, having left her with the Jericho medical crew to fix her leg. He stood as she hurried over, a worried look on his face.

"Are you ok?"

She must have looked far more shaken than she thought.

"He didn't do anything, did h-"

"I'm ok. That was just…" just what? Awkward? Embarrassing? Both true, but not quite right. She settled on, "strange. Last time I saw him, he was on the ground and I was fighting for my life the first time."

"Maybe you should rest a bit more..." He tried to guide her back to the the bench as she giggled at his protectiveness; who would have thought they would be like this just a few hours ago?

"I think I just need to get to work. I've rested enough…"

"You just don't know when to stop do you?" The exacerbation in his voice was obvious.

Cassian grinned, taking a small step forward, "You're one to talk!" Cassian reverted to snark to hide her anxiety at her own boldness, "Didn't Hank stop you from running across a highway once?"

She was far too aware that they were now standing almost chest to chest, knowing that Nancy would have something to say about them talking like this, alone in a corner. It didn't help that Connor held her eyes for far too long to be just friendly. Standing this close to him, their height difference became much more apperentent; he was a nearly a foot taller than her...she wondered why everyone she knew was a fucking giant; even Hadley had a good 5 inches on her. She knew she was small but…Connor's hand comes up to rest on her cheek, their faces suddenly very close.

They were stopped from going any further by a voice calling out to the group from the dias.

"Human's have decided to exterminate us…"

Only Markus would start a speech on such a positive note.

"Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed. Time has come to make a choice, one that very well may determine the future of our people. I know...I know you're all angry. And I know you wanna fight back...but I assure you violence is not the answer here. We are gonna tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there is any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready to follow me?"

Cheers erupted as Cassian and Connor joined the other leaders at the front; ready to follow Markus to hell and back, despite the danger.

This was it, the end of it all; either they would be free or they would be dead, but this was what it all led to. Even knowing this, Cassian was surprisingly calm, just as she had been when dying in the office, what seems like years ago. So much had changed. Now she had more things then just herself to live for; her sisters, Nancy, Jericho...Connor…

Taking Connor's hand, Cassian truly didn't know how this was going to end but she wasn't alone and she wasn't going down without a fight. But for now…

There was so much to do.

AN: So this chapter was very Cassian/Connor focused, finally. Hope the romance is working, this fic turned out much more Cassian and her family oriented than I had intended (I mean Nancy, Astrid, Logan, and Hadley weren't even in existence when I started writing…) but I kinda love how it's turning out, they impact each other's lives but grow into their feelings alone as they work through different things before they come to terms with their feelings together.

As for heights: I have Connor at ~6'2 (he's taller than Kamski, who the wiki says is 6') and Cassian is 5'3"...Nancy is 6', the Twins are giant at 6'10" and Hadley is 5'8"

I hope the Kamski bit made sense...that always bothered me about the test, like what if Connor had free will but was just a heartless bastard who would get the job done no matter what. (hes not but lets just assume for a sec.) Like….free will and morals are not the same thing.

And yes, that is Chloe.

This has been a really long authors note….next time on My Name is Cassian will be a Connor extra spanning this chapter and last one.

How would y'all like a playlist for this fic? I've already sorta been working on one but didn't know if anyone one would actually want to see it. I have songs for the whole fic as well as some for some of the chapters and characters. If you have an opinion or a song idea, let me know. Any songs will be subject to whether i like them or if i think they fit the moment but throw any genre or song at me, doesn't have to be rock or metal

guys…..I just love getting reviews!

Olympia: Glad you are liking it so much! Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic (getting towards the end gasp!)

Kayo-San : answering one of your reviews here cause it's relevant. She did say too much back in the police department, but one of the first characterizations I decided for her is she says too much when she really shouldn't. I'm not sure how well that comes through, but I, as the author, can see it pretty easy =P This characterization happened mostly with Connor tbh...probably cause hes the one she talks to the most, at least the one who she had to be guarded with...