The snow had continued to blanket the city even after Hank had driven home at a slow and steady pace with his unexpected but welcome passenger in tow. The moment he pulled the Oldsmobile into the driveway Hank and Connor rushed toward the front door of the house together to escape the chilly air and get somewhere warm to rest. Neither detective was really in a chatty mood or willing to be in the same room as one another just yet, but their mutual desire to make sure Cole was content and didn't pick up on their lingering resentment gave them enough will to put on brave faces for the rest of the night. The moment Cole saw Connor passing through the front door the little boy's eyes lit up and he happily welcome Connor back to where he belonged.

Abby had discreetly observed Connor's body language and knew that he was still in pain. She wanted to say something and offer Connor some help for his current condition but decided against it. She didn't want to worry Cole or make Connor feel overwhelmed by mistake. Instead, Abby politely took her leave of the house to return to Gavin's apartment, and merely requested that Connor see a technician somewhere to ensure his condition didn't deteriorate any further.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Cole beamed as he joined Connor on the couch and practically threw a blanket at the deviant to wrap himself up in. "Dad told you, right? About the new house?"

"Yes, we had a long talk before I agreed to come back here." Connor didn't go into too much detail considering his discussion with Hank revolved almost exclusively around his future in the precinct as opposed to returning to the house. "I also told him that he doesn't need to buy a new house to accommodate me. I'm legally capable of purchasing my own residence."

At that realization Cole's smile faded and he gave Connor an almost wounded look. "You're not going to stay with us?"

"It's not likely, no. Even so, we're still friends and I'll still take the time to stop by and visit you no matter what happens in the future."

"That sucks."

"I'm sorry, Cole." Leaning back against the couch Connor pressed his palm to his chest and was relieved that his pain wasn't nearly as severe as it had been previously. "It's best that I live my own life and live in my own home."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Hank heard the disappointment in Cole's reply and ruffled his son's hair lightly as he stood behind the couch. "That's part of the perks of having freedom and the rights to do what you want. You get to choose where you live and who you live with. Besides," leaning over the back of the couch Hank reminded his son of what he had said just a few days prior. "you're right. It's not fair to expect Connor to stay in the garage anymore, just as it's not fair to expect him to stay with us just because we miss having him around."

Connor wanted to challenge Hank's comment about missing him but chose to let the matter drop. They already had a professional and complicated discussion back at the precinct regarding his return to work as a detective, and he had agreed to return to the house just for Cole's sake while waiting for Captain Fowler to finish pulling all the strings necessary to get Connor reinstated as a detective. With any luck he'd be able to begin working again in the morning.

"By the way," Hank continued as he gave Cole a smug grin. "your school's going to start again this Monday!"

"Nooooo!" Genuinely disappointed Cole theatrically flopped backward and looked up at his dad hovering above him. "I don't wanna' go back to school!"

"Sorry, bud. You have to go. When you're eighteen, graduated and have your diploma, then you can stop."

"Gee, great!"

"Know what else is great?"

"Pizza?"

"Yup." Hank nodded in the direction of the kitchen and the enticing aroma of the pizza as he spoke. "It's one of those frozen pizzas from the store, but I still put some jalapeno slices on it for ya'."

"Garlic knots too?"

"They're in the oven right next to the pizza."

"All right!"

"Go wash up and get the table set. Actually," glancing over to Connor sitting beside his son, Hank gave the deviant a kind smirk. "in honor of Connor being back with us for the night, let's eat dinner in here and watch whatever movie he picks. You know, like old times."

"Yeah!" Cole slid off the couch and rushed into the bathroom just down the hallway. "Good idea!"

"Thanks." Connor appreciated feeling welcome again despite his gut telling him to get some space from the man for a while. "That'll make Cole feel better."

"Me too."

It was then the deviant noticed that someone important was missing from the moment. "Where's Sumo?"

"Well, there's about four feet of snow on the ground right now, and Abby let him outside about an hour ago, so..."

"I'll call him inside and dry off his fear in the laundry room."

"Good plan." Hank confirmed as he watched Connor weakly get to his feet to cross the livingroom and pass through the kitchen to reach the backdoor. The sight of the deviant being so unsteady made Hank worry about his overall health. "He's more likely to come running to you if you call his name. Traitorous oaf loves you and Cole the most."

Quietly Connor opened the backdoor and peered out into the snowy area where he saw Sumo rolling about in the middle of a massive snow pile with his tail wagging happily and his playful pants echoing through the air. After a few seconds Connor called out to Sumo and was rewarded with a surprised and happy 'boof' in response.

"Sumo? Come on, boy!" Connor patted the side of his leg and called Sumo back to the house to dry off for the night. "Inside!"

Sumo shot to his paws and barreled toward the backdoor and didn't stop until he had effectively tackled Connor to the floor! Had Connor not anticipated the impact then Sumo's heavy weight would've hurt the android's already damaged chest and abdomen. Laying over the floor with Sumo sprawled over him and licking the sides of his face truly made Connor feel like he was in a safe place for the first time in months.

"I missed you too, boy."

"Did he hurt ya'?" Hank asked as he walked into the nearby laundry room to get a towel and dry off Sumo's fur while the dog was distracted. "That was a good tackle."

"I'm unharmed."

"Good." As Connor sat upright Hank handed him the towel and turned his attention to the oven where the pizza had finished cooking. "I want you to know that, even though you said you're going to find your own place - which I'm not going to argue with you over - I'm still going to find a new house that'll always have a room for you if you ever need a place to stay."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Cole walked into the kitchen and laughed at Sumo climbing all over Connor in search of some affection since he hadn't seen Sumo act so playful in a long time. It was nice to have the house feeling like a warm and welcoming home again.

