Chapter Eight

Trigger Warning: Crime scene-related violence and stalking.

Wren entered the police station with Connor and Hank, her hands buried in the pockets of her grey coat. She huffed, welcoming the warmth of the station to melt the cold from her skin.

Captain Fowler saw them enter from his glass office, stood and poked his head out the door. "Everyone, go into the rec room for a small announcement."

Hank stopped in his tracks. He rolled his eyes dramatically, turning his head to look at Wren. "He's gonna introduce the newbies to everyone."

"You seem thrilled," Wren deadpanned. Hank let out a short humph in reply. Wren walked to the rec room, Hank and Connor following. Several people crowded into the rec room, lining the walls. Wren recognized two people from her tests the day before. The others must not have passed all of the exams.

Captain Fowler entered the room, peering at a tablet. "We have three new recruits. They passed their exams with exceptional marks. "Officer Crynn Bradford, you'll be assigned to the narcotics and gang division. Officer Xavier Griggs, you're assigned to robbery and juveniles division. Officer Wren Morgan," Fowler glanced toward Wren, who straightened as every pair of eyes in the room looked at her, "you're assigned to the sex crimes and homicide division. The three of you should know your partners, as we discussed it yesterday. Dismissed."

Fowler left the room, as did most of the occupants. Hank folded his arms and peered at Wren. "Morgan?"

"Well, I couldn't use Blaise's last name or yours, could I? Had to make one up," said Wren.

Connor's eyes trained on something behind Wren. "This is not the best place or time to discuss this."

Wren followed Connor's gaze as three people approached. One of the men held out his hand. "Officer Chris Miller. Tina and I work the sex crimes unit. It's a pleasure to have you."

Wren shook Chris's hand. "Glad to be here."

Tina held out a hand. "Tina Chen."

Wren shook her hand and offered a twitch of her lips. Wren looked to the other man, who bore a scar across his nose. He didn't wear an officer's uniform, marking him as a detective or lieutenant. His blue eyes narrowed as he held out a hand to Wren.

"Detective Gavin Reed. You'll eventually work homicide with me, if you can take the heat."

Wren lifted a brow and dropped Gavin's hand. "I'm sure I can handle it."

Gavin snorted. "We'll see. Pretty girls like you… They don't last long."

"Calling me ugly?" demanded Tina, turning her almond eyes to Gavin.

The detective opened and closed his mouth like a fish. He clenched his teeth for a moment. "You know what I mean, Chen."

"Uh huh," muttered Tina, "stop being an ass."

Gavin's jaw popped as he tightened it. His eyes flicked to Connor, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "What're you lookin' at, tin can?" He pushed past Connor and marched over to his desk. Wren watched him go, her eyebrows raised.

Hank shook his head. "Ignore him. He's not exactly a team player."

"I see," said Wren, folding her arms. She glanced toward Connor. He was usually quiet, but he had been unusually quiet since Wren took her exams to join the police force. His LED flickered as he met her gaze.

"Come on," said Tina, "we'll show you the ropes."

"If we're lucky, we'll get a case," said Chris. "I'm tired of sitting around."

"Getting a case means some poor asshole has been assaulted, though," said Tina. The two of them walked out of the rec room, assuming that Wren followed.

Wren looked at Hank and Connor. "Are you guys gonna babysit me here, too?"

"Shut up," Hank muttered. "Just stick with them, got it?"

"Or what?" Wren challenged. "You'll sic Sumo on me?"

"I'll sic Connor on ya," retorted Hank.

Wren's eyes flicked to Connor. She had yet to see him in action, but she didn't doubt the android's capabilities. She huffed. "Don't worry. I don't plan on making a break for it. I'm not an idiot."

"Yeah, well, we'll see," Hank muttered. He sauntered over to his desk. Connor moved to follow him, but Wren grabbed him by the arm.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Connor tilted his head, his indicator flickering. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're just quieter than usual," said Wren. "Ever since yesterday."

Connor's LED flashed yellow for a brief second before returning to blue. "You should join the other officers, Wren."

Wren released Connor's arm, her chest tightening. "Right." She walked past him, her brow furrowing slightly. She felt Connor's eyes on her as she walked away. She caught up to Chris and Tina, who were sitting at their desks, an empty one across from Tina's.

"What took you so long?" demanded Tina.

"Uh, Hank wanted to wish me luck," said Wren.

"That doesn't sound like Hank," said Chris, grinning.

"Yeah, what's the relation there?" Tina prompted, leaning forward.

"I dated his ex's nephew for a while," replied Wren. "Blaise."

"Ex… As in, his ex-wife?" Chris leaned forward and lowered his voice, as if Hank could hear them from across the precinct.

"Yeah," muttered Wren.

Chris leaned back, his eyebrows raised. "Wow. So you knew him before everything with Cole?"

"Yeah," said Wren, her stomach twisting. "But, uh, no one really likes talking about it, okay?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, for sure. Sorry."

"Hank's a legend," explained Tina. Her eyes slid in the direction of Hank's desk. "Or, he was, before… Y'know. I think he's getting better, slowly but surely. I didn't know him before he went off the rails."

"Gotcha," murmured Wren. "I always respected him. We weren't exactly close, but… I don't know. Somehow I knew he'd help me when I came to Detroit." The lies fell from Wren's lips smoothly.

"What brought you to Detroit?" Tina queried, looking at her terminal.

"Well, my P.I. business wasn't doing well, and I've always been interested in androids. I knew Detroit would allow me to work closer with them," Wren answered.

