Chapter Sixteen

Although Wren enjoyed spending time with Connor, she was glad when a case came across her and Gavin's desks. She needed space from the android. Something shifted for her ever since her parents'. Well, ever since she showed Connor her memories. Connecting with his processor had been more intimate than any sex she'd had, at least for her. She had shown him her mind. He had seen the moments where she'd been most raw. And now she felt oddly naked in his presence.

She wanted to rebuild the walls around her. She wanted to say that she did not care about Connor. She wanted to say that he was not home to her. She wanted to ignore the way he lit up her world when it seemed dark. She wanted to ignore the peace he brought her. She wanted to stomp on the flowers that had grown from the scars in her heart. She was not ready to admit how much he meant to her.

She needed space from Connor because lately she wondered what it would be like to be more with him. She caught herself staring at him too often. Her eyes touched his freckles as if she were tracing constellations on his skin. She often watched the way his lips moved when he spoke. She stopped herself from reaching out to brush her finger down the bridge of his nose. She caught herself smiling whenever she noticed him smiling with his eyes (or his lips). She tore her gaze away from the collar of his shirt.

"Hey," snapped Gavin, "Earth to Wren. Stop daydreaming."

Wren blinked and pushed Connor from her mind. Yeah, she definitely needed this space. She puffed out a breath and crossed her arms, eyeing the body on the bed. They stood in a hotel room. The victim was Arie Kennedy. She had been strangled to death.

Wren glanced around the room, examining the evidence marked by the forensic team. A used condom lay discarded on the floor. The woman was handcuffed to the bed. She wore lingerie, too.

"Looks like they played a little too rough," snorted Gavin.

Wren frowned. "You think this was an accident?"

"She was obviously into some kinky shit," said Gavin, gesturing to the black leather lingerie, gag and handcuffs. "And they had sex before she died, so…"

Wren wrinkled her nose at the condom near her foot. She stepped closer to the body. Pulling on latex gloves, she moved the victim's arms. "She has ligature marks on her wrists."

"Uh, yeah," said Gavin, "she's cuffed to the damn bed."

Wren ignored his condescending tone. "She cut herself struggling. Her killer knew she was struggling, and kept choking her."

"Okay," said Gavin, pacing the room. "It's not completely ridiculous. So, he probably doesn't have a record, otherwise he would've thrown the condom away. Or gotten rid of it somehow."

Wren began sifting through Arie Kennedy's belongings. "Or think about what using a condom says psychologically."

"He doesn't wanna get her pregnant."

"Right," said Wren, "he's trying to distance himself from her."

Gavin's brow puckered. "What, like he's having an affair with her? Or was?"

"Mhm," said Wren, picking up Arie Kennedy's cell phone. "The best way to find that out is going through her bank and phone records."

"I'll make a call," said Gavin, lifting his eyebrows. He stepped out of the room. Wren glanced down at Arie Kennedy, her stomach lurching at the purpling around the dead woman's throat.

…

While they waited for Arie Kennedy's bank and phone records to reach their terminals, Gavin and Wren decided to question the woman's coworkers. Arie Kennedy had worked at a bougie computer company as an IT consultant.

Wren and Gavin asked around for Arie Kennedy's friends and desk. However, Arie Kennedy did not seem to have many friends. She closed herself in her office most of the time without interacting with her coworkers. Wren and Gavin entered Arie's office. The desk was made of steel and glass. The chair was white leather with a curving back. The walls were white.

"Pretty minimalist," said Gavin, looking around.

"Very," Wren agreed, looking at the desk. "She doesn't have pictures of loved ones. Not even a plant."

"Arie didn't believe in mixing her personal life with work," said a feminine voice from the doorway. Wren glanced up. A dark-skinned woman poked her head in, biting her lip.

"Did you know Arie?" Wren asked, stepping around the desk. "Well, first off, what's your name?"

"Ximena," said the woman, stepping through the threshold. She looked professional and Wren felt as if she were too casual to even stand in Arie's office.

"Ximena," Wren repeated, "I like it."

"Did you know Ms. Kennedy?" asked Gavin, stepping forward and folding his arms.

Ximena shrugged. "As well as anyone could know her."

"What do you mean?" Wren tilted her head.

"She kept to herself," said Ximena. "Didn't believe in mixing the personal with business, which included coworkers. We got lunch a few times, but mainly because I felt bad for her. She seemed lonely."

"Was she?" Wren questioned.

"Yeah," said Ximena, snorting. "The first time I took her to lunch, she had to hold herself back from dumping her whole life story on me."

"Did she talk of any boyfriends or men she was seeing?" Wren asked.

Ximena's brow puckered. "Not really… Though she did receive anonymous flowers and gifts a lot."

Wren exchanged a glance with Gavin before turning to Ximena. "Thank you for your help."

…

Searching Arie Kennedy's house proved just as empty as her office. It was ridiculously clean. Her clothes in her closet were spaced apart evenly. Wren analyzed them and was not surprised to find them exactly one inch apart.

"Okay, no one is this clean," said Gavin, opening a drawer in Arie's nightstand.

"Unless someone makes them this clean," muttered Wren. She turned to Gavin, her forehead crinkling. "Do you think those records are available for us to look at yet?"

"They've been available," said Gavin. "It only takes them about fifteen minutes to get to our terminals."

Wren checked her phone for the time. It was nearly five in the evening. Her stomach growled. She did not want to drink coffee for dinner. "We should get back and have a look at those records."

"Cool your engines, Captain," said Gavin. "I'm starving. Let's get something to eat and then we can get back on this."

They stopped for Chinese takeout and returned to the station to find it mostly empty. Hank sauntered over to Wren and Gavin's desks, Connor in tow. Wren avoided Connor's inquisitive gaze.

"You two stop for dinner and don't pick anything up for me?" Hank pouted.

Wren pulled a box out of her bag. "Actually, I did."

Hank blinked before grinning and taking the box. "Thanks, kid." He furrowed his brow. "Are you staying here?"

"Yeah. I'll take a cab home."

"Don't stay too late, alright?" Hank raised his eyebrows pointedly.

Wren nodded. "Okay, Mom."

Hank rolled his eyes, but patted Wren's shoulder before leaving with Connor.

"Jesus," muttered Gavin, "it's like you're a teenager. Why don't you have your own place?"

Wren shrugged. "Cheaper to live with Hank."

"Uh huh," Gavin grunted. Silence fell between them as they ate.

"So, Arie Kennedy has no pictures, memorabilia, or anything to personalize her house. It's like she doesn't exist."

"Yeah, Dipshit has more personality than her," agreed Gavin.

Wren frowned. "Do you mean Connor?"

"I forget that you're like, in love with that glorified calculator."

Wren bristled as heat tingled across her face. "I'm not in love with Connor. I just don't appreciate your demeaning him because he's my friend."

"Whatever," huffed Gavin. "Let's look over these records."

Wren scowled but obliged. She pulled up the phone records on her terminal, scanning for persons if interest while Gavin looked over Arie's bank records. After an hour of practically nothing, Wren said, "You know, we could probably find a link faster if we asked Connor to look at it."

"This is our case," snapped Gavin. "We don't need him."

Wren pursed her lips. "What's the shame in asking for help?"

"We can do this without him."

Wren shrugged and continued searching, but it was like Arie's coworker said: Arie didn't have friends. She hardly talked to anyone outside of business on her cell phone, which did strike Wren as odd. Why use her personal cell phone to conduct business if she did not believe in it?

"I think I found something," Gavin said after a while. Wren stood from her seat and circled Gavin's desk to peer at his terminal over his shoulder. "Three months ago, she purchased a Rolex watch. Not even three days later, she got all that money back."

