Connor was fifteen years old when he decided what he wanted to do when he became an adult.

He announced it at the dinner table one night as he and his siblings and Hank had sat down to eat some of the older man's mediocre spaghetti. Hank wasn't much for cooking, and the four of them tended to eat out most nights, but Hank had wanted a nice, quiet night in for once, and so he'd bought some noodles and sauce to fix for them. It wasn't the best spaghetti in the world, and Connor thought Hank put too much salt in it, but he ate it nonetheless with a grin on his face.

"I'm gonna be a detective," Connor said, and in his peripheral, he saw Hank freeze up for a moment.

Markus snorted sardonically from beside Connor and said, "Of course, you are."

Kara twirled some spaghetti around and around her fork as she glanced between Connor and Hank. "Just like Hank! You guys could be partners one day, how cool would that be?"

Hank chewed the bit of spaghetti he'd been eating and regarded Connor cooly, his narrowed eyes calculating. "Oh, yeah?" he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why's that?"

Connor spooned another helping of spaghetti into his mouth as he shrugged. "Because I'm really good at solving puzzles. And, also because some of the cases are kind of fun."

"Yeah," Markus started, and Connor could already tell by his sour tone that he was going to say something stupid. "Like last month when Hank got called out in the middle of the night because some guy killed his uncle in cold blood. Sounds like loads of fun."

"Markus—" Kara said, ready to rip into him for spoiling their dinner, but Hank spoke up, and she fell silent.

"What's gotten into you lately, hmm?" he said, staring intently at Markus. Markus promptly ignored him and glared down at his almost empty plate as he mindlessly scraped his fork noisily against the glass plate. Hank raised his eyebrows and rested his elbows on the table as he continued to stare at Markus' annoyed face. "Cat got your tongue? You got nothing for me?"

Markus huffed and hastily pushed away his plate, the harsh sound echoing in Connor's ears. "Just leave me the fuck alone," he said vehemently and stormed away from the table. The sound of their bedroom door slamming shut shocked everyone into an awkward silence.

Connor and Kara stared at each other with wide, confused eyes, and even Hank looked flabbergasted as he turned to them for an explanation that they couldn't give.

Markus had never raised his voice or cursed so coldly at Hank before. They'd gotten into arguments before, but it was always warranted, and even then, Markus still had enough respect for the man not to curse at him. This outburst came out of nowhere, and that was surprising considering Connor or Kara almost always knew what was going on with him.

Connor didn't know what to think. Markus had seemed a bit off since a few days ago when he spent the night at Simon's house, and Connor thought maybe they'd gotten into a fight. But, Markus insisted nothing was wrong, and even though Connor didn't believe him, he didn't push it. He figured Kara would get it out of him since they were closer.

From the shocked look on her face right now, though, he guessed he was wrong.

Hank scoffed disbelievingly as his sharp gaze alternated between his two kids. "What the hell is that boy's problem? You two know something that I don't?"

"I don't," Connor said, feeling just as conflicted as Hank.

Kara shook her head, her thin eyebrows scrunched up as she thought. "I don't, either. Maybe I can go—"

"No," Hank said resolutely before he pulled away from the table and started after Markus. "No, I'll talk to him."

The two of them watched with sinking hearts as Hank went through the hallway and knocked on their door; as well-meaning as his intentions were, they knew he wasn't going to get anything out of their secretive brother.

Markus didn't leave their room for the rest of the night, and when it was time for bed, Connor couldn't seem to get rid of the unsettling feeling in his stomach. He didn't know why, but Connor could feel a change in the air. Something was nagging at him, telling him that things were about to change, and he didn't like that feeling. He just wanted everything to be normal, to be right. To have Markus spitting harmless jokes at him, and to have Kara being her happy, carefree self, and for Hank to be the same old, comforting constant in his life.

Logically, he knew things couldn't be that way forever. They were going to graduate high school in a couple years and then they'd probably be off to college, and they'd all be separated for the first time since coming together when they were kids. Connor felt his eyes sting just at the very thought of it, and he tried to stop thinking about it.

Kara was setting up the couch for herself with some spare blankets from the hall, and Connor felt rooted to the spot behind the couch as he watched her. When she finally noticed his frozen state, she stopped her fussing and drew her eyebrows down as she gazed at him.

"Connor?"

She slowly made her way around the couch and touched his arm, and an idea popped into his head.

"Do you … do you wanna sleep in Hank's room with me?"

Kara looked confused, and she huffed a nervous laugh at his suggestion. "With Hank? We haven't done that in years."

"I know," he said, and brought his hand up to scratch at his suddenly warm neck. It was stupid. Just because he was feeling sentimental didn't mean Kara was. "Nevermind. I'll just go … get some more blankets."

She almost let him go, but before he could fully turn away, she grabbed his elbow and turned soft eyes at him. "I hope Sumo doesn't mind sharing Hank's bed for the night."

The embarrassment that had begun to creep up into his cheeks at her initial rejection halted at her agreement, and he could feel his bunched-up muscles begin to loosen. Kara gathered up the blankets in the living room and, together, they cautiously crept into Hank's room.

Hank was settling himself into his side of the bed when they walked in, and when he caught sight of them, he jumped, startled.

"Jesus Christ," he said, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes. "I'm getting too old for you kids to go around scaring me like this. You want me to have a heart attack?"

"Don't even joke like that," Kara said as she started confidently for the bed, arms full of blankets and pillows. "Connor and I are going to sleep in here tonight. I hope that's okay with you."

Hank raised his eyebrows at them. Kara didn't even ask, she just told Hank how it was going to be, and Connor smiled to himself at the way she commanded things. She tended to do that a lot, and she pretty much always got her way when it came to them.

"You two wanna sleep in here? Do you guys know how big you've gotten? I might just end up on the floor by morning with you two rolling around in your sleep."

In other words, it was a yes.

"Sumo, get down," Hank said, pushing his hardest against the big dog curled up on the other side of the bed. Sumo didn't budge, so Hank gave up on that and scooted himself over to the edge. He mumbled something about being shoved out of his own bed, but he made room for Kara and Connor nonetheless.