"An android sympathizer," said Chris, nodding slowly.

Wren tilted her head. "Are you not?"

"I wasn't… at first," Chris admitted. "But then one of them spared my life, even after I killed several of them. I dunno. Changed my perspective a bit."

"No kidding," said Wren, her eyebrows shooting up. She looked at Tina. "What about you?"

"I don't really care," said Tina. "They haven't really given me a reason to dislike them, but I'm not about to join any marches for them or anything."

"It kind of changes things when you know an android, too," said Chris. "I've worked a few crime scenes with Connor now. He's not a bad guy."

"Ugh, he's so boring," Tina's face wrinkled.

Wren lifted a brow. "Boring?"

"He's just… He's one of those guys whose nice, no matter what. Like, you could spill coffee on him, and he'd apologize to you," Tina explained.

"He's boring because he's… nice?" Wren offered Tina a confused smile.

"So if he punched you in the face, you'd like him?" Chris added.

"No," grumbled Tina, "he's just… blank, you know? He doesn't really talk to anyone here. He doesn't share things. He's not super expressive… He just sticks with Hank."

"Well, have you talked to him?" Chris challenged.

Tina frowned. "No."

"He's not boring," Wren stated, "he's just… reserved."

"Oh, mysterious," remarked Tina, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Well, he's not exactly you're type," said Chris. He sniggered. "He's probably Ken Dolling it down there, anyway."

Wren hissed a laugh. She buried her face in her hands, warmth spreading up her neck. She shook her head and opened her terminal. She tried logging in.

Warning: System Admin Approval Required.

She frowned. "Guess Fowler hasn't let me into the system yet."

Tina leaned over her desk to look at Wren's terminal. "Yep. Wait until tomorrow. If he hasn't let you in by the end of the week, you'll have to remind him." She sat back into her chair.

"You can just use ours for now. Any info we get, we'll show you. But… We don't even have a case right now," Chris shrugged.

"That's a good problem to have, though," Wren pointed out. "At least no one's getting murdered or… worse."

"That we know about," Chris countered.

"Touché."

"Officers?"

Wren glanced up to see a male android, a AP700 model. He clasped his hands in front of him. A woman stood a few feet behind him, clutching the strap of her purse with both hands.

"Hey, Casper," said Chris, leaning back. "Got something for us?"

"I do," said Casper, dipping his head. "This is Carol Baker. She didn't make an appointment, but I saw that your schedules were clear. She insists that it's urgent."

"We'll talk to her," said Tina.

"Thanks, Casper," added Chris. Casper smiled. His light blue eyes ghosted over Wren. He lacked an indicator. Wren offered him a small smile, which he returned before departing.

Carol stepped forward as Chris pulled up a chair for her. "You're the officers who work the sex crimes?"

"We are," said Tina. "Do you need to report something?"

"W-well, nothing's happened yet, but, um…" Carol's hands trembled as she reached into her purse. She withdrew several envelopes. "I've been receiving these over the past few years. I, um, used to live in San Francisco but I moved here…"

Wren accepted one of the envelopes that Carol passed around. She opened it, withdrawing a handwritten note. She exchanged a glance with Chris and Tina, who both began to read their notes. Wren lowered her gaze and followed suit.

Carol,

You looked so beautiful today at the gym. I love watching your muscles tighten as you lift weights. It's so sexy. I've been working out myself. Maybe one day we can work out together.

I look forward to the day we're together.

Wren looked up, a chill rippling down her spine. "You received these in San Francisco, too?"

"Yes," said Carol, a little breathlessly. "At first, I thought that someone was playing a joke, but they started to get more personal and romantic… I didn't know what to do. When I received a job opportunity here, I took it. I didn't think anyone would follow me, especially after everything that's happened."

"I agree, it's messed up," said Chris, putting the note back into its envelope and handing it to Carol, "but we can't really do anything until something happens."

The color drained from Carol's face. "Something happens?" she repeated. "So you can't do anything until he actually hurts me?"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but our hands are tied. I wish we could help," Chris said kindly.

Tears filled Carol's eyes. "Roy Harrington, 313-769-2275."

Wren's brow pinched. "I'm sorry?"

"That's my fiancé. You'll be calling him when you find me dead," said Carol. She looked at the envelopes. "Keep them. I don't want to look at them anymore." She turned on her heel and stalked out of the station. Coldness trickled from Wren's chest to her stomach.

Tina looked up from the note. "There has to be something we can do. I mean… She's still a victim."

"It's not even really a sex crime, Tina," Chris reminded her gently.

Wren lifted the note on her desk and reread it. "What did your notes say?"

Chris sighed and lifted his. "Dear Carol, you always look so happy whenever you visit that little coffee shop. Have you tried the wedding cake latte yet? I have, and it's divine. I love the way your eyes light up when you have your hands wrapped around a coffee cup. How's your friend Allie doing? I know you treasure these breakfast dates with her. I look forward to when I can join them."

Tina cleared her throat. "My dear Carol, you seem happy at your new job. I know you loved San Francisco. I know I'll miss it. But Detroit is a wonder of its own, I suppose. You look stunning in that new coat, by the way. The pink really complements your brown eyes. It makes you look so soft, like a rose petal. It makes me want to brush fingers across your silky skin. I long for that day. Soon, we will be together."

Wren read her note to them, then set it down. "This is really messed up."

"Yeah, he's a creep," said Chris, "but we're not supposed to do anything till something happens. It sucks, but it's the law."