"Pizza's ready." Hank prepared a plate for Cole and himself, then offered Connor his hand to help the deviant up from the floor. When the deviant declined the help and managed to finish drying off Sumo's fur before tossing the damp towel into the laundry room. "Get your drink and let's go enjoy a nice evening in the livingroom. It's been too long since we had the chance to just chill on the couch and watch a mind-numbing movie."

Connor agreed with the sentiment but felt as if it was a hollow gesture. He felt more like he was being pandered to, as if Hank was trying to get on his good side and pretend their past disagreements had never happened. A part of him wanted to believe that Hank had turned a new leaf and was well on his way to becoming the good friend, mentor and even father figure he once knew in the original timeline. However, a more cautious part of him knew to keep his guard up and not believe everything Hank was doing and saying at face value.

Just as respect was earned and not given, so went the way of trust and true friendship.

A restful night in the secured home had given way to an exciting morning. Connor awoke on the couch in the livingroom in his old night clothes, under a thick blanket and with Sumo curled up beside him. As the deviant sat upright on the couch and ran his hand along Sumo's back, he heard Hank's phone ring in the bedroom and cybernetically tapped into the call out of pure curiosity. It was Captain Fowler, and the police Captain confirmed with Hank that Connor had been given the green light to return to work as a detective starting that very morning. It was a good sign, a clear indication that deviant rights and the new laws were going to be implemented and enforced fairly soon.

Shifting his attention away from the phone call Connor reached out to let Markus and North know what was happening. He wanted his friends and allies to know that he was safe, that his career was back on track, and he wanted Markus to know that his meeting with the mayor had been a resounding success. It was just the beginning of a new world for everyone - humans and deviants alike.

"Good, you're awake." Hank trudged down the hallway and showed Connor the phone in his hand. "Fowler put you on the roster as an official detective, not just a consultant, and already has a case for us to check out."

"A homicide?"

"Uh, no actually. Fowler has assigned us as the city's first official deviant division, and that means we're investigating cases revolving around deviants." Pocketing his phone Hank sighed and gave Connor an awkward glance. "There was an anonymous tip about a possible disgruntled deviant posted about fifteen minutes ago, and we're on the case."

"All right." Pushing back his blanket Connor slipped his legs over the edge of the couch and stood up straight as he prepared to begin his first investigation as an officially recognized detective. "I'll change into my uniform."

"Right. I'll find a babysitter for Cole and then we'll head out." The Lieutenant sounded as if he and Connor had done that exact morning ritual countless times before. "We can hopefully get some details about the tip during the drive. Gavin's already at the scene."

Earlier that morning a report of a possibly dangerous deviant roaming the halls of a modest twelve story office building downtown brought Connor and Hank to the unusual scene with very little information at their disposal, and a lot of pivotal questions that still needed answers. The office building itself was located in an area of the city that had been known, almost infamously, for its anti-android policies. Such possibilities meant that there was still a lot of social hostility in the area. The air was thick with the early winter snow covering everything under a layer of white and a palpable xenophobic tension that made the human and deviant detective both anxious upon their arrival.

The occupants of the building had been successfully evacuated and led to safety while the responding officers began their search for the supposedly dangerous deviant reportedly trespassing inside the building. After checking the floors of the building one by one for the mysterious deviant the two detectives found no one of interest, but they did find an abundance of xenophobic bigotry.

"First day back on the job and we get called in to find one deviant in a building full of overpaid paranoid suits." Hank righteously grumbled as he and Connor walked through the first floor corridor together to get to the elevator to take them to the twelfth floor. "I don't know what's more of a waste; our time or the taxpayer's money."

Connor looked about the area with disappointment in his gaze as he just felt the lingering bigotry in the air. "I believe that's entirely up to interpretation."

"You ready for this?" The Lieutenant asked as he watched Connor resisting the urge to press his palm to his still sore chest. "If you want to take it easy for your first day back, I understand."

"I can do this." Connor wasn't going to sit back on the sidelines because he was suffering from the occasional body ache from a previous injury. "I'll be able to locate any potential deviants in the vicinity faster than any human ever could. If there is a dangerous deviant here, I'll find them."

Together Connor and Hank had reached the top floor of the tall building and found no sign of anyone anywhere after combing the corridor and connected rooms that had been left unlocked. There were no other androids beyond Connor on the premises, or any sign that any other androids had recently been through the area in general.

Sensing that something else was going on Hank put his hands to his hips and let out a deep sigh as he looked around the vacant corridor. His experience as a detective told him to keep his eyes open and to keep on his guard.

"Did your scanner find anything, Connor?"

The deviant detective looked up at the white ceiling as his scanner detected a trace amount of something that registered as an explosive material. It was laying just beyond a single tile in the ceiling that was slightly out of place. Focused on his discovery Connor stopped short and stared straight up at the offending tile without blinking as he homed in on the reading.

"Possibly."

Hank turned around and followed Connor's gaze upward to the curious tile in question. "What's up?"

"I am not entirely sure, but I believe it warrants a closer inspection."

Quickly Hank's instincts as a seasoned detective told him that Connor was definitely on to something. Planting his feet firmly Hank squared his shoulders as he dropped his hands down a little in front of himself and interlaced his fingers together as he prepared to support his partner's weight. "Yeah. Here, I'll give you a boost up."

"My frame allows me to stand completely stable while supporting additional weight up to six-hundred pounds. It would be more beneficial for me to support you instead."

"Yeah, but your balance is better than mine, you're lighter than me AND you can see without a flashlight. Not to mention the fact that you're still hurt and can't jump up or pull yourself up in the ceiling." Hank argued sharply without moving from where he stood in the middle of the corridor. "Up you go."

"Very well."

"...And I'm nowhere near six-hundred pounds."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing! Just get up there and take a look around."

Obediently Connor stepped forward and stepped down into Hank's hands as the senior detective hoisted him upward toward the ceiling. Putting one hand down on Hank's shoulder as the very strong detective lifted him up high enough to press on the ceiling tile, Connor reached up with his free hand to slide the already loose tile to the side before he peered up into the ceiling itself through the opening.