Kara scooted in close to Hank and he laid his arm out for her to use it as a pillow, then Connor only had a little bit of space to squish in between Kara and Sumo. He was a pretty thin teenager, so he just laid on his side and tossed an arm around his big dog.

It was a tight fit, and Hank was right about them being twice the size they were when they last spent the night in his bed, but absolutely nobody complained.

It was quiet for awhile, and Connor had thought that maybe they all fell asleep, but then Kara spoke up, her voice sounding small in the dark room. "Is Markus gonna be okay?"

Connor didn't know what to say. He didn't want to voice how he thought that their childhood was coming to an end and how maybe Markus was just the first to start drifting away. He didn't want to say any of this because he didn't want it to be true.

But, then Hank's gruff voice chimed in, and somehow, he was still able to make Connor feel better even through all his inner turmoil. "Markus is gonna be just fine. We'll get to the bottom of whatever's bothering him; we always do. Now, get some sleep, and quit your worrying before you worry yourself into the ground."

Kara seemed content with his answer, or maybe she was like Connor, and just didn't want to voice her doubts. Either way, Connor vowed to himself that he was going to figure out what was up with Markus. His brother was closing himself off and trying to drift away, but Connor wasn't going to let him do that, not if he could do anything about it.

Markus left out the next morning for school before anyone else woke up. Connor was the first to realize because he was always the first to wake up before anyone else; even Hank sometimes.

It made him sad to think that Markus was so upset about something that he didn't even want to confide in his siblings, and now he went so far as to leave the house so he didn't have to interact with them. Connor had to do something if he wanted to keep his family together, and he had to do it quick.

It was pretty easy to figure out where to start. The weird behavior hadn't started until last week when Markus came home from his sleepover at Simon's, and if Markus wasn't going to divulge any information from that night, then Connor would go to Simon.

Simon had been Markus' best friend for about two years now. They met when they started high school and were both placed in the same art class. It was an instantaneous friendship that seemed to sprout overnight and had been born out of their mutual love for art.

Markus had always been able to draw such lovely pictures, and their room was filled with drawings of his that he'd made over the years. His pencil drawings of his favorite TV characters were amazing, and he'd even made a few for Kara and Connor when they'd asked him.

One of Connor's favorites was of the cartoon version of the Tasmanian Devil from one of Markus' favorite cartoons when he was younger. It was hung up on the ceiling over Connor's head, and sometimes he found himself just gazing mindlessly at it in awe, wishing he was born with talented hands.

When Markus met Simon, he was so excited to finally have another artistic friend. Simon was also pretty talented with a pencil, but he was even more so with a paintbrush. He'd introduced Markus to the artistic world of painting, and since then, it had been on the top of Hank's shopping list to go out and get some new paints for Markus every couple of months.

Simon was a pretty cool guy, and Connor liked the few times Markus would invite him and Kara to hang out with them. Kara didn't tag along as much anymore since she had her own group of friends, but Connor almost always came when he was invited because he didn't really have a set group of friends like Markus and Kara did.

He did have friends, but he didn't have a best friend, and he didn't really have any friends that would choose him first over anyone else, so he always just sort of felt like he was drifting through school unnoticed.

Markus had Simon and their cool, art friends. Kara had Rose and their wholesome, smart friends. And, Connor had himself and Hank.

He knew his siblings felt bad for him, but Connor didn't want that. He was perfectly fine with just having casual relations with his peers on a surface level, but Markus and Kara took it upon themselves to include Connor in some of their group hangouts, and while Connor always appreciated the gestures, it also made him burn with embarrassment on the inside; like he couldn't get his own friends, so his siblings had to come to his rescue—as always—and provide for him.

With that thought hanging over his head, it sometimes made it unenjoyable to join them and their friends. But, he did his own thing in his spare time. Lately, after thinking seriously about wanting to become a cop like Hank, he'd really been into crime novels and crime TV, and he felt that he learned a lot from watching those shows.

Whenever a detective was handed a new case, if they couldn't find a lead off of the evidence first, then they went looking for witnesses or anyone close to the situation who might know what happened.

In this mysterious situation with Markus, Simon was that person of interest for Connor.

Connor left the house after he woke up Kara, and they were both careful not to wake up Hank. He didn't have to go into the office until noon today, and the poor man deserved some rest after the night they'd had.

Once they'd started high school, the three of them had started walking to school because it was close enough to the house, and also because they didn't want to be those kids whose parents dropped them off for school like they were in kindergarten.

Kara and Connor walked along the sidewalk side by side, the spot beside her glaringly empty.

"What do you think has gotten into him?" Kara said as she stared unseeingly at the space where Markus usually stood. Her voice sounded so at a loss, and Connor knew exactly how she felt. "I've never seen him get so mad before. And, where did it even come from? We were having a nice dinner and everything was fine. What are we missing, Connor?" She turned her sad eyes on him and without even thinking about it, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she immediately leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kara. I'll figure out what's going on with Markus, and … and … he'll be back to normal in no time."

He felt Kara's body heave with a heavy sigh, before she said, "I hope you're right."

He didn't want to doubt his own words, so he made a choice right then. Markus was going to be his new mission. He was going to figure out the root of Markus' behavior, and he was going to fix it.

And, Connor always completed his mission.

The day passed and not Kara nor Connor could catch a moment alone with Markus. Kara said she'd passed him in the hallway when he left his English class, but when he'd heard her call his name, he'd switched directions and stalked off the other way to avoid her.

After school, Kara had to stay behind for an eco-club meeting. She was in the environmentalist club, and they met after school for three days a week to talk about and find better ways the school could become eco-friendlier. Connor wasn't in any such clubs because nothing really interested him beyond a surface level, so he went home by himself.

He was just walking up the pavement to the house with his head down when he heard his front door slam shut. His head shot up, and he saw Markus bustling down the few steps toward him, eyes forward and past Connor as if his brother wasn't even standing there.

Before he could pass up the opportunity, Connor shot his hand out and grabbed Markus by the arm as the other boy tried to slide by him.