"Stalkers don't usually follow the person," Wren muttered. "Usually, if the subject of their affection moves, they change focus to a different target. This guy moved across several states to Detroit of all places to follow her. I think she's in danger."

"Definitely," agreed Tina. "The language sounds threatening, like he's escalating. 'Soon, we will be together.' It sounds like he's hinting at some sort of confrontation. He's impatient."

"Are either of you listening to me?" Chris tried helplessly.

Wren looked at him. "Do you think she's in danger?"

"Yeah, I do, but…"

"Chris, I swear to all things sacred, I will smack you if you say we can't do anything," snapped Tina. "I don't want to call this poor girl's fiancé because we didn't even try to help."

"Look, I am not saying that I don't want to help. I just don't know how to do it," said Chris. He rubbed his palms together as he leaned forward.

Wren looked at Tina, who stood and gathered the notes. "I'll convince Fowler."

Tina left them and entered Fowler's office. Wren watched her, dragging her teeth across her lip. Chris watched with her. Fowler read over the letters, looked up at Tina, shook his head and held out his hands, palms facing upward. Tina gestured with one hand at the letters, her brow wrinkled. Wren examined Tina's body language for a moment before looking at Chris.

"She's dealt with a case like this before."

Chris raised his eyebrows. "I have no idea. She worked in New York before Detroit. Maybe she did, then."

"She's attached to the case," Wren explained.

"Yeah, I noticed too," muttered Chris.

Fowler rubbed his face with his hands before nodding at last. Tina snatched up the letters, exited his office and plopped down at her desk. "We've got the case. Wren, go ask Casper for Carol Baker's number."

Wren stood and left the bullpen of the precinct and found Casper at the front desk. She walked up to him and offered him a small smile. "Hi, Casper. Do you mind giving me Carol Baker's number?"

"Certainly," said Casper. He typed on the terminal in front of him before scribbling it down on a sticky note. He handed it to Wren. "You're taking the case?"

"Looks like it," Wren replied. Casper smiled at her. Wren returned it before walking back to Tina and Chris. She handed the sticky note to Tina, who dialed the number into the desk phone.

After a few seconds of silence, Tina said, "Ms. Baker? Hi, this is Officer Chen with the DPD. I just talked to my superior officer. We're taking your case. Oh, you're welcome. Listen, I need your home address. Did you keep the letters he gave? Some of them… Okay. Would it be all right if we come by your house to discuss this in person? Thank you. We will be right there."

Tina hung up the phone. "Let's go."

…

Wren, Chris and Tina sat opposite of Carol in the woman's living room. Letters littered the coffee table. Carol's eyes were rimmed with red and she sniffled every so often. She rubbed her nose and coughed to clear her throat. "I, uh, tried to keep as many of them as possible. I tried to get help in San Francisco, but the cops told me that they couldn't help me until something happened there, too." Her eyes flicked to Chris, who shifted beside Wren.

"Ms. Baker," said Tina, "do you have the very first note he gave you?"

Carol shook her head. "No, I don't. I'm sorry. I threw it away right after I got it."

"Do you happen to remember the date you got it?" Wren queried.

Carol thought for a moment. "It was June… June sixth." She smiled bitterly. "The day after Roy proposed."

Wren's brow pinched. She glanced at Tina, who leaned toward Carol. "How long has this been going on?"

"Two years," said Carol. "The first note was slid under my door at my office."

Wren huffed. "So he knows details of your whereabouts at all times… Other than it being the day after your fiancé proposed, can you think of any other things that happened that day?"

Carol thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No… I don't know."

"Well this date means something to him," said Chris. "You should come up with a list of everyone you started talking to on that date."

Chris, Wren and Tina stood to leave. Carol walked them to the front door. Wren turned to Carol as her companions walked toward the car. "Look, keep the doors locked and keep your phone on you at all times. You have my colleagues' phone numbers. Don't hesitate to call, okay?"

Carol nodded. "Thank you."

Wren dipped her head and joined her colleagues, sliding into the backseat of their cruiser. The drive back to the police station was rather quiet. They stopped for a late lunch.

"We could check by her old workplace to see if anything happened June 6, 2036," suggested Wren.

Chris shoveled in a mouthful of fried rice. "The thing is though, nothing could've happened that date. It just means that it meant something to her stalker."

"Yeah," said Tina, "they could've bumped into each other on the elevator, or she could've bought avocado toast in front of him. Who knows."

"Yeah," Wren muttered. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, we wait till she gives us that list. We can't really narrow things down until then," said Chris.

"We're doing nothing?" Wren demanded.

"What do you suggest we do?" Chris countered.

"Put security detail on her house?" Wren suggested.

"We don't have a budget for that," said Tina. "I had to fight just so that we could even take the case. Every decision we make from here on out will be monitored by the board. They're not gonna like that we took this case. The only reason Fowler let us is because I convinced him that just because there's not a body, doesn't mean there's not a case. But he can't let us put security detail on her house or anything like that. Not unless something more threatening happens."

"For now, we pray that nothing does happen until Carol gets that list to us," added Chris.

Wren chewed on her lip but nodded. "Okay." She rolled some orange chicken around on her plate before dropping her fork and looking at Tina. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you fight for this case?"

Tina froze. She set her fork down and folded her arms, staring at her plate for several seconds. "When I was a cop in New York, there was this girl who came to my division for help. She wanted a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend. We couldn't do anything because he hadn't done anything. A week later, homicide was trying to solve her murder. Her ex had beaten her to death. I didn't want something like that to happen again."