Hank looked up and watched as Connor peered into the opening of the ceiling to examine the small space that was seemingly too dark for even a deviant's eyes to see through. "See anything?"

Meticulously Connor looked about the dark space that occupied the ceiling as his eyes fell upon a large metallic cylinder lined with various wires, small connected containers with liquid explosives and a single trigger that had numerous failsafes protecting it.

"Well?" The senior detective was losing his patience as he awaited a response from his newly officiated partner. "What's up there?"

"I see something." Running another scan Connor confirmed the item in question and its overall purpose. "I believe I found the source of the unusual reading that my scanner detected."

"What is it?"

"A potential bomb."

"Fuckin'- What!?" Hank immediately lowered Connor to the ground, the abrupt movement caught the deviant off guard and made him sway a little as he put his feet back down on the floor in front of the senior detective. "Did you say 'BOMB'?"

"Yes." Replying calmly Connor confirmed his assessment on his discovery. "It appears to be remotely activated."

"Shit! Find Gavin." Taking control of the situation Hank walked over to the wall at the end of the corridor and pulled down on the fire alarm to cause the people lingering around outside to evacuate even further from the building. As the alarm sounded off with an extraordinarily high-pitched screech Hank had to raise his voice in order to be heard over it as he spoke with Connor. "Contact the precinct, let them know what's going on! We have to make sure everyone got out of here, and we need to do it FAST."

"Done." Connor acknowledged the logical order he sent out the distress call and filed the report. Staying by his partner's side Connor used his scanner to check the building and soon detected Gavin's vital signs several yards beneath him. "Detective Reed is currently three floors down and is heading our way."

"Fine, we'll head him off on our way down as we finish checking these rooms." Being thorough with the sweep of the building Hank pushed open an unlocked door to an empty room just to make sure no one was actually inside. "I'll take this side; you take the other."

"Agreed." Without any hesitation Connor mirrored Hank's motions along the opposite side of the corridor and began heading toward the staircase in favor of using the elevator. Sending out another cybernetic message Connor informed Markus of the danger and requested that he keep their people clear of the neighborhood until further notice. "I'll confirm our search with the fire department to ensure no one is put in needless danger."

Working together the two detectives painstakingly checked the top three floors, and every room without skipping over any doors, all while heading downward from where the bomb had been located on the top floor. When they reached the ninth floor the duo met Gavin who was approaching them with an angered and impatient glare in his eyes. The hotheaded Detective hadn't been informed of the possible bomb as the use of radios had been temporarily banned, and therefore disabled, in the event a broadcast could accidentally trigger the remote bomb before it could be disposed of.

"Lieutenant, what the fuck is happening?" Gavin shouted over the blaring fire alarm as he huffed toward the two detectives. Noticing Connor standing beside Hank, Gavin tried to figure out why the deviant detective was at the scene. "What did you guys find?"

"There's a bomb in the building!" Hank yelled in response as he and Connor continued to check the rooms lining the tenth floor corridor. "We need to evacuate and make sure everyone got their sorry ass out of the area before we can get outta' here, too."

"Shit..." Gavin froze for only a second before he proceeded to help with the room check without asking twice. "The first six floors below us were already cleared because of the reported deviant!" The continued shouting only made the blaring of the alarm seem all the more intrusive. "If anyone was still in here they'd be at the bottom floors of the building and they gotta' be outside by now because of the fire alarm!"

"Keep looking!" Not wanting to cut any corners Hank ordered gruffly as he made his way past Gavin toward the next stairwell leading down to the eighth floor. Stopping short Hank saw that Connor was staring through an opened door into a seemingly empty room at the opposite end of the corridor. "Connor?"

"The deviant." Connor replied sternly as his eyes focused on something alarming inside the dark room. "It's-"

A deafening explosion suddenly rocked the building as the bomb only three floors above from the trio of responding officers detonated unexpectedly. Thick black smoke and bright orange fire erupted from the top of the building as the three floors above imploded downward and outward creating a gray plume of choking dust and debris that rained down over the streets below. Heavy metal and wooden support beams, slabs of drywall, portions of the floor and the ceiling above collapsed inward while the surrounding windows shattered into a cascade of thousands of tiny shards of sharp glass in all directions.

Onlookers and bystanders on the street outside ran for cover and away from the building as police cars, fire engines and ambulances bravely converged on the scene to aid those trapped within the radius of the detonated bomb and to tend to the now burning building. It was chaos inside and outside the twelve story building as panic-stricken people rushed away from the danger seeking protection and avoided the carnage.

The search for survivors and victims alike still trapped inside the building had only just begun.

Word of the bomb's detonation spread through the city like wildfire and quickly reached the Detroit Central Precinct within seconds. The fire alarm that Hank had pulled had already summoned the fire department to the scene of the explosion before it even took place, but additional police officers were only now being dispatched to help with the mess and help look for survivors. Knowing there were three detectives at the scene of the catastrophe was a bittersweet knowledge, as it meant help was already at the scene to aid bystanders and victims alike, however, it also meant that the three detectives could've also been harmed in the initial blast and have become victims themselves.

Responding to the alarm with a calm and professional manner Captain Fowler confirmed that his three detectives were at the address of the building prior and during the detonation and began dispersing his patrol accordingly. The quicker he could find his own people in the mess, the better.

"Anyone who isn't on patrol is going to go to the office building downtown and help with the search."

Captain Fowler ordered as he took charge of the disaster as best as he could while standing in the middle of the relatively empty bullpen.

"If you're on patrol keep your eyes peeled for anyone who may have wandered away from the building as we're still looking for the suspect who planted the bomb. No one is above suspicion."

The attentive officers all responded in unison to their orders and set out toward the building to begin their new assignment en mass.