"Markus—"

"I gotta go," he said, easily breaking free of Connor's grip and stalking forward. Markus was stronger now than when he was that scrawny kid with the skinny arms. He had a bit more muscle to him now, and Connor always turned down his attempts at a play fight because he would surely walk away with some serious bumps and bruises.

Still, Connor couldn't let him just leave, so he tried one more time. He rushed up behind Markus' retreating form and pulled on his elbow again. "Wait, can we just—"

He wasn't prepared for Markus to whirl around so quickly, and he definitely wasn't prepared for the hard shove his brother gave him, and Connor ended up banged up the ground, his elbows burning from skidding against the concrete and his lower back feeling bruised because of his backpack.

Markus' eyes looked so tortured as he glared down at Connor, a range of emotions on the negative spectrum swirling through his face. His shoulders were tensed, and his whole demeanor radiated anger, but the longer he stared at Connor, the more he seemed to loosen up. His eyes began to soften with regret, and his mouth opened a little, as if he wanted to say something. But, then the moment got away from them, and Markus only shook his head and sighed. "I'm spending the night at North's," he said, and ran off, leaving Connor lying hurt and confused in front of their house.

After Connor squeezed his eyes shut to stop any tears that could come, he breathed in deeply and pushed himself up to his feet and let himself into the house.

Hank would be home soon, but Connor had enough time to fix himself up before then. He searched for the antiseptic spray and some bandages and locked himself in the bathroom to clean up the cuts on his elbows. It was a bit hard to see his elbows from his angle, but he could see that his elbows were a little bloodied from being skinned up. He managed to sterilize the open cuts, wincing and gasping every time the sting got too much. Then, he taped some gauze to cover the wounds. He might have put too much tape on there, but he didn't want any blood to accidentally seep through when he put on a long sleeve shirt to hide it.

Because he had to hide them from Hank. Connor was upset about what happened, but Hank would be furious if he knew they were fighting each other like this. Hank always reminded them that they were brothers, and that they had to look out for one another, and if he knew Markus had done this, then he'd just be even more disappointed in the boy. It was hard enough trying to extract information from him now; having another reason for Hank to be upset with Markus was just going to make things worse.

Connor could feel the resentment coursing through him at being tossed around by his older brother, but he still wasn't going to let this stop him from his mission. He'd told himself and promised Kara that he'd figure it out, and damn it, he was going to do that no matter what he had to endure.

Although, he'd really prefer to come out of this without a black eye.

Once Hank and Kara got in later, no one really talked about how Markus wasn't there. When Hank realized that Markus left without asking, Connor had to stop him from going over to North's and dragging the kid back home. He told him it'd only make things worse, and Hank knew he was right.

Other than that, no one mentioned it again, and Connor hated the tension in the house. Hank was trying hard not to take out his bad mood on Connor and Kara as he snapped at them for little things like playing the TV too loud or leaving their shoes in the middle of the living room, and when it got to be too much for him, he called it an early night and shut himself in his room for the night.

Connor felt the burning sensation behind his eyes as he'd watched Hank dejectedly head for his room. He felt powerless to halt this wedge growing between Hank and Markus, and he didn't like feeling powerless.

Kara and Connor went to sleep early that night, too, because they were tired of the day; they just wanted to escape from the bad atmosphere. As they changed into their pajamas and got into their own beds, Kara reminded him about the next day.

"Don't forget that you're going with Hank in the morning."

Connor furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his head in her general direction. "What—? Oh. I completely forgot," he said, remembering.

Tomorrow was job shadowing day. A day where the 10th grade class went out and spent a day with an adult doing a job they were interested in. It was supposed to be a learning experience that gave students a glimpse into what it was like doing a job they hoped to have as an adult. Connor had been pretty excited to go with Hank and watch him do his job all day because yeah, he knew what being a detective was like, but getting up close and personal with the job was something Connor hadn't had the delightful pleasure to experience since he was ten years old.

Kara was scheduled to meet up with one of the nurses at the local hospital so she could do her job shadowing. She wasn't sure if nursing was the thing she wanted to do when she was older, but that's what this experience was for; so she could make an informed decision. Connor thought she'd be a pretty great nurse, though, because she was the sweetest person he knew. She took care of him and Markus and Hank when they were banged up more times than she probably should have, but she didn't mind it. She was a natural caretaker, and if she didn't have anyone to look after, he thought she'd probably just go mad.

Markus was supposed to head down to this fancy restaurant in the city to follow one of the chefs around the kitchen for his job shadowing. Markus definitely wasn't too excited about that because he was a dreamer, and he knew he was going to be a famous artist when he got older. But, the teachers said he had to pick a practical job to shadow, so Markus had figured why not follow a chef around and try different kinds of foods all day? If he was going to suffer, the he was going to eat and suffer.

Connor hoped Markus remembered to go.

The next day, Kara and Connor were in the car as Hank drove toward the hospital to drop off Kara. It was eight o'clock in the morning, and things were off to a pretty good start.

Hank was in a better mood, and that was because North's mom had called and told him that Markus was fine and that she would be dropping him off at the restaurant for his job shadowing, so that felt like a weight lifted off of all of their shoulders.

As they stopped at the hospital, Hank wished Kara good luck, and she kissed him on the cheek and ruffled Connor's messy hair before running off inside. She was practically bouncing with excitement, and Connor couldn't help but let his own excitement flow throughout him. For the moment, everything was fine, so why not enjoy it while it lasted?

They pulled off from the curb, but when Hank started heading in the direction of the school instead of the precinct, Connor faced the man questioningly.

Surprisingly, Hank looked uncomfortable as Connor stared at the side of his face, and the older man scratched at his beard. "There's, uh … there's something I've been meaning to mention."

"Hank…" Connor said, not liking how nervous Hank appeared. What could possibly have him nervous to tell Connor?

Hank huffed a nervous laugh and smacked his hand on his thigh as he let it rest there. "It's nothing bad, it's just that one of the teachers called a few days ago and asked if I wouldn't mind letting a couple other kids tag along with us. It seems they're interested in policing, as well, so we're gonna go pick them up."