Ice feathered underneath Wren's skin. She shivered. "And Carol said she didn't have any ex-boyfriends…"

"Yeah," huffed Tina. "Still doesn't make this guy any less of a threat."

"Definitely," Wren agreed. "It's awful how we can't seem to do anything until it's too late."

"No kidding," mumbled Chris. They finished eating in despondent silence. They returned to the precinct, brainstorming ways to track down Carol's stalker, but they were stuck until they received Carol's list.

Wren returned home with Hank and Connor, but did not talk to them. She helped Hank cook spaghetti, but remained quiet and thoughtful. She wanted to help Carol, but she felt trapped. The whole point of leaving Prometheus was so that she no longer felt that way.

"Wren? You alright? You haven't spoken all day," said Hank, casting Wren a sidelong glance.

She looked up as she strained the spaghetti noodles, steam billowing in her face. "Yeah… Just thinking about this case."

"Could we help?" Connor offered.

Wren shook the strainer, draining as much water from the noodles as possible. She poured them back into the pot. Hank added the sauce and stirred it around while Wren retrieved bowls. She pursed her lips for a moment before uttering, "I don't know. We're trying to find a stalker, but… It's hard to pinpoint who this guy is."

"A stalker?" Hank queried as he divvied servings into bowls. Wren took hers to the table. Hank followed and sat down. "That's… unusual. Did he do something?"

"Not yet," said Wren, "but he's been sending her anonymous notes for two years. She moved to Detroit to get away, and he followed her."

"That's creepy," muttered Hank. "I'm surprised Fowler let you take the case, though."

"Yeah, we had to fight for it. But I think this woman is in danger, but we're at a standstill. There's nothing we can do to prevent this guy from going in her house and hurting her. I just hate all the red tape," Wren sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

Hank leaned forward. "Listen, kid. I know the red tape sucks. Sometimes, you can get by with cutting a little bit of it. Use your head before you go jumping into action, though."

Wren nodded. "I know. I don't think the stalker will just go in her house and snatch her up… His language in the letters is… almost romantic, like he's courting her. I think he's afraid of rejection, which is why he hasn't tried anything yet. But his confidence is building. I just want to find him before he confronts her."

"Keep working like you did today, and I'm sure you will," said Hank.

Wren looked at him, the worry creases of her forehead softening. "Thank you."

One corner of Hank's mouth upturned.

^Hank

Wren helped clean the kitchen after dinner. Then, she nestled into the couch while Connor sat in the armchair. Wren opened up Red Azalea by Anchee Min. She flew through the first few chapters, by which time Hank had drifted off to bed. Wren closed the book, her eyes dry from reading so much. She stretched her legs and glanced toward Connor. Her eyes widened to see his LED flashing yellow, his eyes staring off into space. His hands gripped the arms of his chair.

"Connor? Are you okay?" Wren asked, leaning toward him.

Connor blinked and turned his head toward her, looking a bit dazed. "I'm okay…"

Wren raised an eyebrow. "No, you're not. Your LED is yellow and you look like… like someone hit you in the head, hard."

Connor's eyes darted around the room before the found Wren's, his lips parting. His jaw clenched. "I'm fine."

"You know… trust is a two-way street. You guys want me to tell you my secrets so that you can trust me, but I'm just supposed to blindly trust you both? It doesn't work that way," Wren snapped.

Connor frowned. "I didn't make the rules."

"You didn't exactly protest to them, either."

Connor's brow furrowed. "You don't share everything with us. You won't tell us how Prometheus got you to obey them, other than they conditioned and programmed you."

Wren gritted her teeth until her jaw hurt. "If you really want to know, they tortured me but sprinkled enough comfort and care in there that I was still loyal to them. I can go into the grisly details if you want, but…" Wren shrugged and worked her jaw. "There. I shared. Your turn."

˅Connor

A scowl harshened the contours of Connor's face. "I went to an abandoned residence yesterday. The owner used to torture and mutilate androids. Several of the bodies are still there."

"And you can't get the images out of your head," Wren guessed.

Connor folded his hands together. He looked away from Wren. "You should get some rest."

Wren frowned. Her heart sank a little. She laid down, wondering why Connor was suddenly distant. She twisted her lips. Well, it wasn't like they were really friends, anyway.

"You can read any of the books Josh loaned me. Might help take your mind off things," Wren stated as she settled into her pillow.

"Thank you," Connor muttered. His voice lost its curtness with her, but it still seemed strained. She sighed as she closed her eyes. She knew how difficult it was to discuss things that induced anxiety. However, if neither of them wanted to try, then their alliance would remain fragile.

…

Wren, Chris and Tina worked on Carol's long list of people for the entirety of the next day. They conducted background searches and handwriting analyses. But none of the people on the list crossed Carol's life frequently enough or matched the handwriting. None of them fit the typical stalker profile, either.

Wren rubbed her forehead. "So, what? This guy's just some nobody? How the hell are we supposed to find him?"

"Well, if he escalates to establishing more contact with Carol, we might can track him down that way…" Chris trailed off when both Wren and Tina shot him a glare.

Tina's desk phone rang, saving Chris from a chewing out. She answered it. "Officer Chen. Carol? Whoa, slow down. Come to the station immediately. Bring them with you. And, uh, have Roy come here, too." She hung up the phone.

"She got another note?" Wren guessed.

"Yep," said Tina, "and a diamond ring."