Ben approached Captain Fowler and gave his commanding officer a wary look as he lowered his voice. "The media is already reporting the bomb as a domestic terrorist attack." Nodding at one of the large televisions mounted on the wall just above the breakroom doorway Ben confirmed that the story was already on the news and gaining traction. "How do you want to handle this?"

"Keep all rumors just that: Rumors." His experience as a police Captain gave the patient man immeasurable wisdom. "We are not going to confirm or deny anything until we have any evidence."

"Right. I'll start damage control with the media and have my forensics team scheduled to work 'round the clock if necessary."

"Go do your thing, Ben. I trust you."

As Ben walked away from his commanding officer Captain Fowler pulled his phone from pocket and sent a text to Hank to ask about what happened but the message remained unread. Repeating the same message for Connor and then Gavin the police Captain was met with the same lack of response from all three detectives.

"Damn it."

Pocketing the unanswered phone Captain Fowler put his hands to his hips and stared down at the floor blankly. First the deviant Revolution, and now a possible terrorist attack all in the span of one week. That was almost too much for him to bear.

"What the fuck just happened to my city?"

As the smothering darkness swarming his vision steadily cleared and gave way to dim light attempting to break through the surrounding blackness, Hank coughed harshly and fought to breathe through the dusty, smokey air. Slowly he lifted his aching head up from the floor and struggled to look around the destroyed and now silent corridor. The explosion had sent Hank flying backward and he landed down hard on his back causing the muscles all along his spine to tremble from the impact. Judging from the severe, chronic ache in his head and the lingering metallic taste of blood in his mouth Hank knew had also been rendered unconscious by the blast, but he couldn't tell for how long.

A steady weight against his torso was indicative of heavy debris being knocked on top of him as the building's interior was torn to shreds. Lifting up his hand Hank pressed his palm over the material and felt it give slightly under his touch. He'd be able to push it aside and free himself as long as he was careful of his ever movement.

"...Shit."

Using his hand Hank pushed aside a large piece of drywall that was resting over his chest and down to his left hip as he slowly unburied himself as he laid alone on his back in the ruined corridor. Free of the pinning debris Hank coughed again and tried to breathe through the heavy air as best as he could. Rolling from his back onto his right hip he used his arms to push himself up from the ground as he gazed about the immediate area to take in the sight of the carnage, and to look for his two missing detectives.

The entire corridor was dark and smokey making it difficult for the human to see but not impossible. Wires hung down from the unstable ceiling and sparked randomly in white and blue colors, creating brief flashes of light in the darkness. Thick pipes jutted outward from gaping holes in the walls and dripped water or possibly leaked gas from being heavily damaged. The floor itself was littered with piles of debris that ranged in both height and depths depending on the material that had been collected in the mounds and their overall proximity to the explosion.

"...C-Connor?" Hank called out as loud as he could and coughed immediately afterward. Clearing his throat, he called out to colleagues and friends again. "Gavin? Can you hear me?"

"H-Hey!" From somewhere behind Hank he heard a large portion of the debris get shoved aside as Gavin stumbled forward and joined him in the middle of the wrecked corridor. Covered in dust and clearly pissed off Gavin reunited with his superior officer in the middle of the corridor. "Hank... Fuck! You hurt?"

"A few bruises." Hank admitted as he ignored the trail of blood running down the side of his face from a cut over his left eye. The taste of blood in his mouth was still prevalent but also went ignored. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Gavin looked as beaten up as Hank felt. Numerous small cuts marred his face, neck and hands, but he was fully lucid and able to move about on his own with little difficulty. "What the hell happened?"

"The damn bomb went off. We're luck to be alive."

"Holy shit!"

"Have you seen Connor?"

"Not yet. I was looking for a way to get down the stairs when I heard you callin' for us."

"Stay here." Remaining in charge Hank ordered the younger detective to stand back as he stood up slowly and set off clumsily over the debris on the floor in the opposite direction from where Gavin had arrived to look for his missing partner. Hank had a little more difficulty in moving than Gavin thanks to his sore back, but he was managing to traverse the obstacles on the floor just fine. "I'll check the other end of the hallway."

"Sorry, Hank. I'm not going to stand around doin' nothing, I'm going to look for a way outta' here."

Annoyed but not deterred Hank resumed his search for his missing deviant partner. Making very careful steps to ensure he didn't fall or disturb anything that could cause a second collapse Hank trudged through the corridor and checked every accessible area diligently before moving on to the next area.

"Connor?"

Hank continued to call out for the unseen deviant detective as he resumed his search.

"Connor? Where are you?"

As the senior detective ducked down under a low hanging support beam that had broken through the ceiling his eye caught sight of a distinct outline of a humanoid arm extended outward and motionless. The rest of the person's body had been concealed beneath a mound of broken drywall and dust. Considering the only people on that floor were Hank himself, Gavin and Connor, it took Hank only a heartbeat to figure out whose arm he was seeing.

"Shit... Connor?!"

Hank quickly fell to his knees, ignoring the painful protest of the aged joints as he knelt on the hard, dirty ground. Without any hesitation Hank began hefting aside the slabs of drywall, splintered wooden support beams, metal pipes and shards of broken glass as he desperately dug his partner's body out from under the smothering pile of debris. The sight of the deviant detective's uncovered chest did little to ease Hank's worried mind as Connor was unburied slowly and carefully.

"Connor? No..."

The wounded deviant detective was laying on his back with his head lolled to the side. Both of his arms were splayed outward at his sides and his legs were straight and pinned beneath a heavy chunk of the collapsed ceiling from above. A massive blue stain of Thirium bled over Connor's white dress shirt atop his chest and mostly over his abdomen. Additional blue blood ran from the corner of Connor's mouth and from his nose down his cheek, dripping down onto the floor beside his head in a growing sapphire puddle. There was a massive cut along Connor's cheek as well that oozed blue blood steadily as he laid motionless on the floor next to Hank.