Connor inspected the man more closely, noting the way Hank still refused to glance at him and the way his eyes kept darting quickly from the road ahead of him to the sidewalk they drove past and the rear view mirror and basically anywhere that wasn't in Connor's direction.

"There's something else," Connor concluded, and Hank finally looked him in the eye.

"Who's the detective here, you or me? Jesus, son," he said, and faced the road once more.

"I've grown up with you, Hank. I told you the other night how great I was at piecing clues together, and who do you think I learned that from? Only the best lieutenant Detroit has ever seen."

Hank turned back to Connor with soft eyes at the praise before scrunching his face up in guilt. "Damn it, Connor, I'm sorry about this."

"About what?"

He didn't answer, but he didn't have to: Connor understood as soon as they pulled into the school parking lot.

Gavin Reed was standing on the sidewalk with somebody Connor didn't even focus on, and his body thrummed with anxiety and anger.

"Hank—" he said vehemently, but Hank interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"Now, son, don't get all in a bunch. I have an obligation and a duty to provide for Detroit's children in any way that I can, and that includes all the slimy little kids, as well."

Connor still couldn't believe Hank would betray him like this. "But—"

"But, nothing," he said, and as Gavin and the other kid started for his car, Connor shut his mouth and crossed his arms angrily. "Come on," Hank said, pleading with him. "He won't be bothering you today, not with me around, and if he tries anything, I won't go easy on him."

"That'll just make it worse," Connor mumbled, too low for Hank to hear.

"Just … try to make the best of it. Okay? I really wish I could be the asshole to just tell them teachers to find someone else, but I don't want that reflecting badly back on you kids."

Connor sighed, knowing the man was right. He was going to tell him so, but then the back door opened and Gavin and the other kid got in, and Connor faced back out the window.

"So, I hear you two are interested in the dangerous ins and outs of being a cop," Hank said, and chuckled as he pulled out of the school. Connor died a little bit inside and sunk down lower in the front seat. He seriously hoped Hank wasn't going to be embarrassing today.

From the backseat, Connor heard Gavin sigh softly to himself. "Yes, sir. I hear detectives make quite the salary, and I'm interested in hunting down real, hard time criminals. Making the world a safer place, and all that."

Hank chuckled, and Connor could hear the taunting edge to it. "If you're here for the money, then you're barking up the wrong tree right now. I don't get paid enough for the shit I go through on the daily."

The other kid spoke up then, and Connor sat up straight as he recognized the voice. "If I'm being honest, Hank, I'm not really too keen on detective work. But, my counselor said I had to be rational and shadow a practical job for today. And, I've always thought this field of work was pretty cool, but I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to do what you do."

Connor hesitated before turning around in his seat and glancing at the boy behind him. His heartrate spiked, and his mind screamed in elation at the blonde kid fidgeting with his fingers.

It was Simon! It was just the boy Connor had been looking for, and since they'd be spending the day together, there was no way he wouldn't get to the bottom of this mess with Markus.

Without meaning to, Connor made eye contact with Gavin, and he mentally prepared himself for whatever secretive, mean glance he was going to throw his way since no one was looking.

But, it never came. Instead, Gavin studied Connor studiously, scrutinizingly so, and Connor hastily turned back in his seat before the other boy could notice just how hot he suddenly felt.

Hank glanced behind him to look at Simon before facing the road again. "Don't worry about it, Simon. Detective work isn't for everyone, and if you don't have the guts for it, it's better not to try and force it because some of this crap stays with you for your whole life. But, it's good of you to give it a chance, even if it's only for a day."

The rest of the ride was filled with the occasional sassy comment from Gavin, and Hank's equally snarky quip back at the boy. Hank had tried to put his heavy metal music on, but Connor couldn't handle that much embarrassment, and he winded the volume all he way down with a glare to Hank.

When they got to the precinct, the three of them hopped out and trailed after Hank as he made his way to his desk. Connor had been here countless times now, and the place almost felt like a second home to him. A few of the guys at their own desks greeted Hank and Connor as they passed.

"Got a full crew with you today, huh, Hank?" Chris said as he eyed the four of them amusedly.

Hank groaned dramatically and waved him off with a wave of his hand as he perused through his files at his desk. "They didn't make me the youngest lieutenant in Detroit for doing a half ass job. I do my part to help keep today's youth on the straight and narrow every now and then."

Gavin scoffed beside Connor, a look of disdain on his face. "I'm definitely feeling the love from our great city's 'protectors'," he said, lifting his fingers in air quotes.

Connor rolled his eyes and glanced at Simon, who was studying some pictures that were framed on Hank's desk. He watched curiously and quietly as Simon glanced cautiously at Hank, and when Simon found the man busy with his folders, he carefully picked up the framed photo Hank had of Connor and his siblings.

It was a picture of them when they were about 12 years old. Connor remembered that day very clearly because it was their first time going to the beach during the Summer. They'd been wanting to go for years, and when Hank finally had a bit of free time from his case load, he'd taken the three of them to Virginia Beach.

It was the first and only time Connor had ever been to the beach, and it was one of the best experiences of his life. The whole sunny day was filled with sand castles and boogie boarding and burying Hank in the sand until only his head was sticking out. They ended the day by walking along the boardwalk, and when they passed the huge carousel, Hank insisted on capturing a photo of the three of them in front of it.

Connor crept up behind Simon now and glanced at the picture. Sadness and happiness bloomed in his chest at the sight, a bittersweet feeling coursing through him. Those were good times, the best times of his life, and Connor was afraid those times were behind them for good.

"We were twelve in that picture," Connor said and Simon jumped in front of him and turned to face him with a look like he'd been caught red-handed. He relaxed when he realized it was only Connor. "Markus had just knocked my ice cream out of my hands. That's why I looked so upset beside them."

He reached out and took the picture from Simon's loose grip and smiled fondly at the memory. Connor was a bit off to the side, away from his siblings, and his eyes were red-rimmed from trying not to cry. Kara was beaming, and Markus was smirking, and Connor was about to cry. He thought that pretty much summed up their personalities.