Carol arrived within the hour, the new letter and jewelry box in her hands. She sat down, looking quite pale. Wren examined her for a moment before standing.

"Carol, would you like some tea or coffee?"

Carol looked up, trembling slightly. "Uh, tea would be nice. Thank you."

Wren dipped her head and headed for the break room, where she worked on preparing chamomile tea for Carol. Hank and Connor sat at one of the tables in the corner of the room, Hank munching on his packed lunch.

"Kid, you gonna eat today?" Hank called.

Wren stirred honey into the tea. "Later."

"Or you could eat now," suggested Hank. "It's not good for you to barely eat and sleep. How many cups of coffee did you say she had?" Hank turned his attention to Connor.

"Five," replied Connor.

Wren turned on her heel, careful not to slosh hot tea all over herself. "What, you guys are spying on me from across the fucking bullpen?"

"Observing," answered Hank coolly.

Wren stared at them, her blood boiling. She stepped closer so that no one would hear her. "Maybe the two of you should focus on your jobs instead of constantly watching me, as if I'm about to go apeshit and attack everyone, or whatever you're afraid I'm going to do. If you'll excuse me, Carol Baker's stalker just proposed to her." She walked out of the break room, fuming. Jesus, they couldn't trust her even in the heart of the fucking police station? She'd thought that maybe she was beginning to befriend them, but of course not. That would be too easy.

She handed Carol the tea and sat down at her desk. "What do we have?"

Tina handed over the letter, looking a bit pale. Wren frowned and looked at the letter.

I'm tired of waiting. This was my great grandmother's engagement ring, then my grandmother's and then my mother's. I want you to be my wife, but you insist on staying with Roy Harrington. He doesn't really love you. Not like I do. And you don't really love him. Stop pretending before I have to show you what I mean.

Wren swallowed. She ran her fingers over the back of the letter, feeling the depressions from the force of the pen. "He was angry when he wrote this." She looked at Carol. "Did anything happen with you and Roy yesterday?"

Carol stiffened. "I… No, I don't see how that's relevant."

"It's relevant," butted in Tina, "because this guy saw it."

Carol lowered her gaze. For a moment, Wren thought she was going to admit something. Then, Carol stood. She set the cup down. "Thank you for the tea." She left the station. Wren exchanged a glance with Chris and Tina.

"This guy witnessed something between the two of them… He's gonna escalate soon," said Chris.

"Maybe… Maybe they got into a fight," said Tina, frowning.

Wren nodded. She read over the letter again. "That seems likely. The question is, what did they fight about?"

"We've gotta get Carol to tell us or else we won't be able to help her," said Chris.

"I'm going to stake out their place tonight," said Tina, standing. "I feel like she's in danger. If we can't put official security detail on her, then it's up to us."

Wren glanced over at Hank and Connor across the bullpen. They weren't looking at her, at least. She stood. "I'll be right back." She walked over to Hank and Connor's area.

Hank looked up and scowled. "Are you done being an asshole?"

Wren tilted her head. "No," she said coldly. "I'm staking out with Tina tonight."

Hank and Connor looked at each other before looking at Wren. Hank shook his head. "Not a chance."

Wren sighed and folded her arms. "Hank, this woman's life is in danger. I'll be with another officer all night."

"I don't care," seethed Hank, leaning forward. "We don't trust you to be by yourself."

"So that surpasses this woman's life?" Wren countered. Hank huffed and averted her gaze. Wren looked at Connor, who held her gaze for a moment. She folded her arms. "You guys don't trust me," she muttered, "but have you ever thought that maybe I don't trust either of you?"

"We weren't former assassins," hissed Hank, looking around to make sure no one overheard.

Wren scoffed. "Key word being former," she spat. She glared at both of them. "I wanted to start over. To clean up my past, to atone for some of my sins by helping people. I was scared when I first joined the two of you that I might be trading one prison for another. Turns out I was right."

She turned on her heel and returned to her desk, not wanting to look at Hank and Connor.

…

Wren sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, going over the letters and Carol's case. Hank stepped into the living room.

"Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry," Wren lied.

"The high levels of NPY in your system say otherwise," stated Connor. His voice was gentle.

Wren glared at him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to scan and analyze me?"

"Look, starving yourself isn't going to help that woman," said Hank, crossing his arms.

Wren stared at the two of them and gritted her teeth. Her muscles quivered, itching for her to jump up and fight. She curled her hands into fists, her artificial nails digging into her synthetic skin. She felt the pressure but no pain like human hands and arms would feel. "I'm asking you both nicely to leave me alone."

Hank shrugged. "Fine. Suit yourself." He trudged into the kitchen and ate. Connor lingered in the doorway before joining Hank.

Wren returned her attention to the case, as if something new would jump at her. Her mind drifted. She knew Hank's routine. So far, he'd proven to be a heavy sleeper. Connor posed a greater threat to her escape. She glanced over at the android. No doubt he could fight, but he wouldn't expect someone like her to fight. Besides, she'd had plenty of training fighting androids, even combat-specific androids. Prometheus trained her well. She didn't want Tina to stake out Carol's house alone, and she certainly wasn't going to sit around all night.

So, she waited.

By eleven o'clock, Hank had been sleeping for a good hour, putting him in the third stage of non-REM sleep cycle, the deepest stage of sleep before dreaming. Wren looked at Connor, who sat in his armchair, reading Red Azalea. She was surprised he hadn't finished it yet. Usually it only took him a few hours –at most –to read an entire book. Perhaps he was rereading it?