"What, she returned it?" Wren queried, frowning.

"Looks like it."

Wren straightened and folded her arms. "A gift for the man she's having an affair with, maybe?"

"Yeah, but why return it?"

"Well," sighed Wren as she returned to her desk, "if he's got a wife and shows up with a brand-new watch, it would raise some questions, don't you think?"

"Yeah," said Gavin, rubbing his face. "So she desperately needs to keep this relationship secret. You think it could be someone important?"

"Maybe," said Wren, tilting her head. They lapsed into silence to work again.

…

Vrrrrrrt. Vrrrrrrrt. Vrrrrrrrt. Vrrrrrrrt.

Wren jerked awake, feeling her phone's vibrations through the desk. She groaned and answered it. "Hey, Hank."

"Are you still at the station?"

Wren rubbed her face, checking the time. It was one in the morning. "Yeah. I fell asleep."

"Jesus, at your desk? Is Reed still there?" Hank demanded.

"Yes and," Wren looked at Gavin's empty desk and scowled, "no."

"Prick," muttered Hank. "Alright, Connor's comin' to get ya."

"No, it's fine," said Wren, leaning back in her chair, "I can just call a cab."

"There's no need for you to pay for a cab," said Hank. "Connor's already backing out of the driveway."

"Oh," Wren yawned. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, kid," said Hank. "We've all worked late before."

"This one wouldn't need to take so long if Gavin would let us ask Connor for help. I can't believe Gavin just left…"

"Maybe he's hazing you," said Hank. "Alright. I'm goin' back to bed. Connor should be there soon."

Wren nodded, thanked Hank again and hung up. She closed down her terminal and packed up her things before stepping out of the station. She sat on a bench outside and waited for Connor to pull up to the curb in Hank's car. She sighed and trudged toward the car, feeling much like a child at carpool. She slid into the passenger seat and buckled herself in.

The silence between Wren and Connor crackled. It pressed down on her chest and crushed the air in her lungs. Wren sucked her teeth for a moment. "Is everything okay between us?"

Connor's LED flickered. "Of course. Why would it not be?"

"I don't know," Wren muttered, "you've just been… different since my parents'."

"Different," Connor murmured. Wren glanced at him, her eyes tracing the wrinkle of his brow, the downturn of his lips. "How?"

"I don't know," Wren said impatiently. "Forget I said anything." She turned to the window, watching the amber glow of streetlamps pass. She swallowed to alleviate the sharpness in the back of her throat.

"I'm sorry," Connor replied. Wren tucked her chin, her chest tightening. "I didn't mean to… If I did something to make you think that I am upset with you…"

"Connor, it's okay," Wren sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I feel like you don't know how to act around me ever since I showed you my memories."

Connor said nothing for several seconds. "It was… difficult for me to see."

Wren pinched her brow and looked at him. "Why?"

Connor's lips pressed together before he answered her. "You're my friend. I didn't like reliving your most horrific moments."

"Oh," Wren mumbled. She rubbed her hands on her thighs. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," said Connor.

"Don't treat me differently, okay? I value your friendship."

"I value yours as well," said Connor. The silence between them thinned in its intensity, though some lingering awkwardness sparkled. Connor parked Hank's car in the driveway. Wren got out and fell in step with Connor as they approached the front door. Connor unlocked it and let Wren step inside first.

Sumo padded up to greet them. Wren squatted to scratch behind the dog's enormous ears. "Hey, buddy," she cooed. "I missed you today."

Connor closed and locked the front door. He patted Sumo's head. Wren stood and grabbed her pajamas before disappearing into the bathroom to change. She brushed her teeth and emerged from the bathroom after dressing. She tossed her dirty clothes in the laundry bin before shuffling over to the couch.

"What kept you at the station so long?" Connor queried from the bookshelf. They had purchased some new books and borrowed comics from Josh.

"We were going through our victim's bank and phone records. We're trying to figure out if she was having an affair with someone. I think she was, but… There's not much to prove that," said Wren, stifling a yawn.

"If you need any assistance, I'll be happy to help," said Connor, walking toward the couch, a comic book tucked under his arm.

"Thank you," Wren beamed sleepily. She snuggled under her blanket. Sumo padded over to his bed in the corner of the room and slumped down with a low whine. Connor took a seat in his armchair. Wren fell asleep quickly, comforted by the familiarity.

…

Wren fixed herself a cup of coffee, barely stifling a yawn.

"You look like shit," greeted Gavin as he sauntered into the breakroom.

Wren turned on her heel, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, thanks for just leaving me here last night."

Gavin shrugged as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "You said you'd take a cab home."

"You could've woken me up."

"Yeah, but you looked so cute drooling all over your desk," Gavin mocked.

Wren glowered. "Really mature, Reed."

Gavin's eyebrows lifted. "Oh, we're back to a last-name basis? You are mad."

"I'm mad because you're immature. We could solve this case faster if you weren't so busy making everything a bigger dick contest." Wren burned her tongue on her coffee.

"Get off my balls, will ya?" Gavin barked. "It's not that big of a deal."

Wren huffed as she headed back toward her desk. "I don't even know why I try." She sat down heavily as Gavin stomped after her.

"We don't need extra help with this case," he insisted as he sat down. "You're just making things more complicated than they have to be."

"I'm making things more complicated?" Wren hissed. "You're so threatened by androids being better than you that can't function properly."

"Oh yeah?" Gavin challenged. "You're so busy giving goo-goo eyes at every fuckin' android that walks past that you don't know your left hand from your ass!"

"Uh, have you seen the androids?" Wren muttered, lifting a brow.

Gavin did not appreciate her sarcasm and shook his head. "Unbelievable."

Wren leaned back in her seat and worked on the phone records. She had gone back nearly a year in records, trying to find a person of interest. She waited for Gavin to go to the bathroom when he finished his coffee. Wren let hers go cold. When Gavin finally stood for his morning whizz, Wren tapped her fingers on the desk, looking over at Connor, who worked on paperwork at his own terminal. As soon as Gavin was out of earshot and eyesight, Wren jumped up and strode over to Connor.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting on his desk.

Connor brightened as he looked up at her. "Hello."

"I hate to bother you…"

"You're not bothering me," Connor assured her.

Wren managed a smile. "Do you mind helping me go through these phone and bank records?"

Connor nodded, logging out of his terminal. Wren logged in and brought up the records. Connor sat down. "What sort of evidence am I looking for?"

"I'm not sure," Wren admitted. "We need to find out how Arie Kennedy was communicating with this guy. There's no repeated number in her phone records. Maybe expensive gifts in her bank records? I'll take anything at this point. I mean, there's always the possibility that we're wrong about this whole affair theory…"

"What about a second phone?" Connor suggested.

Wren's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Connor gestured to the terminal screen. "One year, seven months and four days ago, Arie Kennedy purchased a second phone and an account for it. She wanted it separate from her other phone. She kept it discreet."

Wren bounced off Connor's desk, grinning. "Connor, you are an actual Godsend!" She threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug before taking off. She requested the second phone's records at her terminal once Connor logged out of it. Then, she found Gavin in the breakroom opening a water bottle.

"We have a lead!" she announced.

Gavin paused before taking a sip of water. "Yeah?"

"Arie Kennedy has a second phone," said Wren excitedly. "I requested the records for it."

"How'd you find that out?" Gavin asked.

"Connor helped me."

Gavin's nostrils broadened. "What?"

"Don't be a piss-baby about it," Wren stated, sitting on her hip. "You're mad that I was right about asking for help."

"We didn't need his fucking help. We would've found that second phone eventually."