"Connor? No, no, no. You're not going down like this!"

With a light touch Hank patted the side of Connor's cold face, but the deviant detective didn't respond. It didn't even look like Connor was breathing. Turning back toward the corridor where Gavin had been searching for their exit Hank called out to him over his left shoulder as loud as he could.

"Gavin! Get your ass over here! Connor's hurt!"

Bending his head down Hank pressed his ear to the center of Connor's chest and didn't budge until he heard the distinct heartbeat like thrum of Connor's Thirium pump in his chest still miraculously functioning. While Connor's heart was still beating the deviant wasn't breathing, and with that lack of ventilation his core temperature was steadily beginning to rise to a dangerous degree.

"No, kid. Come on... You have to wake up."

Uncovering Connor's arm entirely from beneath the pile Hank picked up the deviant's limp, cold hand and held it in his own as he called out his partner and friend's name yet again.

"Connor? Squeeze my hand!"

No response.

"Come on, Connor, I know you can hear me. Squeeze my hand. Just once! Squeeze my hand, son."

Still nothing.

Gavin rushed over the littered hallway as quickly as he could and stood behind Hank as he watched the senior detective rock back on his knees and proceed to try and push additional debris from atop Connor's torso. The massive Thirium stain spreading over Connor's chest and stomach made Gavin wince inwardly as he recognized the distinct blue tint as blood.

"Oh shit..." Staying back Gavin looked down at the prone body as Hank continued to unbury him. "Is he... dead?"

"No, he's still alive." Hank turned his head slightly to look directly at Gavin, revealing the smear of blue blood staining the side of his face and gray hair from where he had rested his ear to listen to Connor's chest. Gently Hank placed Connor's hand back down on the floor as he focused on the remaining debris to free his trapped partner. "He can't breathe. Help me move this junk off of him!"

"Breathe?" The idea of an android breathing was completely foreign to Gavin, even after he heard about android C.P.R. before. "What the fuck? Androids can breathe?"

Gavin did as he was told without protest to aid the downed deviant. Working alongside Hank the two men managed to lift up and a slide the heavy slab of dirty drywall aside and away from Connor's body effectively freeing him from the smothering debris. Without the weight pressing down against his torso Connor would be able to breathe on his own, but his body remained just as still as it had been since Hank initially found him.

"Connor?" Hank tried speaking to his partner again as he put his hand down lightly on Connor's bleeding abdomen. The lack of motion beneath his palm made Hank's own blood run ice cold. "Come on, son, breathe! You need to breathe." The previous damage to Connor's body was surely making his condition worse on an internal level, and Hank didn't know what to do for him. "Just one breath, that's all I ask."

Despite Hank's pleas Connor remained motionless.

Gavin saw the despair in Hank's eyes and quickly chimed in to keep the Lieutenant from giving up so quickly. "Hey, don't count him out just yet. He's survived way worse than some lunatic and a bomb! Keep trying, Hank."

"I don't know how to help him." The admission was like an actual gut punch that stole Hank's breath. "I can't help him. He's made that pretty damn clear in the past, and I was just too fuckin' stupid to listen."

"No way! You've helped him before, and you're not stupid." Seeing his mentor losing hope was something that left Gavin feeling suddenly lost. "Connor's stronger than anybody ever gave him enough credit for. You can't just give up on him after everything that he's done and everything you've been through."

"I'm not a technician, Gavin." Losing all drive to help Connor prompted Hank to reflect on his personal strengths and weaknesses as he tried to think of a solution to their strange problem. "And it's my fault that he's here. He's going to die because of me."

"Hank, I swear to whatever holy deity is watching this right now, that I will slap you up and down this corridor until my hand falls off if you just give up." Crouching down Gavin got eye level with Hank and tried to offer him the comforting advice that Hank had offered to him in the past. "Do you really want to tell Cole that Connor died today because you didn't even TRY to help him? Do you think you can live with yourself if you let Connor die because you couldn't figure out the immediate solution to this problem?"

"I think I'd have a harder time if I failed to find a way to get us out here. My son needs me to live, and as much as I hate to say it," Hank's gaze drifted down to Connor's face as nausea well up in his gut. "it might be better to just... let him go. We both have a better chance at-"

Gavin punched Hank hard in the shoulder and made the man fall back in return. "Fuck you! Of all the people I could be trapped in a bombed-out building with, I never would've pegged you as the selfish bastard who'd sacrifice his own partner just to up their own odds of rescue. Are you giving up because you can't think of a way to save Connor, or because you still see him as an android who's less important than us humans?"

Shamefully Hank didn't answer as he rubbed at his now sore shoulder.

"Hell of a way to try and make amends for what you did." Straightening up Gavin stepped away and put his hands to his hips as he looked down at Hank with marked disgust. "I can't believe I'm seeing this, Hank. I thought you were a better man than this."

Hank watched Gavin turn his back on him then returned his focus to Connor laying before him. It seemed Gavin's punch to his shoulder and scolding words were just the wake-up call he needed to at least try to keep Connor alive long enough for a technician to come to the scene. There was no reason for him to just quit because he didn't know what to do with helping androids, and there was no reason for him to not at the very least try to do the right thing.

"Connor?" Applying a light pressure to Connor's torso once Hank shook once and addressed the unresponsive deviant in a louder voice. Pushing down a little harder Hank hoped the pain or at least the motion would coax the Connor into resuming his ventilation functions to some degree. "Connor, breathe damn it! I need you to breathe! I need you to wake up and go home so Cole can see his best friend again."

Gavin looked back over his shoulder and watched Hank resume tending to the downed android's wounds. Deep down Gavin knew that Hank wouldn't have given up so easily, and he knew that sometimes even the strongest people need a helping hand every now and then.

