The snowfall that year was well on its way to setting and breaking records it had the first time around as the white fluff continued to pile up with each passing day. It seemed as if the autonomous snowplows and salt trucks were on constant patrol around the city to keep up with the falling snow and to ensure that Detroit could continue to function without any delays from nature to slow things down. While the employed humans of the city trudged through the snow and over the salted ice to continue business as usual, the domestic androids were expected to handle the snow that had piled up on properties, keep snow from building up on rooftops and ensured that there was adequate heat and power to each home. Homes that weren't their own to keep but were still expected to maintain on behalf of the true owners without proper compensation.
Huffing huge breaths as he shoveled snow out of the driveway and off the front walk Connor scanned the neighborhood and kept an eye on the weather forecast at all times. He didn't want to get caught in the middle of a blizzard or fail to pick up Cole from school in a timely manner due to additional snowfall. As much as Connor hated being out in the cold, he hated the idea of failing any task tenfold.
"Perhaps if I mention installing heated pipes beneath the driveway and the front walk, Hank will consider getting the installations taken care of in the spring."
Scanning over the driveway Connor was content that he got all of the snow scraped up and every molecule of ice melted. At least he had for the time being.
As Connor made his way over to the front walkway to shovel off the stoop and then clear a path out to the sidewalk, he heard a soft sound coming from the shrubbery by the front door and froze. Another scan indicated that there was a small animal hiding in the shrub seeking shelter from the harsh cold.
"Curious."
Putting the shovel down Connor knelt beside the shrub and peered through the thin branches and leaves and saw a pair of big yellow eyes looking back at him.
"A stray kitten has taken shelter on the property. I wonder why it chose to hide here."
The little kitten seemed to sense that Connor wasn't a threat and timidly crept out of the shrub toward Connor with its own curiosity. When the kitten saw that Connor wasn't being aggressive and didn't smell of anything that reminded it of danger, the kitten put its front paws against the deviant's knee in search of warmth.
"You dislike the cold as well, don't you?"
Gently Connor picked up the dark tortoise shell kitten and held her against his chest. The moment the kitten felt the heat coming off of Connor's body she snuggled in and began to purr softly in approval and gratitude. She proceeded to softly 'mew' as she found comfort in Connor's protective hold.
"It's unfortunate that there isn't any form kitten or cat food in the house." The kindhearted deviant lamented as he held the kitten close. "I'd like to give you something to eat to ensure you remain nourished."
Soon after the kitten settled in and cuddled with the deviant android two more kittens suddenly appeared from around the side of the house and rushed up to Connor as if knowing that they found someone worth trusting. One was a gray ball of fluff and the other was an orange tabby.
"It seems you have siblings."
Sitting down on the front stoop Connor reached out his hand and let the other two kittens take in his scent before picking them up and holding them against his chest alongside the first kitten. Soon the trio of kittens were all snuggled down and purring together as Connor kept them warm in his arms. Having the three kittens keeping him company and trusting him left Connor with a feeling of utter contentment.
"You three need somewhere warm to stay. It's too cold for you to be out here on your own, especially without a mother's care."
Just as Connor made such an empathetic observation a louder 'meow' echoed through the air as a full grown gray tabby cat appeared and rubbed affectionately against Connor's leg. The adult cat was a female and seemed to be very interested in the trio of kittens who had found their way into Connor's arms.
"I stand corrected. You do have a mother's care, but it seems she needs some care as well."
The mother cat was very thin and seemed as if she hadn't had a full meal in weeks. Her kittens were well-fed, but in exchange for her keeping her litter fed the mother cat had to give up some of her own sustenance.
"You had your kittens out of season. That will be quite the challenge to undertake."
Lightly Connor rubbed the mother cat's chin and took notice of her lack of collar and no microchip between her shoulder blades indicating that she belonged in someone's family. All four of the cats were strays in need of a good home.
"You also have no apparent shelter to use during this cold weather. That is more unfortunate."
Connor didn't want to think about the cat and her kittens being left out in the cold all night and came up with a simple solution. There was a humane society only a few blocks away from the house. The animal shelter would surely welcome all four of the cats and help them find homes of their own before the holidays arrived in just over a week.
"I'll find a box in the garage and take you to the humane society. The volunteers will keep you warm, well fed and make sure you're not ill, or harboring any fleas or ticks in your fur."
The deviant detective couldn't bear the idea of leaving the kittens and mother cat out in the cold any longer and managed to pick up the mother to hold in his arms as well. Quietly and carefully, he carried the gathered litter into the house through the front door and placed them in the bathroom to ensure that Sumo didn't upset them once he surely caught their scent.
"You four will wait for me to return with a box. In the meantime, you'll be warm and safe in here."
Gently Connor placed the four cats down into the empty bathtub to ensure the kittens didn't get into any mischief by climbing on the sink or playing with the roll of toilet paper on the holder. He knew the mother wouldn't want to leave her kittens alone and would sit right beside them while he went in search of a box to carry the family together while taking them to the humane society.