"Yeah, eventually."

Gavin pursed his lips and dragged a hand through his hair. "He doesn't need to butt in everyone's fucking case because he thinks he's better than everyone else."

"He didn't butt in, and he doesn't think that," Wren snapped. "I asked him for help."

"Because you can't do anything on your fucking own!" Gavin snarled.

"No, because I'm not so proud that I can't ask for help when I need it!"

"Whatever," Gavin rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room. Wren clenched her jaw before returning to her desk. She opened up the second phone's records and searched for a recurring number. It was extremely easy, as the phone only had one contact. Wren searched the phone number in the police database and found that it was registered to a Mr. Anthony Jameson.

Wren read through his records. In and out of therapy for severe psychological issues. He had a wife and two kids and lived in a penthouse in downtown Detroit. Wren stood and looked around. Gavin was nowhere in sight. She trekked over to Chris and Tina's desks.

Chris grinned as Wren approached. "Long time, no see."

Wren smiled. "I know, we only see each other, like, every time one of us is in the breakroom."

"It's not enough," said Chris. Wren rolled her eyes at him.

"You never come see us," said Tina. "Fake-ass."

Wren scowled playfully. "Excuse me?"

Tina laughed. She leaned forward. "What's up?"

"You guys haven't seen Detective Dickhead, have you?"

Tina snorted. "Yeah, I saw him head to the elevator. Probably to the gym. He goes there when he's pissed off."

"Thanks," Wren muttered.

Chris folded his arms. "What'd you do to piss him off?"

"I asked Connor for help," Wren huffed.

"Ah," said Tina. "Yeah, Reed's not too gung-ho about android help."

"Yeah, I gathered that."

"He'll come around," said Chris. "He's not too bad once you get past all his layers of asshole."

Wren snorted. "Right. We need to get dinner, the three of us."

"Yes!" Tina called as Wren headed for the elevator. She took the elevator down to the base level. She searched through the large area, seeking Gavin. She found him at a punching bag, going to town.

"Hey, Reed," Wren called. "I think I found our guy."

Gavin punched the bag harder. "Goody-fuckin'-two-shoes for you."

Wren sighed and folded her arms. "We should go talk to him."

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend to go?" Gavin snapped, punching the bag.

Wren winced. "He's not my boyfriend." She watched Gavin roll his eyes and pursed her lips. "And really? You're gonna be immature about this, too?"

"Yep."

Wren scowled. "Fine." She turned on her heel and stormed back to the elevator. She tapped her foot as she rode up to the main level, her arms folded tightly across her chest. They needed to speak with Anthony Jameson, or at least bring him in for questioning. But with Gavin complicating things…

Wren huffed as the elevator dinged with her arrival. She stepped out onto the main level and looked toward Connor. She considered asking him to accompany her. No, she reasoned, that would only incite Gavin's anger. She grumbled to herself and strode to Gavin's desk, took his cruiser keys and headed to the parking garage.

Her heartrate accelerated as she neared the cruiser. Her breaths grew shallow and she felt a little dizzy. She had driven since her accident, but she preferred not to drive as much as she could. She took a deep breath and forced her anxiety down before sliding into the front seat. She inputted Anthony Jameson's address into the car's GPS and drove to the luxury apartment building. She parked in the designated area for guests and entered the lobby.

Black tile floor glinted in the purple overhead lights. Wren screwed her eyes against the weird lighting as she approached the front desk. She flashed her badge to the receptionist. "Officer Morgan with the DPD. I'm here to speak with Anthony Jameson."

The secretary, a WR400 android with blue hair, dipped her head. "Of course. The Jamesons live in the penthouse. Here's keycard for access."

"Thank you," said Wren. "I love your hair, by the way."

The former Traci smiled as she ran a hand through the royal blue locks. "Thanks."

Wren headed for the elevator, swiped the card and pressed the button that took her to the penthouse. It dinged when she reached the seventieth floor. She stepped into the hallway and approached the front door. She knocked and waited.

A woman answered. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, Mrs. Jameson. My name is Wren Morgan. I'm with the DPD," said Wren, showing her badge. The woman's eyes widened. "I'm here to ask your husband a few questions."

"Has Anthony done something wrong?" queried Mrs. Jameson.

"He's just a person of interest," Wren replied. "I only want to ask some questions."

"Right," said Mrs. Jameson. "Come in."

"Thank you." Wren stepped into the penthouse, which stung her eyes with its whiteness. White floors, walls, minimal décor… It resembled Arie Kennedy's office and house in design and cleanliness. Wren suppressed a shiver as she followed Mrs. Jameson to the kitchen, where Mrs. Jameson worked on making the two of them tea.

"So, what are you here to ask questions about? Maybe I can help."

Wren worked her jaw. "Did your husband ever mention a woman named Arie Kennedy?"

"Arie Kennedy… No, not that I remember," said Mrs. Jameson. She put the mugs in the microwave and waited. When they finished heating, she pulled them out and placed tea bags in them. She brought over a tray of milk, sugar and honey, as well as the steeping tea.

"Thank you," said Wren, taking one of the mugs. She let the warmth flood from her hands, up her arms and to her shoulders. "Your apartment is so… clean. I love the minimalist look."

Mrs. Jameson's doe eyes flicked around. "Oh. Right. My husband likes this style."

"And you don't?" Wren queried, plopping a sugar cube into her tea.

"I like some color," said Mrs. Jameson, "but it aggravates my husband's eyes."

"I bet he gets in a bad mood every time he steps foot in the lobby." Wren brought the tea to her lips.

Mrs. James snorted. "Yes, he always talks about how atrocious it is."

"I don't think I've ever been in a place cleaner than this," said Wren, looking around at the gleaming white countertops. "I mean, even hospitals are dirtier."

Mrs. Jameson shifted. "Yes, well, my husband prefers it clean."

"What do you do, Mrs. Jameson?" Wren asked suddenly.

"Oh," said Mrs. Jameson, fluttering her lashes. "Well, I wake up early, make my husband his coffee and scrambled eggs. After he leaves, I drink my morning smoothie, get the kids ready for school and then take them to school. I come back, clean the house and then go workout. Then I come home, take a shower, clean again and then go and pick up the kids."

"Are they still at school?" Wren queried, glancing at the clock.

"No, they're with their grandparents this weekend," said Mrs. Jameson.

Wren nodded. "You have a pretty set routine."

"Anthony says it's important to stick to a routine."

"Don't you ever want a break?" Wren lifted a brow.

Mrs. Jameson cleared her throat. Her eyes flicked to the clock. "From time to time. But Anthony gets upset if we divert…"

"Mrs. Jameson," Wren murmured, "I know your husband is controlling. That is classified as abuse."

Mrs. Jameson blinked. "N-no, he loves me."

Wren pressed her lips together. She glanced at the clock. If Anthony's schedule was as strict as his wife's, he would arrive home soon. She met Mrs. Jameson's gaze. "What's he like during sex?"

A flush crept across Mrs. Jameson's cheeks. "I hardly think that's appropriate!"

"He was probably pretty vanilla at first," said Wren, ignoring Mrs. Jameson's protest. "It was almost as scheduled as everything else in your lives. But lately… I think something changed. It's a bit warm to be wearing a turtleneck, don't you think?"

Mrs. Jameson's hand flew to her throat. "Anthony says that modesty is important."

"Anthony says," Wren repeated. "But what do you say?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you're getting at."

Wren leaned back. "I think Anthony controls everything under this roof. I think that he's been scheduling everything down to a T. But I think, after two nights ago, he got messy. And he got messy during sex. Am I right?"

Mrs. Jameson gaped at Wren. "How did you know?"