"Connor! Come on, son! Breathe!"

A weak gasping sound escaped Connor's bloodied lips as he took in a shallow breath at long last. It was followed by another breath, then another as he slowly began to breathe at a steady but rapid and weakened rate. With the ventilation program now functioning Connor's risk of overheating dropped significantly.

"That's it..." Hank encouraged as he released his own breath; a breath he didn't even know he was holding. The weak motion under his palm managed to ease his fears but only in the slightest. "Good. That's good."

Falling into first-responder mode Hank pulled his now bloodied hand back as Connor started to breathe on his own - very rapidly and with great difficulty - but at least he was breathing again. With each shuddering, weak breath Connor took more Thirium began to ooze from beneath his bloodied shirt over his abdomen, only to pool onto the floor beneath his body in an ever growing cerulean puddle.

Gavin took another step back as the blossoming puddle of blood began to turn his stomach. "Oh, shit. That's a lot of blood."

"We have to stop the bleeding." With his instincts from emergency first aid training kicking into full gear Hank pulled open the buttons on Connor's ruined white dress shirt and already ruined gauze bandages to reveal the deviant's damaged abdomen beneath. "Ah, shit..."

"Man..." Gavin put his hand over his mouth as if he needed it to keep himself from screaming or getting sick at the gruesome sight. "How the fuck is he still alive? Told you he was strong!"

A gaping hole in the middle of Connor's abdomen exposed the numerous delicate biocomponents, leaking Thirium lines and damaged wires within. A massive collection of lost Thirium had collected in his abdomen and had been seeping out over the edges of the opening from his fractured plastimetal frame and torn artificial skin as his abdomen steadily filled with his own blood. Small blue sparks were visible as the exposed wires sent misdirected signals throughout the deviant's body and into nothingness.

Massive shards of metallic shrapnel from the bomb, as well as the surrounding room, had become embedded over Connor's body courtesy of the blast. Unfortunately, a majority of the carnage was seemingly focused primarily at Connor's torso where the deviant's vital biocomponents were placed. There was evidently a second explosion that had detonated in tandem with the first bomb that no one had noticed. The shockwave of the two explosions were waist high, as if sitting on a table or chair, and as it turned out Connor was just in the wrong place at the wrong time to receive blunt force trauma from the blast.

"Shit, he's bleeding internally." The senior detective realized with a sick grimace on his face as he paled in fear. "We need to do something, fast."

Slipping his heavy coat from over his arms Hank set it aside and unbuttoned his bright blue and orange shirt beneath it. Wiping the palms of his hands down over the untouched black t-shirt underneath the dressier shirt Hank was able remove some grime and debris that covered his hands to try to keep things as sanitary as possible. Taking a deep breath Hank hovered his hand over the massive opened wound and prepared to drop his fingers inside the bloodied body before him in an effort to save Connor from irreversible shutdown.

"Okay, kid..." Talking more to himself than to Connor as a means of steadying his hand Hank prepared to do what needed to be done. The idea of reaching into Connor's torso as his chest struggled to rise and fall with his desperate ventilation was unnerving to the normally unshakable detective. "I have to do this."

Reaching his hand into Connor's opened abdomen Hank felt for the pressure of leaking Thirium and used it to guide his hand toward the most severe damage. Using his fingers Hank located the main source of the bleeding and pinched it off tight with his index fingertip and thumb. As he applied steady pressure he felt the bleeding stem, but he wouldn't be able to hold the pressure with his just his fingers and continue to help Connor.

"Gavin, I need your help."

"What?" The very idea of going anywhere near the bloodied deviant detective was absolutely repugnant in his bigoted mind. "No way! I'm not a technician!"

"Neither am I, remember? Come here." Hank replied firmly as he used authority in his voice to make Gavin respond. "Wipe off your hands and get them as clean as possible. I just need you to slip off Connor's tie and hand it to me so I can tie off the bleed in his stomach."

"...Fine." Gavin kept hie eyes as far away from Connor's face as possible as he wiped his hands down over his shirt and bent down over the downed deviant to loosen the black tie from around Connor's neck. Once he had the dressy garment free Gavin handed it over to Hank. "Here."

"Now," The sly Lieutenant quickly grabbed Gavin's wrist and made him kneel down on the floor beside Connor. Forcing Gavin's hand down into Connor's abdomen he placed Gavin's fingers where his own hand had holding off the leak for the past few seconds. "just apply pressure."

"Ah, man, this is so nasty!" Caught off guard Gavin moaned as he closed his eyes tightly and tried not to think about the fact that his hand was inside Connor's bloodied body. The warmth and consistency of the Thirium felt exactly like human blood, and the feeling of Connor's weak breaths as well as the rhythm of the deviant's thrumming heart so close to Gavin's hand felt so eerily... human. "Sick! How could Abby want to deal with this as an actual career?"

Not in the mood for the unprofessional reaction Hank used Connor's tie to absorb as much of the leaking blue blood in Connor's abdomen as he could, before wrapping the tie itself around the leak just under Gavin's fingers. Using the strong fabric of the garment Hank was able to use it to tie off the damaged line - specifically Connor's right ascending Thirial line - and keep Connor from bleeding any further.

"Okay, let go now."

Absolutely disgusted Gavin pulled his hand back from the blue blood like he was trying to avoid a snapping bear trap. Keeping silent Gavin shook off his hand briefly and opened his eyes as he wiped off the Thirium on his dusty leather jacket, and watched as Hank expertly used the tie to stem the leaking line in Connor's abdomen. Hank wisely used the remaining slack at the ends of the tie to pack off the surrounding damaged bleeding biocomponents as well.

"That should hold for a while..." Carefully Hank retracted his blue stained hands from inside Connor's torso and sighed as a majority of the bleeding mercifully stopped. "That should be able to bide him some time while we wait for help."