"I'm certain that there's a box out in the garage that I can use. I might be able to find you something to eat as well."
With a new mission in mind Connor left the bathroom and shut the door behind himself as he went to locate his desired supplies. A quick cybernetic search into the dietary needs of cats helped Connor find the correct food to feed the stray family while he found a collapsed box stored on a shelf in the garage. The deviant opened the clean box and placed a large, fluffy towel down at the bottom to create a type of warm and soft cushion for the four cats to lay on. He then scoured the pantry in search of appropriate food to give the starving family.
It didn't take long for Sumo to sniff out the kittens and their mother after Connor brought them into the house. The large dog rose from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom and laid down right outside the closed bathroom door. Curiously Sumo sniffed at the opening beneath the door and was caught off guard by a singly fluffy paw reaching under the door to lightly bat him on the nose to acknowledge his discovery.
Connor had located a can of tuna fish in the pantry and decided that the relatively fresh fish would be ideal for the family of furry guests until they were at the humane society. As he carried his selected supplies back toward the bathroom Connor spotted Sumo investigating the guests and then saw the playful way that the mother cat was interacting with the lovable Saint Bernard.
"That's a promising sign."
Patting Sumo's back lightly Connor awkwardly stepped around the large dog as he opened the bathroom door and carried the box with the opened can of tuna inside the room. Although it was an unusual balancing act Connor managed to get inside the bathroom without dropping anything in the process. The deviant decided to keep Sumo outside the bathroom while the cat and kittens ate their offered food since he didn't want Sumo to accidentally get in the way of four hungry animals.
"Stay out here, boy. It's nothing personal."
Connor placed the box down on the sink and closed the door behind himself with his foot. After that, he led the mother cat from the door and back over to the bathtub by letting her catch the scent of the fish in the can before setting it down for the kittens to eat. Within seconds of the four cats catching the scent of the tuna the fluffy quartet began meowing loudly and standing up on their hindlegs as they watched Connor's hand lower the can into the tub.
Before Connor even had the chance to pull his hand back the deviant had the three kittens and mother cat clambering all over his arm in a desperate bid to get to the offered food. The sight of the four animals ravenously digging into the offered tuna gave Connor a new appreciation for being able to regularly provide Sumo with some healthy dog chow three times a day.
"I can't imagine how hard it must be to survive on the streets like this. Animals, humans... deviants."
Sitting down on the floor beside the bathtub Connor waited for his four furry friends to finish their snack before even trying to pull the tuna can back out of the tub to be properly recycled. He didn't want to get his hand scratched or make the kittens panic about their food being taken away.
"One thing that we all have in common is the need for a proper home. A place where we can all belong."
The three kittens had polished off a majority of the tuna fish while the mother cat ate only a small portion to ensure her babies were well fed. Afterward, the mother cat proceeded to wash her paws and whiskers while her kittens imitated her behavior. There was a chorus of loud purring as the quartet all clearly enjoyed the meal that they had been given by the kind deviant.
"I know you will all find a place to belong soon enough. Humans have always had an empathetic reaction toward cats and dogs who need a family to adopt them. In time, a few will even show the same empathy toward deviant androids."
Lightly Connor pet the soft ears of each kitten then did the same for the mother cat to ensure that the small family knew that they were in good hands. Having the four cats all purring together and playfully pawing at his fingers or rubbing their noses against his hand helped the isolated deviant feel a little less alone in the big, changing world. While he wouldn't have a lot of humans showing him compassion or understanding for a few more years, Connor would always have the love and loyalty of unbiased animals who could sense that he was a kind and loving person at heart without any doubts.
"I just hope you don't have to spend too much time in the humane society before you're adopted. I also hope that you find homes that will love and protect you for the rest of your lives."
Glancing up at the cardboard box sitting atop the sink Connor sighed and knew it was time to take the kittens to the humane society before he became emotionally attached to the litter. He didn't want to deal with any additional heartbreak that would stem from Hank telling him to get rid of the kittens, and he didn't want to get Cole excited about something that'd be declined automatically by Hank since he ultimately had the final say in what happened in his household.
"I'm afraid that it's time to take you to the humane society. I wish I could keep you here and protect you myself, but it's simply not meant to be. It'd be too complicated to handle four new members of the family at the same time."
Standing up from the floor Connor picked up the box and placed it down where he had just been sitting. Smoothing out the towel at the bottom of the box Connor picked up each kitten one by one and placed them down inside the box for comfort and safe transportation. Sure enough, the mother cat jump down and into the box to join her babies while trusting Connor to take care of them. The quartet never stopped purring and giving Connor adoring gazes.
"Don't worry about what'll happen after you're taken to the humane society."
Connor requested as he cybernetically contacted the humane society to let everyone know that he was on his way there with four new friends in need of some love, warmth, food and protection. It was in Connor's nature to protect those who needed some form of guardianship, and Connor vowed to never turn his back on anyone who needed his help regardless of their species or personal beliefs when it came to human and android rights.
"I strongly believe that for you four, everything will truly be all right."
-next chapter-