"He has to be in control," said Wren. "Sociopaths do. He lost control, though. He was living a double life, and it was catching up to him. So, he snapped. He killed Arie Kennedy because I think you confronted him about the affair."

Mrs. Jameson's teary eyes widened. "A-affair?"

Wren lifted her eyebrows. "You didn't know?"

"No…" Mrs. Jameson lowered her gaze.

Wren's stomach twisted. She frowned. "Then I think Arie Kennedy threatened to tell you, and your husband killed her. Since he didn't have that outlet to satisfy his sexual needs, he turned to you. You didn't complain, because you felt like he'd been distant from you for a year and seven months, right?"

Mrs. Jameson lifted her gaze. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when he walks through that door and sees me, he's going to lose control again," Wren muttered. "I want to make sure you're safe."

Mrs. Jameson parted her lips to reply, but the front door opened. She stilled and Wren nodded to her. "Hello, honey," Mrs. Jameson called out in a choked voice, "there's an officer here to see you."

Wren turned to look down the hall and found herself staring at Anthony Jameson. He enlarged his eyes before turning and taking off through the door. Wren jumped from her chair and chased after him. He reached the elevator before she did. The doors slid shut.

"Shit," Wren muttered.

"There are a set of emergency stairs," whispered Mrs. Jameson from the doorway, pointing down the hall.

Wren nodded. "Thank you. Lock yourself in the apartment! Don't let your husband back in!" She took off down the hall and hurried down the emergency stairs. She jumped over flights until she reached one of the lower levels and took the elevator to the lobby. She rushed to the front desk, panting.

"Which way did he go?" she demanded.

The blue-haired android widened her eyes and pointed out the door. "Toward the alley!"

Wren nodded and hurried outside. She cornered Anthony in the alley, though he tried to climb the fence. Wren grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him down. They faced each other, fists raised and both panting. Anthony swung a punch, but Wren grabbed his arm. She kicked the inside of his knee, twisted his wrist and kneed him in the back, pinning him to the ground. Anthony twisted, but Wren held him down. He grabbed a broken bottle and slashed. Wren wrenched back, but the ragged edges of the bottle sliced her hip. She hissed but drew her fist back and punched Anthony in the face. While he was dazed, she grabbed his wrist and cuffed it.

She recited his rights as she arrested him. "You know, I was only here to ask questions." She walked him to her cruiser, her side throbbing. She forgot about it as she drove back to the station. She hauled Anthony Jameson into the station and toward the holding cells.

Gavin jumped up when he saw her. "What the fuck, Wren? We're supposed to just question him!"

"Yeah," Wren panted, "and he ran. Then he attacked me."

"Attacked you?" Gavin blinked.

"Uh huh," said Wren. "Why don't you go put him in a cell?"

Gavin glowered but complied. Wren watched him go, her head spinning. When was the last time she'd eaten? Several people stared at her, thanks to Gavin's outburst. Chris and Tina walked over, both grinning. Chris slapped Wren's back.

"Way to go, Wren. Not standard protocol, but…" Chris grinned. Wren's vision blurred as her head continued to whirl. She swayed on the spot. Chris gripped her shoulders to steady her. "Whoa, whoa. You okay?"

Wren pulled her hand away from her side, her fingers sticking together from the blood. "I'm great…"

"Holy shit, she's bleeding."

"Hank! Connor!" Chris called.

Wren's eyes fluttered shut as she swayed. "Need… to raise… blood sugar…"

"Uh, yeah, because you've lost blood, dumbass," said Chris.

"What's wrong?" Hank asked.

Wren forced her eyes open. She sought Connor's face. A smile tugged weakly at the corners of her mouth when she saw him, his forehead tight and his eyes soft. He zeroed in on her wound immediately. He stepped forward. "She needs first aid."

"Sublevel two," said Chris. "Patch her up. If she needs to go to the hospital, I'll drive."

"I'll grab her something to eat," said Tina. Connor walked Wren to the elevator. Her legs shook as the adrenaline drained out of her system with each drop of blood that oozed out of her cut.

"S'not that bad," she insisted. "Just… ow… long."

"Don't speak," Connor insisted curtly. Wren fell silent. He led her off the elevator and into a room, where he sat her on a table. He sifted through the cabinets, searching for the items he needed. Wren winced and pulled her shirt off. She glanced down at the cut. It looked worse than she thought it was. It was long and jagged. It started deep but grew lighter as it spread from the side of her hip toward her bellybutton.

Connor dabbed rubbing alcohol onto a cotton swab. "I have to clean the wound."

"I know the drill," Wren muttered, leaning her head back. Connor's brow pinched as he dabbed Wren's wound with the alcohol-soaked swab. Wren sucked in a sharp breath and curled her hands around the edge of the table. Wren focused on Connor's LED, which cycled yellow but occasionally flickered red. "Connor? You okay?"

Connor's mouth tightened, harshening the contours of his face. He avoided Wren's gaze as he cleaned the blood off of her and sterilized the wound. She gritted her teeth to keep from swearing or crying out. "Why didn't you ask me to come with you?"

"I didn't –ow! –want to piss Gavin off even more," Wren replied. She nearly kicked Connor in the groin (by accident) when he pressed the wound with fresh alcohol.

"You should've endured his anger rather than risk your safety," Connor said coolly.

Wren raised her eyebrows. "I can take care of myself."

"Clearly," Connor snapped. His eyes met Wren's. The soft warmth that he usually regarded her with was replaced with a hard coolness. Wren's stomach twisted. Connor returned his focus to Wren's wound. She watched him with a dry mouth. The lump in her throat rendered her unable to speak. Connor examined the wound. "I don't think you will need stitches."

"Okay," Wren muttered. He unwrapped a bandage that contained antiseptic cream in it. He placed it over Wren's wound, running his fingers along it to smooth out any creases. Wren bit back a groan as Connor applied pressure to the wound and bandaged it a second time.

"You're smarter than this, Wren," Connor said quietly. He still seemed angry, though it softened when Wren winced. Connor wrapped gauze around her torso, looping his arms around her in the process.

"I didn't think he'd run or attack me," Wren retorted. "I handled it. This isn't even that bad of a wound. I don't get why you're so angry with me."

Connor's eyes flashed to hers. He parted his lips then closed his mouth. He worked his jaw, grinding his teeth together. Wren held his gaze, unwavering. He looked down. "I… I just saw you covered in blood, and… I was worried, alright?"

Wren unstiffened. She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm okay, Connor."

"Next time, please come get me," Connor said, lifting his gaze to meet Wren's. His brow puckered, tugging at Wren's heart. She pursed her lips and nodded. She was suddenly very aware that she wore no shirt. She was sitting in her bra, and Connor's hand rested on her bare side. His LED flashed yellow and his hand jerked away from her. "You… um, I'll go find you a shirt."

He stepped out of the room, leaving Wren shirtless on the table. She glanced down at herself, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach as she noticed faint scars. Prometheus had done their best to treat Wren with best medical advancements to reduce the number of scars on her body. She might have been an assassin which came with its own occupational hazards, but she was supposed to be a beautiful assassin. She was a seductress, a manipulator and a killer.

Her stomach twisted at the thought of seducing and manipulating Connor. She quickly covered herself with her arms. She never wanted to do that to him.

He entered the room, a Detroit Police T-shirt in hand. He handed it to her. She took it and pulled it over her head quickly, tugging at her wound. She grimaced but ignored it. Connor tensed as Wren looked at him, his LED flickering.

"Captain Fowler wants to speak with you," he said.