"How the hell did you know what do?" Impressed by Hank's resourcefulness Gavin kept his distance and tried to ignore the egregious amount of blue blood all over Connor and the floor at his feet. "What the fuck?"

Hank gave Gavin a blank stare as he answered curtly from where he knelt. "Because I've experienced this kind of shit before. You never forget something like this." Motioning to the stairwell behind him with a thumb over his right shoulder Hank issued his next order as he began tearing swatches of fabric from his blue and orange dress shirt to use as additional bandages in Connor's abdomen. "Go back over to the stairs and find something to make some noise with. Let search and rescue know where we are."

"Yeah... Okay."

Attentively Hank packed the added fabric from his shirt into Connor's abdomen to try cover as many of the visible injuries to his partner's biocomponents as possible. The sight of Connor's chest and abdomen rising and falling frantically was a conflicted experience. The motion meant Connor was still alive, but it also meant he was in great physical distress that his system was struggling to overcome.

Maybe Connor was also in pain.

"Just hang on for us, kid."

Picking up his heavier coat from the floor Hank turned away to shake the dust off the garment and then draped it protectively over Connor's broken body to shield his opened wounds from as much airborne debris as possible. Hank sat cross-legged on the floor near Connor's shoulders as he put his right hand beneath Connor's head and lifted the unconscious deviant upward slightly, just enough to let Connor rest against Hank's right knee.

"I'm here with you. It'll be okay, son."

The sound of Gavin shouting for help in the distance as he began banging a piece of debris, most likely a chunk of metal pipe, against the walls to try and make as much noise as possible to help the rescue team locate them echoed through the dim and damaged corridor loudly. Rhythmic banging accompanied with loud, demanding shouts created an obnoxious commotion that was sure to drawn in any searching personnel to their location.

"Help's coming. Hang on for me. Please, just hold on."

Hank stated calmly as he pressed his palm over Connor's forehead and absentmindedly ran his fingers through Connor's dark hair. With his free hand he picked up Connor's limp, cold hand again as he spoke to the deviant in a composed tone.

"Come on, squeeze my hand. I know you can do it."

Despite the request Connor's hand remained motionless in Hank's grip as the unconscious deviant failed to respond to anything beyond the errors and emergency stasis mode he had entered upon being damaged.

"Shit... Just hold on a little while longer, okay? We'll get you some help."

Determined to save his friend's life Hank stayed beside Connor for the countless minutes that ticked into hours as Gavin continued to call out for help and make as much noise as he possibly could to draw the search party closer, quicker. The blank, peaceful expression on Connor's face reminded Hank of the way Cole would sleep and found the thought to be comforting. It was actually one of the many ways Connor reminded Hank of Cole in the best way possible.

Gavin pounded on the walls with his fist and the metal pipe as he continued to shout to the point where he was beginning to go hoarse from vocal strain. "Hey, hey! Come on! We're right in here!" Banging as hard as he could on the walls the young detective was determined to get out of that building alive. "HEY! IN HERE! RIGHT HERE! Come on already...""

Intense flashlight beams suddenly shone through the gaps between the large chunks of debris that blocked the doorway to the stairwell and illuminated Gavin's dirty, bloody face in a white beam of light. Two male firefighters had finally located the three officers and were preparing for emergency extraction.

"Hello?" A commanding voice called out to Gavin through the gap in the doorway. "Detroit fire department. How many are in your party?"

"Finally..." Gavin sighed as he tossed the metal pipe aside onto the floor at his feet. "Hey, get us out of here! There's three of us in here!"

One of the two firefighters continued to address Gavin in an authoritative tone while the second firefighter radioed for help to the correct floor. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Uh..." Gavin was at a rare loss for words since it meant regarding Connor as a person. "I'm okay, but my Lieutenant took a blow to the head and his android partner is damaged."

The second firefighter got on his radio again to request assistance to the floor, specifically for any available paramedic and technician to join them at the scene of the rescue. Fortunately, technicians were quickly hired on to work alongside the firefighters and E.M.T.'s that same morning Connor was allowed to return to work as a detective.

"All right, get back." The firefighter responded to ensure no one was too close to the doorway. "We're comin' in."

As the first firefighter raised his axe to swing against the debris blocking the stairwell Gavin wisely stepped back and rejoined Hank who was watching over Connor like a hawk. It was a good sign that the Lieutenant hadn't given up on Connor just yet.

"They'll get us out of here in a few minutes." Sitting down on a large pile of rubble next to Hank the younger detective couldn't help but feel bad for Connor, who was still laying motionless in a puddle of his own blood on the filthy floor. "How's he doing?"

"Still alive." Hank stated firmly without looking away from Connor's blank face. "That's all that matters right now."

"Right." Gavin didn't know what else to say as he heard the firefighters clearing the doorway with their sharp axes just a few yards away. Instead, he folded his hands together over his lap as he stared at the weeping cut above Hank's left eye with mild concern. "How's your head?"

"Killing me. Same with my shoulder." Using the same shoulder Hank awkwardly shrugged away the blood from his face as he spoke. "How about you?"

"Landed on my back against something hard." Reaching his palm to his lower back Gavin felt the tender spot from where he landed. "Definitely going to have a bruise tomorrow, that's for sure."

"Yeah, same."

The blockage over the stairwell access door had been removed by the responding firefighters who aimed their flashlights at the trio gathered in the ruins of the corridor. Spying the large slab of debris that was pinning Connor's legs to the ground the two firefighters swiftly worked together to lift up and set aside the heavy weight, freeing the trapped deviant detective's lower extremities at last.

"You two," the first firefighter addressed both Gavin and Hank with a firm tone. "can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go." Gavin admitted almost excitedly knowing he was able to escape. "Show me the way out."

Hank shook his head slowly as he chose to stay back and stay with Connor. "I'm not going anywhere until my partner is safe."