Simon wrapped an arm around his midsection and grasped onto his other arm, swaying slightly in place. He was chewing on his lip, and Connor could practically feel the anxiety radiating off the kid. "Was Markus always so mean to you?"

"No," Connor said, smiling at Simon. "No, he's not always like that. It was just a bit rocky when I first came into the picture because he's a bit cautious of new experiences and new people. But, now we're like best friends; him, Kara, and I."

Simon bit his lip, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but just didn't have the courage. Connor could feel that he was onto something, could feel that whatever was wrong with Markus, Simon held the answer. All he had to do was reach out carefully and take it.

"But, I'm sure you know how pig-headed he can be. I mean, you guys have been best friends for years," Connor said and watched him very closely.

Simon wasn't looking at him when he said it, but he was looking at the picture in Connor's hand. He was gazing so softly, and Connor furrowed his brows, wondering. If Simon and Markus were in a fight, why was he looking so fondly at the picture? Shouldn't he be angry? Or, maybe Simon had gotten over whatever spat they had and just missed him now?

Simon blinked up at Connor and glanced around to make sure no one could hear them. Hank had left them to go speak to Chris, and Gavin was still out of earshot as he explored the precinct with bright eyes. Then, he turned back to Connor.

"You and Markus tell each other a lot, don't you? Like, you know each others secrets, right?"

Connor was careful not to let his confusion show on his face, but he wracked his brain for the right answer here, for the answer that would satisfy Simon enough to open up. "Yeah," he started off, and was relieved when Simon's eyes widened in interest. "Yeah, we tell each other everything."

Now, that was a lie. Markus did have his secrets that he kept to himself; Kara, too. Even Connor had his few keepsake thoughts and memories, but Simon didn't know this.

"Well," Simon said, and he looked immensely agitated now as he scratched at the side of his head. "Did Markus tell you what happened last week when he slept over at my house?"

The lights in Connor's head all went full on bright at this. Yes.

Connor put on a frown and gave the illusion that he knew everything. "Yeah, he told me. He's really broken up about it."

Simon's face crumpled in guilt. "He is? I told him I was sorry! I shouldn't have assumed, I should have asked first, but … I don't know. I guess I was just caught up in the moment."

Connor's mind was in overload mode the more Simon kept sputtering out words, and his mind tried to keep up with all the new information he was receiving.

Simon would have kept talking, but Hank had finally left his conversation with Chris to round the three of them up. As they all grouped together once more, Simon wouldn't look at Connor anymore, but that was okay. He was already beginning to piece together what could have happened at the sleepover; what probably happened at the sleepover.

Hank sighed very dramatically as he gazed at the three kids standing in front of him, and Connor rolled his eyes. Hank was acting as if he didn't want to be doing this, but Connor knew the man loved imbuing a bit of knowledge into them. He was a natural caretaker.

"All right, kids, so we're not gonna be going out into the field or anything because I'm supposed to bring you back with your innocence intact, or whatever, and I never know what kind of crazy I'm gonna encounter out there, so—"

"With all due respect, sir," Gavin said, and Connor heard the slight there. "I was really hoping to get the full detective experience today. It's not every day I get to see what the real world is like, and we are supposed to learn something today. What am I supposed to tell my counselor when she wants to know what we did today? Watched you sit at a desk and eat a donut? Bravo," he said and slowly started to clap his hands.

From the look on Hank's face, Connor knew he only had about two seconds to diffuse the situation before Hank would do something stupid.

Hank stalked toward Gavin and waved a finger in his face. "You listen here you little shit—"

Before Hank could get his hands on the collar of Gavin's leather jacket, Connor slid between them and formed a sort of protective barrier around Gavin.

"Hank, don't. He's just a dumb kid, not worth the risk; isn't that what you always say?"

Hank stopped when Connor scooted between him and Gavin, and his eyebrows rose in pure surprise. "What are you doing protecting this kid? Especially this kid."

Connor dropped his slightly raised arms to his side, and straightened up. "I'm protecting you, Hank. What are you thinking going after a minor like this, especially where there are witnesses around?"

Connor pointedly glanced around them and Hank joined him in taking notice of the few cops who had stopped their ministrations to watch the scene they were displaying.

Hank turned back to Gavin, and after throwing a searing glance at him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he opened them, and Connor was relieved to see that the man had calmed himself down.

"Just … shut up and follow me," he said and started for the back of the precinct where they locked up their overnight criminals.

Simon headed after Hank first, but before Gavin could follow, Connor whirled around and pushed a hand to his chest to press him against the wall behind Hank's desk.

Connor was shaking with vexation and the force to keep Gavin there, but he found he didn't even have to try all that hard. After Gavin tried an initial attempt to escape, Connor reared his hand back while clutching the shirt beneath Gavin's open jacket and slammed him back to the wall, shocking him into silence.

"That is my dad," Connor said quietly, vehemently, and he very briefly let his anger at Gavin's disrespect show since Hank wasn't there anymore. "He might not be able to do anything to you, but those boundaries don't apply to me. And, I'm not the scared little kid you used to push around in elementary school. Show him some respect."

Gavin listened with an annoyed expression on his face, and once Connor finished, Gavin grabbed Connor's hand that was fisted in his shirt and thrusted it away from him.

"Lay off," he said, and smoothed his hands down his shirt where Connor had wrinkled it. "I don't think you want to be acting so tough when big brother isn't here to save you this time."

Connor scoffed. "Like I said, we're not 10 anymore. I'll do what I have to do to defend myself."

And, he would. If Gavin was ballsy enough to want to start a fight right there in the middle of a room full of cops, then Connor would do what was necessary to protect himself, even if that meant throwing hands at the boy; that was something Markus had taught him.

But, Gavin must have been smarter than he looked. He only narrowed his eyes and studied Connor in that peculiar way again, and once again, Connor couldn't help the flush that went through him at his intense gaze.

Gavin swallowed, and looked away. "Whatever. Don't get so worked up, you might fry your brain, or … something," he said, and Connor thought his voice sounded a bit shaky. Then, Gavin stalked off after Simon and Hank.