Wren pursed her lips and nodded. She hopped off the table, her body brushing against Connor's. A lump formed in her throat. She jerked away, grabbed her ripped, bloody shirt and stalked toward the elevator, Connor close behind. They rode up to the main level in silence. Wren's cheeks warmed at the thought that Connor had seen her shirtless. He had before, but… Somehow, this felt different.

She stepped off the elevator and strode to Fowler's office, holding her head high, despite the tossing in her stomach. She glanced toward Hank and Connor, who both regarded her with creased brows. They looked remarkably like father and son in that moment. Wren's lips twitched, despite her mounting dread as she entered Fowler's office.

Captain Fowler looked up at her, his heavy brow wrinkling. "Nothing too serious, I hope?" He nodded to Wren's side.

"I'm fine."

"Good," said Fowler, folding his hands on his desk. His face contorted with a scowl. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Wren frowned. "I went to question a person of interest."

"I assign partners, not because it really tickles my funny bone, but because this job is dangerous. I like to keep my detectives and officers alive and uninjured."

"Detective Reed was not cooperating with me," said Wren.

"So, you either wait to question or you ask someone else to go with you. You don't just go off by yourself, especially if you think the person of interest could be dangerous. That's reckless."

Wren bowed her head. "I understand, sir."

"No, I don't think you do. You did well in your undercover work, but I'm also beginning to think that recklessness is a default for you," Fowler snapped.

Wren looked at him. "When was I reckless?"

"You jump into a freezing river –"

"Officer Miller jumped with me –"

"You lock the damn door while you're alone in a house with a rapist –"

"I was trying to be authentic –"

"You break some prick's nose in a bar –"

"He put his hands on Connor first!"

"Enough, Officer Morgan!" Fowler barked. Wren pursed her lips and pushed a hot breath through her nostrils. Fowler rubbed his face with his hands. "You've got some sort of hero complex, Wren."

"I don't have a hero complex, sir," Wren insisted.

"You're a good cop," said Fowler. "You get the job done, but it's the way you do it. Yes, we're supposed to protect and serve. But we have regulations about protecting ourselves, too. And it seems like you don't care what happens to you. You're suspended from field work for a week. You're confined to this office and your desk for one week. Got it?"

Wren clenched her teeth for a moment. She lowered her head, took a breath, and then looked up at Fowler again. "Yes sir."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Wren nodded and pushed open Fowler's office door. She stopped before heading to Hank and Connor's desks. They stared at her, but she turned and walked away, heading for Tina. She cared deeply for Hank and Connor, but she did not want to face them at the moment. She especially wanted to avoid Connor. She needed time and space away from Hank and Connor, but she didn't want to sit and discuss literature with Josh or paint with Markus. She wanted girl time.

"Tina," Wren said, reaching her friend's desk, "you free tonight?"

Tina lifted her eyebrows. "Yeah."

"I'm in need of…" Wren shrugged. In truth, she had not experienced a girls' night. "A girls' night."

Tina grinned. "Are we talking clubbing or a night in?"

"Both," Wren said. "I'm confined to desk work."

Tina saluted. "We can do that."

Wren turned to leave, then stopped and turned, smirking. "Do you care if I invite my other friend?"

Tina shrugged. "Go ahead. I have too many guy friends."

Wren nodded and headed to her desk and grabbed her phone. She texted North and waited.

[New Text Message]

North: Yeah I'm down to hang.

Wren: I invited my friend Tina

North: oh

Wren: she's cool

Wren: and you're cool

Wren: figured we could combine our collective coolness

Wren: plus you're always with josh and markus

Wren: not that there's anything wrong with them

Wren: you just need more gal pals

North: ok! rA9 wren you rapid fire text

North: and gal pals?

Wren: you're just surrounded by testosterone

North: androids don't have testosterone

Wren: would you rather sit in your office or whatever it is you do at night

Wren: idk where you live lol

North: have you just been assuming I stay at my office 24/7?

Wren: I never see you leave

North: rA9

North: you're so dumb

Wren: THANKS

North: lmao

North: but yeah I'll come

North: even tho your friend is a human

North: and introductions are always so weird

North: I'll come

North: btw is everything ok? you never ask to hang out

North: you usually just show up lol

Wren: I rapid fire text? I rapid fire text?

Wren: me?

Wren: you just sent me 7 consecutive text messages. Anyway, yeah I'm ok. Just got in trouble at work, connor got lowkey mad at me annnnd… pretty sure hank is too judging by the STANK EYE he's giving me

Wren: like it's hardcore

Wren: lowkey afraid for my life rn

North: why are they mad at you?

Wren: ummm I went to question a person of interest by myself bc Gavin Reed is an actual CHILD and I got lightly stabbed

North: what

North: wtf

North: wren

North: what does that even mean?

North: lightly stabbed

North: so I see why they're mad…

Wren: yeah I do too

Wren: but I just need a break from boys

Wren: especially connor

North: is he giving you the stank eye too

North: lmao I can't even picture that

North: I'm just imagining his face all scrunched up

North: now I can't stop laughing

Wren: I'm the dumb one…?

Wren: yeah, not quite the stank eye… something else… I'll explain later

North: wear your new dress

Wren: might look funky under my bandages

North: one word

North: SPANX

Wren: why the hell do you know what SPANX is? You're an android? You literally have a perfect body?

North: I'm also a political activist

North: I know things

Wren: lmfao I'm DEAD

Wren grinned at her phone and started a group text between her, Tina and North.

[Unnamed Group]

Wren: so I'm in the mood to dance and go out but also to chill and watch movies

Tina: hell yeah a sleepover

North: I don't sleep

Tina: me neither lmaoooo

North: ?

Tina: this is Tina btw

North: North

Tina: that's a kickass name

North: thanks

Tina: and I stay up super late all the time

Wren: lmao what even is sleep

Tina: sleep? Don't know her

Wren: new phone who dis

Wren: also sorry if this is weird or awkward

Tina: I'm always open to new experiences

North: Markus insists that I need more of the "human experience" so I'm game

Tina: lmao human experience wtf

Tina: wait

Tina: you're not human

Tina: you're an android?

North: Wren, you didn't tell her?

Wren: I didn't think it mattered

Tina: it doesn't! I was just surprised

Tina: wait

Tina: Markus

Tina: North

Tina: HOLY SHIT

Tina: I AM SO FUCKING DUMB

Tina: wow

Tina: I'm so sorry

North: you're fine

Wren: yeah I didn't say anything lol

Wren: I'm forcing you guys to be friends

Tina: I'm so down with this

Tina: the only other androids I know are the ones who work here

Tina: Connor and Casper and the secretaries and the janitor

Tina: but mostly Connor and Casper

Tina: Casper's sweet

Tina: so is Connor obvi

Tina: but ya know

Tina: they're dudes and they're coworkers

North: oh my gosh rapid fire texting

Wren: you're not allowed to shit on rapid fire texting

Wren: literally sent me SEVEN TEXTS IN A ROW

North: yeah lol

Wren: ok so where's a good club

North: not the Eden Club

Wren: damn

Wren: I wanted to pole dance

Wren: I used to be a stripper

North: WHAT

Tina: WHEN WHAT HOW WHO WHERE

Wren: lmao long time ago

Wren: right after college

Wren: I wonder if I still got the moves

North: we're not going to the Eden Club

North: I'd rather die

Wren: lol ok we won't

Tina: you can just pole dance on a streetlamp or something

Wren: LMFAO detroit's finest

Tina: hahahahahaha omg fowler would FLAY US ALIVE

Tina: as for club…

Tina: I know a place

North: sounds sketchy

North: I like it

Tina: I like how you think

Tina: it's called Enigma

Tina: it's a nightclub so it's strictly alcohol and dancing

Tina: we can go to my apartment when we're done dancing

Wren: sounds good

North: what time

Tina: well Enigma doesn't even really open until like 9 or 10

Tina: wren we could eat beforehand and then pick up North

Wren: yeah sure

Wren: well I should get ready first or at least grab my bag. So I need to go home first

Tina: aight

Tina: I'll pick you up around 6:30

Tina: we'll grab fast food

Tina: pick up North

Tina: and then idk

Tina: we can go to my place and dick around with makeup or something

Wren: yeah lol I'm decent at makeup but… you know

North: it's one of my features to have makeup appear on my face

North: but I am good with hair

Tina: and see I suck at hair which is why I keep mine fairly short

Wren: I'm growing mine out

Tina: I can do makeup tho

Wren: I'm just useless

North: truuuuuueeee

Wren: why are you so mean to me

North: I'm mean to everybody

Wren: so I'm not special?