Wren stood. Connor looked up, his brow pinching. "Where are you going?"

Wren held out her hands. "The bathroom. What, can I not shower by myself anymore?"

Connor frowned but lowered his gaze. He resumed reading. Wren entered the bathroom and locked the door. She turned on the shower and adjusted the showerhead so that she wouldn't get soaked by it as she moved aside the curtain to open the window. It was an old window and the locks required quite a bit of force for her to move. She looked over her shoulder, stilling. She increased the audio input sensitivity. She couldn't hear Connor, which meant he was most likely still sitting in his chair. She pushed up on the window. It didn't budge. She added more force to it and the window scraped open. Wren froze, listening. She heard Connor stand and take a few steps toward the bathroom.

/ / / / WARNING: DETECTED / / / /

[Time Remaining Before Capture: -00:03:45]

Wren pulled herself through the window. She left it open to save time. She crouched and snuck around the house, keeping below the window. She paused, hearing Connor's footsteps inside the house. She held her breath and listened as his boots knocked the hardwood floor. She heard him knock on the bathroom door.

"Wren?" he queried.

Wren mouthed an expletive to herself. She had time before Connor burst his way into the bathroom and found the window open. She moved along the side of the house, keeping quiet. She lowered the sensitivity of her audio input, as her own footsteps were deafening. She froze when the front door of Hank's house opened. Shit. She hadn't expected Connor to check outside without breaking into the bathroom first.

They stared at each other for a moment, both stunned. Then, Connor's face darkened. Suddenly, he wasn't the polite prototype detective android. Suddenly, he was a hunter. Luckily, Wren was a hunter, too.

They took off running at the exact same time. Wren sprinted away from the house and Connor charged toward her. Fuck, he was fast. And lanky. For every stride he took, Wren took two or three. His length gave him an edge over Wren, so he caught up to her fairly quick. He tackled Wren in someone's front lawn. Wren twisted, readying herself to break free of Connor's hold. He may have been fast and strong, even trained, but he hadn't been trained like her. She could break free. She could incapacitate him enough to get away. But that wouldn't earn his trust.

Wren surrendered.

Connor pinned her hands over her head and to the ground. "Where were you going?"

"I was going to the stakeout," Wren panted.

Connor's brow puckered. "You were sneaking out for that?"

"I swear," Wren replied.

"And why should I believe you?" Connor demanded.

Wren rolled her eyes. The synthetic skin of her hand peeled away. She connected to Connor's memory, transferring her own memory of the past several minutes to his processor. Connor's LED flashed red for a split second. Then, it settled to yellow. His grip on her wrists loosened. A frown settled into the creases of his face.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" he muttered.

"Well, hurting you won't exactly earn your trust, will it?" Wren challenged.

Connor's frown deepened. "Why does that matter to you?" His voice was quiet and his eyes glittered in the dark.

Wren sighed and leaned her head back. Her breath puffed out in a small cloud of steam. "Because no one has ever trusted me."

Connor released her rather abruptly. He stood and held out a hand. Wren looked at it for a moment before accepting his help. They walked back to the house and circled around back, where Wren climbed through the window first. She shut off the shower and watched as Connor pulled himself through, a little awkwardly. He slid the window shut and locked it.

They stood in the bathtub, Wren's arms crossed. Connor faced her, his eyebrows pushed together and his LED flickering yellow. Wren looked at the window. "Are you going to tell Hank to bar it?"

Connor narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. His jaw tightened for a moment and then he tilted his head. For a few seconds, Wren thought that Connor wasn't going to answer. Then he said, "Just don't do it again." He stepped out of the bathtub first, unlocked the bathroom door and headed for the front door, which Wren heard him close and lock. Trembling, Wren stepped out of the bathtub and entered the living room, where she plopped onto the couch. She laid down but didn't bother turning off the light. The silence between them seemed to pulse like a racing, adrenaline-shot heartbeat. Wren rolled over, facing the couch cushions and closed her eyes.

…

"Ms. Baker, are you sure your cat didn't just wander off?" Chris sounded just as exhausted as Wren felt as she returned from the break room with coffee.

"No, my cat didn't just wander off! He left these!" Carol yelled, throwing down photographs. Wren looked at them. Nausea bubbled into her throat. The stalker had sent Carol dick pics.

"Ms. Baker, we promise, we're doing everything we can," Wren tried.

Carol turned on her. "Are you? Because to me it looks like you're not fucking doing anything!" The entire precinct froze. Heat prickled up Wren's neck and tingled her cheeks. Carol ran a hand through her hair, tears in her eyes. "What use are you, anyway? One of you was even there last night, and he still managed to take my cat and leave those disgusting pictures! Why isn't anything being done to stop this?" Carol stared at them, challenging someone to answer. No one spoke. Carol grabbed her purse. "Unbelievable." She stalked out of the precinct, her heels clacking against the tile floor.

Wren looked at Tina, who stood by her desk, paralyzed. "Tina…"

Tina's eyes snapped to Wren. "Where the fuck were you last night? Chris has a baby, so he has an excuse, but you're just crashing on Lieutenant Anderson's couch! You could've helped stop this!"

Wren gaped at Tina, who did not wait for an answer. She stormed off, her skin blotched with anger. Wren looked at Chris, who mirrored her stunned expression. "She's just… stressed… I'll talk to her, okay?"