Connor eventually followed and joined the group and found Hank giving the other two an in-depth tour of the precinct. Connor already knew the ins and outs, all the secret places he could hide away to, and what lied behind every restricted door, so it was easy for him to tune out of the conversation they were having.

His stomach felt fluttery, and he couldn't quite define the source of it. He was anxious, yes, but that was because he was figuring out how to talk to Markus about what he wanted to talk to him about.

There was just a lightness to the airy feeling in him, and he couldn't understand why his heart felt like it was in his throat. It didn't help that every time he glanced at Gavin, the other boy was already looking at him, and they both looked away at being caught.

Connor tried not to think about it as the day drew on. After the tour, Hank brought some fellow officers over to talk to the three of them about what it was like going out on the scene and the responsibilities and duties cops had to the community. He hated to agree with Gavin, but the day had turned out to be pretty uneventful.

Gavin didn't give Hank any more trouble, though, and despite his earlier complaining of not being able to go out on a lead, Gavin seemed to enjoy learning about the job and talking with the officers. Simon wasn't as enthusiastic, but then again, Simon wasn't very excited from the beginning.

By three o'clock, the four of them were back in the car and headed back to the school.

"So, what did you boys think, hmm? Think you guys would wanna make a career out of this?" Hank said.

Simon was the first to answer. "I think I'd rather stick to my dream of becoming a small town art museum director. It seems much more safer."

Gavin answered much more confidently. "I can easily see myself becoming like one of those guys we talked to today."

Hank glanced at Connor, and elbowed him slightly in the arm. "How about you? I know you didn't learn anything today you didn't already know, but is this still something you want?"

Connor faced Hank, and for the first time, he could see te apprehension on his face. As if he was scared but resigned to what Connor was going to say.

"Of course, I still want this. It's what I was meant to do, I know it."

The slightest twitch of Hank's eyebrows let on to Connor just how much Hank had an opinion about Connor's career choice—and for some reason, he didn't think the man approved.

When they got to the school, Simon said quick goodbyes to Connor and Hank and let himself out. Gavin scooted over to the open door and had one foot out on the concrete when he hesitated.

"Sir," he said, and Connor turned around in his seat at the sincere tone so he could see his face. Gavin's eyes were downcast and his lips kept tweaking up to one side as if he were nervous, and then finally he shook his head and turned to Hank. "I'm sorry. About earlier. I actually did learn a little something about what it's like being a cop in Detroit, and I really hope that's something I can be a part of one day."

Connor could feel the shock on his face at the unassisted apology, and he tried to tone it down before Gavin could notice.

Hank hummed a noise of approval before he said, "Don't worry about it, kid. You'll grow out of that bad attitude once you begin training in the academy. Your superiors will definitely see to that." He chuckled good-naturedly and turned back around to face the parking lot.

Gavin scoffed quietly to himself and squinted at the back of Hank's head, and Connor had to stifle his laugh from how rejected Gavin looked. Before he left the car, he shot a glance at Connor, and any humor he'd been feeling instantly flitted away at the look. Connor was filled with such wonder as Gavin gazed openly at him, no hostility in his eyes, and even a bit of remorse swam there. It made Connor's belly do weird flips again, but before he could really think about the look, Gavin cleared his throat and hopped out of the car, the bang of the car door slamming shut echoing in his ears the entire ride home.

Connor was tired, and he still wanted to mentally prepare for what he planned on asking Markus, and so he asked Hank to drop him off at the house before he went to pick up Kara from the hospital.

The lights were all off in the house when they pulled up to the curb, and they figured Markus hadn't made it in yet. When Connor walked in, though, he immediately knew he was wrong; someone was home.

Markus' shoes were by the door, and his jacket was on the rack, and Connor's heart rate accelerated at the objects. He thought he'd have more time to prepare something thoughtful, something understanding, but they had the house to themselves for a moment, and Connor wasn't going to waste this opportune moment.

He toed off his shoes and slipped off his jacket and headed straight for his room.

Markus was sitting cross legged on his bed, his arm waving back and forth as he painted across a nearly white canvas that was lying on the bed. When Connor walked in, Markus didn't look up, but Connor could see his strokes jerk ever so sharper.

His theory was coming together in his mind, and he thought about how best to approach the subject.

"Did you go to that restaurant today? For the job shadowing?" Markus didn't answer, and Connor stepped closer into the room, bringing his hands together as he rubbed them anxiously. "I had an interesting day," Connor continued, and he sat down on his own bed across from Markus'. "Hank had to bring a few kids from school along with us, and guess who was one of them?" After a pause, and still no reaction from Markus, Connor said, "Gavin."

Finally, Markus acknowledged Connor's presence in the form of a snort. "Reed?" he said, and Connor smiled at the hint of disdain the boy could still bring out of Markus. "How mean was Hank to that dickhead today?"

Connor gave a tentative laugh and rubbed his hands together as he leaned forward. "It was very passive aggressive, I would say. I had to intervene at one point to keep Hank from getting slapped with some assault charges."

Markus laughed to himself and finally stopped his brushing. He glanced at Connor, and once their eyes connected, the other boy's humor began to fade once more.

Connor figured it was now or never.

He gathered a deep, centering breath to steel himself before he started. "Someone else came along today," he said, and wasted no time with dramatics this time. "It was Simon."

Immediately, Markus locked himself up, his shoulders tensing and his eyes closing off and narrowing.

Connor continued, wanting to get it all out before he could lose his courage. "He didn't tell me everything, but he told me enough for me to—"

"Connor, just shut up," he said exasperatedly, but there was an edgy undercurrent to it.

Connor was unperturbed. "He said that he—"

"You don't know what you're talk—"

"Did he kiss you?"

And, there it was. It was the only logical explanation Connor could come up with based on Simon's tidbit information and Markus' behavior. Those were the few clues he'd been given, and based off the way Markus suddenly faced him with fearful, wide eyes, Connor knew he'd been right.