North: nope

Wren: idk how I feel about that

Tina: we better go. Fowler looks like he wants to murder us

Wren: oh yea

Wren: see you guys tonight!

…

Wren folded her arms in the backseat of Hank's car.

"It sucks that you're stuck with desk duty, but serves you right," said Hank. "You need to be more careful, Wren."

"Okay," Wren sighed. "I will."

Hank looked at her through the rearview mirror. "I'm serious, Wren."

Wren met his gaze through the mirror. "I am, too."

Hank dipped his head. "Good." A moment of silence lapsed among the three of them. Hank cleared his throat. "So, what were you giggling about earlier? You seemed weirdly happy to be stuck with desk duty."

"Oh," Wren brightened, "I'm going out with Tina and North tonight. North's never experienced a girls' night. And neither have I. I just need to decompress after today."

"Sounds… fun," said Hank, shrugging. "What're you gonna do?"

"We're going dancing and then we're going to hang out at Tina's. I'm just going to stay there tonight so that no one has to drive me home." Wren's eyes flicked to Connor, who turned his head slightly.

"Is dancing wise? You might upset your wound," said Connor.

"I'll be careful," Wren assured him. She caught the wrinkle of his brow and sighed. "Connor, I'll be with Tina and North. You don't need to worry."

He stiffened in his seat, facing forward again. "I'm not worried."

Wren lifted a brow and Hank snorted.

When they reached the house, Wren closed herself in the bathroom. She applied her base makeup but kept it light, just in case Tina decided to add more. She pulled on some SPANX over her bandages to flatten them. Then, she pulled on her dress. She turned to catch her side profile in the mirror, making sure that her bandages were invisible. Satisfied, she slipped on a pair of black heels.

[New Text Message from Tina]

Tina: yo bitch I'm here

Wren: okie dokie

Tina: never say that again

Wren laughed and stepped into the living room. She packed a bag quickly. She straightened and caught Hank and Connor staring at her.

"Not bad, kid," said Hank. "Have fun. Make good decisions."

Wren snorted and reached for her bag, but Connor grabbed it and slung it over his shoulder. She lifted her eyebrows at him.

"You shouldn't lift heavy things," he explained. He avoided looking at her. A pinkish blue blush touched his cheeks.

Wren lifted her eyebrows. She tried not to smile and stepped out of the house with Connor. They crossed the yard to Tina's car.

Tina rolled down the window. "Damn, you look good! Hey, Connor."

"Hello, Officer Chen," said Connor, placing Wren's bag into Tina's trunk. He closed the trunk and met Wren's gaze. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Wren nodded and smiled. "See ya."

Connor glanced toward her lips and flicked over her dress before he turned and headed back toward the house. Wren smirked and slid into the passenger seat. Tina's eyebrows lifted so high that Wren saw them peek over Tina's sunglasses.

"Uh, I don't think I've ever seen an android flustered."

Wren buckled her seatbelt as Tina pulled out of the neighborhood. "You think he was?"

"Uh, definitely," said Tina. They went through a drive-through and picked up fries and shakes before heading to Jericho to pick up North.

When they reached Jericho, Tina stared up at the tall building. "Damn. That's impressive that they did that."

"You should tell them that," said Wren. "Park there."

Tina parked where Wren instructed. She frowned. "We're getting out?"

"Yeah," said Wren. "We should at least say hi. Plus, North said her apartment is the penthouse of this building, and she's changing. She wants us to watch Markus's reaction to her."

"I thought they were already a thing," said Tina as she got out of the car. They headed into the building, walking through security and toward the elevator.

"They are and they aren't," replied Wren. She road to the floor containing Josh's, North's and Markus's offices. She led the way to Josh's office and knocked on the door.

"It's open," called Josh.

Wren pushed open the door. Josh brightened when she entered. He lifted his eyebrows. "Going out?"

Wren grinned. "No, these are my pajamas."

Josh rolled his eyes. "You forget that I used to teach college students."

"You're practically a college student yourself," said Tina.

"Oh, yeah," Wren said. "Josh, this is Tina. Tina, this is Josh. She works with me at the DPD."

Josh stood and shook Tina's hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," said Tina. She bounced on the balls of her feet. "Lowkey fangirling right now. I mean, I was neutral about the android movement at first, but then I got to know Connor, and I knew Wren was friends with you guys too, and I started following it and now I'm supportive. I watched the whole thing on the news when it first happened."

Josh smiled. "I'm glad to meet another human supporter."

Wren folded her arms. "Is Markus here?"

"Yeah," said Josh. "He and I were actually about to head over to Carl's."

Wren, Tina and Josh left his office and headed for the elevator, which opened up to reveal North in her figure-hugging dress.

"Wow," said Josh. "You look great."

North beamed. "Thanks, Josh."

Markus rounded the corner. His eyes crinkled at the corners when he saw Wren. "You look nice. I'm glad you guys are going out." His footsteps faltered when he noticed North standing at the end of the hall.

Wren hid her simper. "Markus, this is my friend, Tina. She works with me at the DPD."

Markus's lips parted and he tore his bi-colored eyes from North to look at Wren. "Hm?"

Wren swallowed a laugh. "This is my friend Tina."

Markus raised his eyebrows. "Oh, nice to meet you."

North stepped onto the elevator and held the doors open while everyone piled inside. The descent to the lobby involved a crackling silence. Wren pressed her lips together to hold back a laugh as she caught Josh's eye. He puffed out his cheeks and pursed his lips.

"You, uh, you look nice, North," said Markus.

"Thanks," said North. "Hope you guys have fun at Carl's tonight. Give him my love, please."

She stepped off the elevator first, sashaying her hips. Markus stared after her, his lips parted. "Yeah, I will…"

Wren and Tina followed North out, but Wren dared not laugh until they were in Tina's car.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Wren snorted.

"Dude, I have no idea what's going on, but he was definitely impressed," said Tina.

North grinned. "You think so?"

"Uh, I know so," said Wren.

North leaned into the seat, smiling. "I've been waiting for the perfect moment to wear this dress. Thank you for inviting me!"

"Of course," said Wren.

"I thought you guys were a thing?" Tina asked, looking at North through the rearview. "I mean, you guys kissed on TV and all."

North sighed. "It's complicated."

"You don't have to tell me," said Tina, though she sounded a little disappointed. Wren twisted in her seat and raised her eyebrows at the android.

North glowered for a brief second and folded her arms. Then, she rolled her eyes. "There was another leader of Jericho, Simon. Markus had feelings for both of us. Simon died, and I think Markus blames himself. No, I know he does. He might blame me, too. Markus told me that he thinks my feelings for him came from infatuation. He thinks that I don't really love him, I just love the idea of him because he freed our people."