Wren felt the eyes of multiple people on her. Her skin burned and her stomach writhed. She bowed her head and marched toward the elevator, which she took to the top floor. She hurried down the hall and used the back stairwell for roof access. The burst of cold air soothed her prickling skin. She leaned over and placed her hands on her knees, heaving. Her blood throbbed in her ears. Why hadn't she joined Tina last night? Fuck earning Hank and Connor's trust, Carol's life was in danger!

The door behind Wren opened. Someone took a few steps toward her before stopping. Wren straightened, albeit stiffly. She did not turn to face whoever stood behind her.

"This isn't your fault, Wren," Connor said gently.

Wren placed her hands on her hips. She let out a sharp laugh. "I should've fought you last night. I put your trust over Carol's life. So yeah, this is my fault."

The snow on the building crunched as Connor took a few steps closer. "You're doing everything you can. Ms. Baker is just scared and Officer Chen is stressed. These emotions drive people to say or do irrational things."

"I know how fear and stress work, Connor," Wren snapped.

Connor stepped closer. Wren refused to turn and look at him. "I'm sorry, Wren."

A frown pinched Wren's brow and tugged the corners of her mouth downward. "For what?"

"For stopping you," said Connor. "I understand how it feels to… to fail your mission."

The boiling in Wren's blood cooled. "This isn't just some mission, though. This is a woman's life."

"You're doing everything you can to help her," insisted Connor, edging closer to her. Wren could feel him standing behind her. Wren said nothing. He could insist that she was doing everything she could, but it still was not enough. Connor shifted behind her. "I don't think you're a bad person, Wren."

Wren cracked. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes but she held them back. She turned her head, her hands dropping to her sides as she looked at Connor. His eyebrows lifted slightly, creasing his forehead in earnest. Wren managed a small smile. "Thanks."

Connor seemed to relax a bit. "Is there anything I can do to help with the case?"

Wren shook her head, closing her eyes for a second. "No, just focus on your cases," she sighed. She opened her eyes. Her lips twitched as she gazed up at Connor. "Thank you."

Connor returned her soft smile and nodded. Wren pushed past him. He followed her back down the stairs and into the elevator. They parted once they reached the bullpen. Wren returned to her desk but glanced over at Connor. He met her gaze from across the room.

˄Connor

After several minutes of staring at the stalker's dick pictures, Chris and Tina returned to their desks. Wren looked up as Tina sat down. "Tina, listen, I'm sorry I wasn't there…"

"It's fine," said Tina. She sounded tired. She met Wren's gaze. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. You wouldn't have been able to do anything, anyway. The cat went missing from inside the house. How he managed to sneak in there and go, I don't know. He must've been waiting. You being there wouldn't have done anything."

Wren relaxed slightly. She frowned. "Wait, if you knew about the cat, why was she here reporting it?"

"We wanted it on record," said Tina, "and she thought she saw her stalker at the dry cleaner's this morning."

"Wait, she saw him?" Wren queried.

"Yeah, while you were getting coffee, she explained that she recognized this guy that she's seen around a lot. Just in passing. Said she's sure she saw him in San Francisco," said Chris.

"And before she freaked out, she was going to explain what he looked like to an android who could recreate his look on a computer. But… you know the rest." Tina gestured toward the exit of the building with a sigh.

"Why don't we go talk to her? We need that image because she's the only person who knows what this guy looks like," said Wren.

"Yeah, you're right," sighed Tina. She dialed Carol's work number onto her desk phone. "I need to speak with Carol Baker. This is Officer Chen with the DPD." Tina scrunched her lips to one side as she waited for the receptionist to transfer her call. After a moment, Tina frowned. She hung up the phone. "That's weird. Carol didn't answer."

Wren tried to ignore the sharp twist in her stomach. "Try her cell."

"I'm working on it," said Tina, dialing the number. Wren and Chris exchanged a glance as they waited. Tina hung up the phone. "Dialing her home now." They waited, the three of them holding their breath. Tina slammed the phone into the receiver. "No answer."

"Let's go," said Chris, shrugging on his jacket.

Wren and Tina followed suit, jumping from their seats. They hurried to their cruiser. Tina drove this time, the sirens blaring. She ran red lights and swerved around cars, going well over the speed limit. It still took them nearly twenty minutes to arrive at Carol's house. They jumped out of the car and hurried to the front door, which stood ajar.

Tina, Chris and Wren drew their guns. "Detroit Police, we're coming in!" Chris yelled. He pushed open the door. The three of them entered, pointing their guns into open spaces.

"Carol?" Tina called. They walked through the foyer and entered the living room.

"Guys!" Wren cried, crouching beside Roy Harrington's beaten body. She lowered her gun and checked Roy's pulse. She relaxed.

"This is Officer Miller, requesting immediate paramedic aid," said Chris into his police radio.

"Mr. Harrington? Can you hear me? It's Officer Morgan with the DPD," said Wren. Roy coughed and looked around blearily. Wren looked over her shoulder at Tina. "Get him some water."

Tina nodded and hurried to the kitchen as Wren and Chris helped Roy sit up. Tina returned with a glass of water and helped Roy drink from it.

"Roy, where's Carol?" Wren demanded.

"He… He took her. That son of a bitch has her," Roy blubbered. His right eye was swollen shut. Wren looked at her colleagues, her heart dropping. She wracked her brain, remembering what Prometheus taught her about human behavior. She thought about the stalker's language in the letters, how he believed he was courting her, how he had essentially proposed…

Wren widened her eyes. "Roy, where did you propose to Carol?"