Connor stood up and raised his arms in the most vulnerable way he could, not wanting Markus to feel cornered. "It's okay, Markus. You don't have to be scared. It's just me here."

Markus had started panting slowly but heavily, and the paintbrush in his hand slipped out of his grip as he tried to make sense of his situation. Connor still had his hands up placatingly until he was in the middle of the room. "You know me. Talk to me."

His words were soothing, but Markus only looked more upset. Before he could blink, Markus was standing in front of him and alternating between clenching and unclenching his hands. Connor never dropped his.

"Have you— have you said anything to Kara? To Hank?" Markus' voice was hard, making his words sound rough.

"No, of course not. I wasn't sure before, and I wouldn't tell them anything like this without talking to you first."

Markus seemed to relax at this, but he didn't settle into that feeling. He began pacing in front of Connor as he brought his hands up to his temples. The sight made Connor's heart clench, and all he wanted to do was grab his brother into his arms.

"What happened?" Connor said.

Markus' hands had slid up to clasp behind his head, and he stopped his pacing to stare at one of his pencil drawings on the wall. "Connor, I … I can't," he said, his voice breaking, and his eyes began to water.

"Markus," Connor said softly, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He reached out and placed his hands on his older brother's shoulders, and before he could say another word, Markus pulled Connor to him in a tight hug. Markus' hands clutched around Connor's back so hard, and his fists bunched into the fabric of Connor's t-shirt desperately as he hid his face into the crook of his neck.

He could feel the wetness seeping into his neck, could feel the shuddering throughout Markus' body as he cried into his neck, but Connor just held on tighter.

They stood there for a while just holding onto each other, and when Connor remembered how Hank would be getting back soon with Kara, he reluctantly patted Markus on the back, hating that he had to cut the moment short.

"They should be getting home soon," he said gently, not wanting to taint the quiet atmosphere. Markus was done crying, and he pulled away from Connor, sniffing and wiping at his eyes using the neckline of his shirt.

"Yeah," he said roughly. "Right." Once he finished wiping his tears, he swallowed and glanced at Connor. His eyes zeroed in on the damp and wrinkled area of Connor's shoulder, and he winced. "Sorry about fucking your shirt up."

Connor shrugged at the unimportant detail. "That's nothing. I just want to know what's going on with you. You haven't exactly been yourself lately. Or, pleasant," he said, and Markus huffed a shaky laugh at that.

"Man, I've just been … dealing with a lot. Trying to figure myself out. It's not easy, though, and I don't know, I guess I didn't really like what I was finding."

"But, why? Is it because— I mean, did Simon really…" Connor started, not wanting to be crass and state the obvious.

"Kiss me?" Markus said, finishing for him. "Yeah, he did." He rubbed a hand over his mouth as he sat down on Connor's bed. Connor followed suit.

"And, so what was the problem? You didn't like it, or..." Connor said, wanting Markus to talk this out because Connor was tired of trying to guess and piece things together. He'd already gotten the big stuff down, and really, only Markus could provide the rest.

Markus sighed and rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. "Oh, Connor, this is so hard for me, and I haven't had anyone to talk to."

"I'm here to listen, Markus. I've always been here for you. I don't know why you didn't come to me before."

"I know," Markus said, and he sounded so disappointed in himself. "I mean, I knew that you wouldn't judge me or anything like that. And, Kara, too. Even Hank. But, it's just not something that you bring up at the dinner table, you know? And, I feel horrible for treating you all like I did. And, yesterday— Damn it, yesterday." He faced Connor with eyes full of regret. "I'm sorry about knocking you down. I didn't actually hurt you, did I?"

Instinctively, Connor gently touched his elbows and felt the padding from his bandages still. "I'm not made of glass. I'll live through a few scrapes and bruises. It's nothing worse than we used to do when we were kids."

Markus nodded to himself, but he still looked upset. "Still, it shouldn't have happened. I was just so full of anger. And, I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

Markus glanced at Connor and sighed. "All right. I guess I should start at the beginning." Markus slid one knee up onto the bed and began playing with the loose strings on his pant leg. "It happened that night I slept at Simon's. It was really late, like 3 in the morning before we decided to go to sleep. We were just lying on his bed together and talking about what life would be like when we were famous painters who lived in Paris." Markus smiled, and Connor could feel his own lips curl up softly.

"Then, something in the air changed. It felt like something charged the air, and then when I looked over at Simon, he was just staring at me, and then he … he just kissed me."

Markus practically whispered those last words, and his face looked so gentle as he remembered the memory.

Connor licked his lips and bit on his bottom lip as he thought. "You don't look angry now talking about it. So, why have you been?"

Markus blinked a few times before focusing on Connor. His eyebrows furrowed as if he didn't understand why Connor would ask that.

"Because," he said, as if Connor were stupid. "Because I've never kissed anyone, let alone a guy, and he totally caught me off guard. I didn't know if he meant to do it, or what he wanted from that kiss, or what he wanted from me, and I just … panicked."

"What did you do?" Connor asked.

"I left. He started apologizing, and I thought he regretted it, and that's so fucked because how could he do that and not mean to? So, I left in the middle of the night and went to North's."

Connor thought things were beginning to finally click into place in his mind, and he tried to explain to Markus a possible point of view he might have missed. "When I was talking to Simon earlier, I did not get the feeling that he regretted anything. Well, at least not about kissing you."

Markus looked troubled as he placed his foot back on the ground and clutched onto the end of the bed with both hands. "What do you mean? What did he say exactly?"

"It wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it. And, how he acted. He was so wrecked just talking about you, and he kept stuttering and telling me he was sorry. I didn't really know what he was talking about, but it wasn't hard for me to piece together. Especially after how he looked at that picture of us that sits on Hank's desk."

Markus turned to Connor with piqued interest. "The one we took at the beach? How did he look?"

Connor couldn't help the fond smile that lifted his lips as he remembered Simon's open face. "He looked at it, at you, like he missed the hell out of you; like he'd lost something special that he'd never get back. He looked so sorry and happy and sad all at the same time."

The sight of Markus' eyes lighting up was something that had Connor's little heart glowing. He'd missed that smile so much over the past week.