"Damn," said Tina.

"You do love him, though?" Wren queried.

"Yes," insisted North.

Wren folded her arms and shifted in her seat. "How… How do you know?"

"What do you mean?" North asked.

"How do you know you love him?" Wren clarified, a blush creeping up her neck.

"Uh," said North, "I'm not sure. I… I just want him to be part of every aspect of my life. I want to know every part of him and for him to know every part of me. He's my best friend… But we've kind of grown apart these past few weeks. I've just been distancing myself."

Wren turned to look at her friend. North hugged herself and lowered her gaze, blushing a light blue. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

North looked up, her eyebrows shooting toward her hairline. "It's okay. I… I'm actually glad that you asked me along tonight. I was kind of dreading going to Carl's and being around Markus. He just hasn't made a move, you know?"

"Well, you're a fucking catch," said Tina, pulling into a parking garage. She parked her car in her designated spot and shut off the engine. "And I know we don't really know each other, so this might be weird. But, you are seriously one of the coolest people I've ever met. We've only officially been introduced for a few hours, but still."

North's lips twitched. "Thanks."

They got out of the car, grabbed their bags and then walked across the skywalk to the apartment building. They took an elevator up to Tina's apartment –number 7120. Tina unlocked the door and flicked on the lights. Wren gazed around the mauve and grey décor. It looked sophisticated yet cozy. A tabby cat rubbed itself against the dark purple couch.

"That's Lorraine," said Tina, gesturing to the cat. "Ed's probably hiding under my bed."

"Cute," said Wren, crouching and holding her hand out to the cat. Lorraine curved her back under Wren's palm.

"So," said Tina, clapping her hands together, "Wren, I can do your makeup after I finish mine."

"While you do your makeup, I can do her hair," suggested North.

"Great idea," said Tina. She left to retrieve three bags worth of makeup. She spread them out on the floor. North retrieved a curling iron from her bag and plugged it in. Tina left the room and retrieved a large mirror, which she leaned up against the wall.

She worked on her eyeshadow first. "So, Wren. Is there a little somethin'-somethin' going on between you and Connor? Because I swear he was trying to look anywhere but you earlier."

Wren groaned. "I don't know. That's sort of why I asked North how she knew she loved Markus. I haven't really been in a healthy relationship before, so I don't know."

North gaped at Wren for a moment. Then, she threw her head back and laughed. "I knew it! I didn't want to say anything, but…" She winked and Wren hid her face.

North worked on curling Wren's hair while Tina applied her eyeshadow with an almost expert hand. Tina swiped mascara over her lashes. "Well, is there something?"

"I don't know," Wren sighed. "That's why I wanted to get out tonight. I need space from Connor. He got mad at me for what happened today."

"Oh yeah," said North, "the light stabbing."

"Yeah."

Tina snorted. "It's because he cares about you."

"I know he cares about me," said Wren. "He's told me as much. And I've told him. But we both said family. And yeah, he and Hank are the closest thing I have to a real family, but… I feel like I might want more with Connor. I can't really describe it. I mean, he's definitely my best friend. But… He's more, too."

"You don't have to define it," said Tina. "I think that love kind of transcends definition and categorization. You say it's more, and I believe you."

"Thank you," said Wren, relaxing. She bit her lip. "I've been trying to deny it or logic my way through this, but… I do think I love him." She felt lighter when she spoke the words.

"Well, yeah. Anyone with eyes can tell that," said North. She released a lock of Wren's hair from the iron, allowing a curl to drop down. North tilted her head. "But Wren, I think the feeling is mutual."

Wren narrowed her eyes. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"Am I the type of person to spare feelings?"

"No."

"There's your answer."

"And I saw him today, too," said Tina, applying her foundation. "He just about swallowed his tongue looking at you."

Wren tried to contain her smile but failed. She bit her lip. "I don't want to misinterpret things."

"I think Connor can tell what others are feeling for the most part," said North, "but he's a bit confused when it comes to himself."

"Yeah, I'd say that if you're just now sorting it out for yourself, then he probably hasn't, either," agreed Tina.

Wren inhaled deeply. "Probably."

"But don't give up," said North.

"Yeah. You guys can insist you're 'just friends' all you want, but 'just friends' don't look at each other the way you and Connor do. I've seen it at the station," said Tina.

Wren pressed her lips together and nodded. "I just don't want to pressure him by saying anything."

"So… Date other people," suggested North. "You know, just for fun. Go out with us more often. Get a few more sexy outfits. Too bad that gala isn't until November… Maybe he can go suit shopping when we go looking for dresses. I'm assuming you're gonna go. Even if Connor doesn't ask you –which I'm sure he will –I will ask you."

Wren huffed. "What, make him jealous?"

"Sort of," said North. "Just… remind him that you're wanted."

"Or get in danger," snorted Tina. "That draws a reaction from him, huh?"

"Yeah, an angry one," muttered Wren. "I don't want to push him away."

"Yeah, bad advice," said Tina. She set her makeup and spun around to face Wren. "I'm ready whenever you are."

North teased Wren's curled hair and shook out the curls so that they were loose. "We could send Connor some pics of you having fun tonight."

"Markus, too," said Wren, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, good idea," said Tina. "We need to push those boys to confess!"

Wren widened her eyebrows. "That sounds intense."

"Yeah," chuckled North, "don't torture them,"

"Men," Tina shrugged, "android and human alike, are stupid. Even if they're smart, they're stupid."

"Agreed," said North.

Wren grinned, warmth spreading from her chest to her fingertips.

…

Wren felt the bass from the music reverberating through her bones. She grinned at the electric blue light. A woman pushed past Tina, North and Wren and headed for the dance floor.

"That's a whole mommy right there," said Tina.

"A what?" Wren said over the music.

"A whole mommy," repeated Tina.

North laughed. "What is that?"

"It's like when you find the person super attractive, like they're the whole package," explained Tina. "For a guy, you say 'that's a whole daddy.'"

North and Wren nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Come on," Wren wheezed after a moment, "let's dance!"

She led the way to the dance floor. North was not shy and began shaking her hips. She raised her arms over her head. Wren shook her hips and rolled her stomach. Tina was definitely the poorest dancer of their group, but she was a good sport about it. The three of them danced until Tina and Wren were out of breath.

"You guys have to teach me your ways later!" Tina shouted.

Wren and North proceeded to point out "whole daddies" the rest of the evening.

"Ugh," Tina groaned as North pointed out another one, "I regret teaching you guys that term."

Wren laughed and continued to dance, careful not to pull on her wound. Eventually, Tina expressed her tiredness. The three of them left the club and returned to Tina's, where they dressed in more comfortable attire. Wren changed her bandages, wincing. She removed her makeup and brushed her hair, which maintained a nice wave. She padded into the living room, the smell of popcorn wafting over her.

"We're gonna watch some movies," said Tina.

"Look what I sent Connor," snickered North, holding up her phone. Wren looked at it, her eyes wide. The video showed her swaying her hips and twirling. Wren laughed at Connor's response.

Connor: Did you mean to send this to me, North?

North: Yesssss

Connor: I don't understand why.

North: Isn't she cute?

Connor: Yes.

North: gtg

Connor: Please be safe.

Wren sent a video of North and herself dancing to Markus.

Markus: haha, glad you guys are having fun.

Wren: You need to take North dancing!

Markus: I'll keep that in mind.

Wren and North giggled together as Tina brought a bowl of popcorn and turned on the TV.

"We're going classic chick flick since North needs the 'human experience.'"

"Hell yes," said Wren. "What movie?"

"We'll start with something a little older," said Tina. "How about The Other Woman?"