"The Boat Dock and Fishing Pier at the Refuge Gateway," said Roy.

Wren looked at Chris and Tina. "He probably took her there."

Tina nodded. "It would mean something to her and he wants to replace Roy. That makes sense. I'll call it in."

"Every second we're here, she's alone with him," spat Roy. "Go. Please. Save my Carol."

Wren nodded and straightened. Sirens sounded as paramedics rushed into the house. Chris, Tina and Wren hurried to their cruiser. Tina drove, speeding to the pier. The cruiser screeched to a halt as Tina parked the car diagonally over a parking space. They jumped out of the car, guns drawn.

"DPD, get out of the way!" shouted Chris, waving his free arm. People jumped out of the way as Wren, Tina and Chris hurried down the pier. Wren scanned the crowd, trying to pick out Carol.

"Over there, at the boat dock!" she shouted, pointing. A large man held Carol at gunpoint on the boat dock.

Chris, Tina and Wren cornered him, guns raised. The man pressed his gun to Carol's temple. She whimpered.

"You don't wanna hurt her," said Tina.

"You're trying to take her away from me!" screamed the stalker.

"You hurt her, man. Look at her. You hurt her fiancé," said Chris.

"That idiot doesn't love her like I do! He deserved what he got!" screeched the stalker. Spit flew from his mouth. Carol sobbed as blood trickled down her face from an earlier wound. Wren figured she earned it in the initial kidnapping.

"Listen to me, you are hurting Carol. Do you really want to do that?" Wren queried.

The stalker's face smoothed over. "It's better than eternal separation." He dragged Carol backward and jumped into the river.

"No!" shouted Tina.

Wren didn't hesitate. She holstered her gun and dove into the water, Chris right beside her. The coldness of the water knocked the breath from Wren's lungs. Her mind flashed with memories from Prometheus, darkening her mind as she swam toward the stalker holding Carol underwater.

She couldn't breathe, the water was too cold, it shocked her systems… He held her underwater. She thrashed, but he didn't let go. Dark spots danced in her vision. Blood rushed to her head. She was going to die. She was going to die.

Wren pushed forward, shoving the memory back. She grabbed Carol while Chris grabbed the stalker. Wren swam toward the surface and gasped for breath. Carol struggled against Wren's grip, so Wren let go.

"Swim to the ladder!" Wren yelled, pointing. Carol nodded and swam over to it, where Tina helped the woman out.

Wren swam to help Chris. The stalker's arms thrashed around. He popped Wren in the mouth. Her lip stung with the impact, but she ignored it. She grabbed one of the stalker's arms and forced it downward. Chris wrapped both of his arms around the stalker's chest.

"Stop! Stop! It's over, man!" yelled Chris, icy water gurgling in his mouth.

The stalker continued to struggle as Wren and Chris forced him to the ladder. As soon as they climbed onto the pier, Chris jumped onto the stalker and pinned him to the ground. He cuffed him.

Wren panted as she sat down, shivering. Carol sat beside her, shaking just as much. "I… I recognize him… H-he repaired my android after an accident…"

Tina sat beside Carol and rubbed her arm. "It's okay. It's over now. Paramedics are on their way."

They sat on the pier, quivering. After several minutes, an ambulance arrived. They gave Chris and Wren thermal blankets. They took Carol to the hospital while Chris, Wren and Tina loaded the stalker into the back of their cruiser and returned to the precinct. Chris hauled the stalker to a cell while Wren sloshed her way to her desk. Her body shook violently and her teeth chattered.

"Jesus, kid, what the hell happened to you?" demanded Hank, walking over to her. Connor pulled up a chair. He pushed Wren down gently.

"H-had to jump into the r-river," Wren explained. "He was trying to drown her."

Tina walked over, followed by Chris. She looked at them for a moment. "Chris, Wren, get your asses home. You guys did good work."

Chris nodded, but Wren remained seated. She looked up at Hank and Connor, still shivering violently. Connor's brow furrowed. He kept his eyes on Wren but spoke to Hank quietly, "We should get her home, Hank."

"Yeah, I know," barked Hank. He dragged a hand down his face. "Go tell Fowler, Wren."

Wren nodded and sloshed her way to Fowler's office. He widened his eyes at the sight of her. Water dripped off her and dampened the carpet. "H-Hank and Connor are taking me home."

Fowler blinked spastically. "Yeah… Yeah, go ahead."

Wren dipped her head and left Fowler's office. Her shoes squelched as she walked back to Hank and Connor. Wren left her now-soaked thermal blanket on her chair. She hugged herself as they walked out of the precinct. Connor shrugged out of his jacket and placed it around Wren's shoulders before they exited the building. The cold air nipped Wren's entire body. It hardened her clothes. Her skin burned with the cold. She couldn't stop shaking as she crawled into the back seat of Hank's car. He blasted the heat. For a long time, no one spoke.

Then, Hank cleared his throat. "Hey, Wren."

Wren met Hank's gaze through the rearview mirror. "Mmhm?"

The corners of Hank's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Tina told me what you did. You did good, kid."

Wren clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. "Thanks."

Hank ˄ Neutral

Connor ˄ Warm

...…

Woo! That chapter was twenty years long, sorry guys. I didn't want to split it into two since I switch between POVs each chapter. At least we're kind of getting somewhere with Hank and Connor.

As always, thank you for the reviews and adding this story to your alerts. Let me know what you thought by leaving a review! I live for that shit, tbh.