"Really?" Markus said.

Connor nodded. "I think there's just a big miscommunication going on between you and Simon right now, and I'm pretty sure he'd be ready to talk whenever you are."

"Yeah," Markus said. "I sure hope I didn't scare him off. I mean, he's my best friend, and I don't wanna lose him."

Connor reached behind and gripped Markus' shoulders and squeezed lightly. "You won't. He misses you just as much as you miss him. So, you can quit moping and go be happy again."

Markus began to grin, and it was the first genuine bout of happiness he'd seen from him all week. Markus opened his mouth to say something else, but Hank and Kara chose that moment to come home, and the sound of their front door opening had Markus jumping up from the bed, startled.

"Anyone home?" Kara yelled, and Connor stood up. Markus turned to Connor and tried again to say something to him, but then Kara walked into the room, and anything he'd been trying to say was forgotten about.

"Hey—" she said, but Markus scooping her up into his arms had her ending in a light squeal. Connor smiled as the mixed emotions washed through her face, starting from startled and confused to relief and elation.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned so hard her eyes squeezed shut. Kara was the cutest and sweetest girl Connor knew, and seeing and making her happy was something all three of the guys in the house loved to see.

The hug was brief, and when Markus set her back down, she didn't want to let go, so she only slid her hands down to his shoulder as she looked him over.

"I've been so worried about you, you jerk," she said, but she was smiling.

"I know," Markus said. "And, I'm sorry for being so cold to you and everyone else. But, I just needed a minute to myself to think, I guess."

Kara smoothed her hands along Markus' shoulders, making him look neater that before. "But, you're okay now?"

"Yeah," he said, and Connor could tell he was being genuine when he said it. Markus pivoted sideways to glance at Connor, and within seconds he was under Markus' arm. Kara grabbed Connor's other side until the three of them were huddled together and laughing.

That's how Hank found them moments later, and as soon as they realized he was standing there, both Kara and Connor moved to the side to let Markus speak.

Markus had a bit of sweat on his brow, and he gulped as he took Hank in. Then, he walked a bit closer to the man.

"Hank," Markus started, and he looked nervous as all hell, but he was trying really hard not to show it. "The way I spoke to you a few nights ago was totally not cool. Unacceptable, I mean. I feel really bad about that, and I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am because—" Markus said, and his voice cracked at the emotion the boy was trying to beat down. "Because you've done everything for me for half of my life, now, and you don't need to put up with my temper tantrums, too."

Markus couldn't say anymore or else Connor knew the boy would be full on crying again, but what he said was enough. Hank stepped forward with the softest eyes and pulled Markus' head to his chest. The two wrapped their arms around each other, and finally some relief took root in Connor's chest.

Maybe everything wasn't going to change. He'd been so afraid that Markus was pulling away, but Connor was able to reel him back in.

He'd accomplished his mission.

Hank shook Markus in his arms once. "It takes a real man to apologize and to recognize when his head was in the sand," he said, and pulled back enough to gaze Markus in the eyes. "I don't expect every day to be a picnic with you, and that's okay. I just want you to know that we're all here for you no matter what's bugging you. You don't have to keep all those nasty feelings inside because you're not living this life alone here."

"I know that," Markus said, and took a deep breath. "I guess I just need reminding sometimes."

Hank looked over top of Markus' head to glance at Connor with a question in his eyes, and Connor nodded, letting him know that Markus was truly going to be okay.

Kara flitted over to Hank and Markus and wrapped her arms around them both. "That'll be the day when I let you try to think for yourself. I leave you alone with your thoughts for a week and you almost work yourself into a dark abyss. Never again, Markus. I don't care if I have to be the annoying, overbearing sister, but I'll never let you believe that you have to go through life alone."

It amazed Connor as he watched the three of them just how accepting they were. They still knew nothing about what Markus had been going through, and yet they already forgave him when he tried to make amends. They didn't ask why he was upset or for any of the gritty details, and all they wanted to know was if Markus was okay right now.

He guessed they knew that Connor had finally gotten through to him, and maybe that was enough for them. So long as one person knew what happened and was able to make Markus feel better, then what else was there to be said about the situation other than to move on and forgive each other?

He tried really hard not to, but the emotion he felt at witnessing such a pure reunion with nothing but love had Connor's eyes getting blurry, and he turned his head to the side as he subtly tried to wipe his eyes.

"Connor, son, get your butt over here," Hank said, and Connor laughed to himself, trying to shake away the emotional blanket he was stuck under.

"Come on, guys," Connor said, and sniffed as he gazed at his family. They were all facing him with expectant glances, and Connor tried to calculate the chances that he could make it to the door without being caught.

His chances were dismal.

"No way, man, if I have to be stuck in this hug, then you're definitely not scheming your way out of this," Markus said.

"Connor," Kara said, saying his name in a sing song-y voice. Then, she reached over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him into their circle. Hank's heavy arm fell across Connor's back and Markus' arm came up to wrap around his waist, and he figured this actually wasn't so bad.

Life could definitely be worse.

Hiiii! So real quick, I wanted to start off by answering a couple people from the reviews.

To the guest who asked what gave me the idea to write this: I was actually inspired by a piece of fanart someone else had drew on tumblr. It was a drawing of Connor, Kara, and Markus as children and Connor was holding onto's Hank's hand. I don't remember who drew it, but I know it's on tumblr, so you could probably just sort through the art on there until you find it. But, yeah, so it was so adorable, and I couldn't help but picture the four of them as a family like that, and so that is how this came to be.

And to Sakin2003: Connor and Kara are going to have their own bonding chapter, so I hope you enjoy that one :)

And thanks to everyone who reviewed and faved and all that good stuff. It literally makes me smile like an idiot every time I see that this fic made you guys feel stuff and smile, and I just feel so humbled I guess by this fandom in general because you guys are so nice and cool.

I plan on having about two more chapters in this fic left, and since Connor had his bonding moments with Hank, Sumo, and now Markus, Kara is going to be next! So, I hope this chapter was good, and thank you again for reading :)