"Sounds good," said Wren. She had no clue what movie that was, but snuggled in between an android and a human, she didn't really care.

…

The next morning, Tina and Wren got coffee while North accompanied them. They sat a round high-table. Wren curled her fingers around her cup. She felt the warmth through her synthetic hands, but she figured for Tina, it was a stronger sensation. Tina inhaled deeply.

"I'm ready for this heat to go," she said. "I'm ready for August to be done with. Just letting you know, I'm a Halloween fanatic. I'll host scary movie nights every weekend. And I like to go to those haunted attractions. You know, where people wear masks and jump out and scare you?"

North raised a brow. "You do that for fun?"

"Yeah," said Tina, brightening. "You should come! It's so much more fun if you have a group. And you could invite Markus, Josh and Connor! Haunted houses are a good excuse to hold their hands, just sayin'."

North laughed. "I'll consider it."

"Speaking of those silly boys," said Tina, leaning forward, "it is now our mission to help each other. I'm not interested in anyone personally, but if you know of any ladies who like a woman in uniform, hit me up."

North and Wren snickered. North tucked her hair behind her ear. "If you don't mind dating an android. I don't really come across a lot of human single ladies."

Tina shrugged. Then, she frowned. "Are human-android relationships even legal?"

"They're not illegal," said North, raising her eyebrows.

"I won't be surprised if they're a little taboo at first," said Wren, sipping her coffee. "But people will come around eventually. Progress, unfortunately, is extremely slow."

"Amen," said Tina, toasting her coffee cup. She sipped from it. "But I'm serious. We're going to get your stupid boys to realize and admit their feelings. I'll host game nights at my apartment. You guys need to work on hanging out outside of work and all that."

"Deal," said North. She looked at Wren. "Markus can get wrapped up in work. If you and Connor ever want to catch a movie or something, he'll be less inclined to say no."

"Okay," said Wren. Her phone vibrated.

[New Text Message: Connor]

Connor: I'm going to Jericho to return a few books to Josh. I can take you home if you meet me there.

Wren: Ok

Wren shoved her phone in her back pocket. After they finished their coffee, Tina drove to Jericho to drop North and Wren off.

"North, you are amazing and I'm glad we did this."

North smiled. "I'm glad, too."

"Yeah, I had fun," said Wren. "Thanks for agreeing to do this, guys."

"Oh, it was such a terrible night. What a pain in the ass," Tina feigned swooning. She grinned. "I'll see you at work. Until next time, North."

Wren and North waved goodbye as Tina backed out of the parking lot and drove off.

"She's cool," said North as she and Wren trekked into Jericho.

"Yeah," Wren agreed. "I'm glad that the three of us got along so well."

"Me too," said North. "I've needed more friends. I really needed to talk about what's going on with me and Markus, even to a total stranger. I'm working on opening up better."

"Yeah, sorry if I put you on the spot," Wren said as they entered the elevator.

"You're fine," North assured her. "I think that sometimes I need to be put on the spot. Maybe that's why Markus has trouble getting through to me."

"Hey, don't blame yourself," said Wren, placing a hand on North's arm. "I mean, yeah, you can be difficult, but he's being difficult, too."

"He keeps pushing me away, and I just sort of decided to distance myself," said North, her shoulders slumping. "But it hurts because I do love him, in my own fucked-up way. He and I didn't always see eye-to-eye during the liberation. I wanted to act more often than not, and his pacifism felt like inaction to me. But I supported him, no matter what. And I have a lot of anger toward humans that he sort of understands, but he didn't have the same experiences as me. He was a caretaker android to Carl freaking Manfred. He even admitted that he had cushy life before waking up. There's just a difference there that… I don't know."

"He doesn't have as much healing to do," Wren murmured.

"Yeah," sighed North. "And what I've always thought about love has been violent and like a storm, but with him, it's… peaceful. I'm still trying to reconcile that."

"I understand," said Wren. She took a deep breath. The elevator dinged and they stepped off and wandered to North's office, where Wren stood at the window, her arms crossed. "The people I've loved in the past have all been so different. And I didn't love any of them the same. My first love was Jonah Cage and he was abusive. He tried to kill me the night of my accident. Then there was Rhett, but our love was… We were each other's last resort, in a way. It was pretty physical. I mean, we shared a connection based off of our jobs, but… I think our relationship was a way to give our corporations the middle finger. And then there was Juno…" Wren trailed off, her chest feeling heavy. She turned to look at North, her lips twitching. "She was an android. She helped train me to fight. This was before deviancy started, but… I started to see her as a living being, you know? She deviated and we developed a bond that Prometheus wasn't happy about. In the end, they took her away from me, too."

North's brow pinched. "I'm so sorry, Wren."

Wren shrugged. "It's okay. I barely remembered Juno until we went to Zlatko's. Prometheus made me forget her, which is why I want to talk to Kamski."

"Yeah, Connor told me about that," said North, sitting on the edge of her desk.

Wren's phone vibrated.

[New Text Message: Connor]

Connor: Are you here?

Wren: Yeah, I'm in North's office.

Connor: On my way.

Wren stuffed her phone in her back pocket. "He isn't a fan of this idea."

"I get the sense that he's wary of Kamski," agreed North.

Connor entered the office. "I am."

North glanced at him and folded her arms. "Why? He's weird, but he does want to help androids."

"He has an interesting way of doing so," said Connor tersely.

Wren pressed her lips together. "What happened?"

Connor looked at her and his LED flashed yellow. "He handed me a gun and told me to shoot Chloe. If I did that, he promised to tell me the location of the deviants. I refused. He called it the 'Kamski Test.'"

"I think he was just trying to prove a point," said North. "At that time, you weren't a deviant yet, but you were on your way to becoming one."

"He had a lot of faith that I wouldn't do it," said Connor tightly. "What if I had shot her?"

"Then he would've been upset," said North. "He's very weird, don't get me wrong, but he does care about androids. Especially Chloe. He really trusted that you wouldn't shoot her if he risked her life."

Connor worked his jaw and averted North's gaze. "I don't want him to play games with Wren."

North's brow wrinkled and she looked toward Wren. "What is it you want to talk to him about, anyway?"

"I want to know if it's possible for Prometheus to make me forget things. I want to know how my processor works with my brain. After seeing that machine at Zlatko's, I remembered Juno. I remembered two guards dragging me to that machine, clamping my wrists into it and forcing me to interface with it. I think that's why I have memory problems, or at least part of it. Post-traumatic amnesia doesn't usually last for years. If I can understand how my memory works, I might be able to remember something about Prometheus to take them down," Wren explained. She avoided Connor and North's gazes, focusing on the floor as the corners of her eyes edged with tears.

"Markus helped me contact Kamski," said Connor. Wren lifted her gaze to meet his. He pressed his lips together for a moment. "He said we can speak with him today."

Wren's eyes stretched and her heart jumped to her throat. She swallowed and nodded. "Okay."

North pushed off from the desk and strode toward Wren. She pulled Wren into a hug. "Go get some answers."

Wren gripped North tightly and nodded. "I will."

…

Wren glanced at Connor's hands, curled tightly around the steering wheel. They stopped in the driveway of Kamski's mansion. Wren reached over and placed a hand over Connor's. He glanced at her and she held his gaze.

"You can stay out here, if you want," she said.

Connor scowled. "No. I'm coming."

Wren nodded, slightly relieved. She pushed open the door. Connor got out of the car. They shared a glance before striding up the driveway toward Elijah Kamski's front door. Their arms pressed against one another as they walked. Wren's knuckles brushed against Connor's. She exhaled deeply before drawing in another breath. She set her jaw and rang the doorbell.

...…

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