The firefighter didn't like that response and tried to reason with Hank. "Sir, we have to-"

"Forget it!" Hank refused to budge as he kept his eyes on Connor's face. "I'll leave when he does."

"Okay, fine. I don't have time to argue."

Grabbing Gavin's bicep the first firefighter escorted the more cooperative detective out of the corridor and through the stairwell to safety, while the second firefighter stayed with Hank and Connor. Kneeling down beside the bleeding deviant the second firefighter ran his gloved hands down Connor's legs to feel for any breaks or damage as he would with any human victim.

"Nothing broken." The attentive firefighter drew back his hands and saw that there was some Thirium staining his hands from the numerous cuts that lined all of Connor's lower body and back up to his abdomen. "But he does have numerous lacerations."

"It's not his legs you have to worry about." Hank reluctantly let go of Connor's hand, gently placing it back down on the floor, before peeling back the fabric of his coat to show the firefighter the massive abdominal trauma that Connor had suffered. "I stopped the bleeding, but he's already lost a lot of Thirium."

"Damn it..." Grabbing his radio the firefighter requested a gurney be brought up to carry Connor out and to have the responding technicians meet them up on the designated floor. Carefully, he leaned over the wounds and checked Hank's handy work without disturbing the injuries in the process. Putting his hand down on the center of Connor's chest he shook his head incredulously at the sight of Connor's rapid, shallow breaths and still beating heart. "How in the hell is this guy even still alive?"

"He's stubborn." Without missing a beat Hank answered as he again picked up the deviant's hand hoping to feel Connor finally squeeze back. "I know you're not a technician, but level with me 'cop-to-firefighter', what do you think his chances are?"

"Honestly, I wish I could tell you. I've never seen an android so... broken... like this, and still alive." He then noticed that Connor's chest was still rising and falling in steadily in a notable rhythm. "I'd give his odds... one in five."

Never doubting Connor's resolve for a moment Hank decided those odds were better than anything else. "I'll take that bet."

Two additional rescue personnel, each carrying emergency satchels slung over their shoulders, entered the decimated corridor with a gurney and backboard in tow. One was a paramedic to tend to Hank and the other was a familiar technician who'd work on Connor until it was time to move.

"Here." The firefighter stepped back and prepared the gurney for transport while the paramedic and technician set about their work. "The android's in rough shape, I don't want to risk moving him until he's been stabilized."

The paramedic, a younger man with blond hair and brown eyes, knelt beside Hank and began checking his pupils for any sign of severe head trauma, while also wrapping his fingers around Hank's wrist to check his pulse. "Pupils are sluggish, but equal and reactive to light." The paramedic, his name tag indicated his name was 'Johnny', announced confidently as he assessed Hank's condition easily. "Strong pulse, tachycardic at one-hundred and forty. What's your name, Sir?"

"Hank." The senior detective replied as he pointed to Connor beside him. "And he's Connor."

The technician, Abby herself, reached into her satchel and pulled out a massive white bandage wrapped in protective plastic to use in Connor's aid. Ripping the plastic bag open she unfolded the bandage to double its size before she placed it down over Connor's abdomen, then used strong medical adhesive to secure the bandage in place over his artificial skin.

"Abby!" Hank was beyond relieved to see her face in the middle of the bleak chaos around him. "Man, am I happy to see you here."

"Hey, Hank." Hovering over her patient Abby sighed and did her best to remain objective despite knowing the deviant personally and considering him to be a friend despite their limited past interactions. "I'll take care of Connor, you cooperate with the nice firefighters."

"Whatever it takes for us all to get outta' here alive..."

Gently Abby then put her hand down on Connor's chest to count his rapid heartbeat. "Thirium pump is still functioning," she announced in a steady tone. "but his Thirium volume is dangerously low. He doesn't have the strength to activate his self-healing program on his own."

The firefighter observed the scene carefully before asking the next crucial question. "The fire above us is starting make its way down lower, can the android be moved?"

"Yes." Abby confirmed without hesitation to her soft voice. "But he needs to be lifted carefully otherwise it'll exasperate his internal trauma."

"Right, no problem." Clearing a spot on the floor the firefighter set down the backboard before moving over to Connor's legs to help slip Connor onto the supportive surface. "Lift on the count of three."

Hank nodded as slipped his arms under Connor's shoulders and Johnny put his arms beneath Connor's back for additional support.

"One," the firefighter counted down rhythmically. "two, three!"

Working in unison the three humans managed to lift Connor up from the floor just high enough to place him down against the firm support of the backboard without jostling him. Once in place Abby slipped the security straps attached to the board around Connor's legs, chest and shoulders as she was unwilling to put any unnecessary pressure over his damaged abdomen.

"Okay." Wisely Abby checked the straps one last time before she moved away to give the others some space to work. "He can be put on the gurney for transport. Move slow."

Hank watched as the firefighter and Johnny lifted the backboard at both ends and placed Connor down onto the gurney to be transported out of the building through the dirty and awkward stairwell. Connor's head lolled limply to the left as he was moved didn't react to the motion on a conscious level.

Abby pulled her own radio from her satchel and made a report to her facility ahead of time. "The Zeta Facility is expecting Connor and will have everything set up before we arrive. It's not fully operational yet, but it'll be able to help him out, Hank."

"Almost there, kid." Hank reassured quietly as tucked his dropped coat under his arm and stood beside the gurney. The senior detective was watching intently as the firefighter and the paramedic secured the additional straps on the gurney to keep Connor completely stable as he was taken from the destroyed building and out to safety. "Just hang on a little longer, okay? I'm here with you, son."

All of the trapped personnel within the bombed building had been accounted for and the evacuation was coming to an end. Rumors of the bombing were being contained in some capacity as those who had actually been at the scene and witnessed the explosion were able to confirm that no deviants had been seen in the area prior to or after the bomb's detonation. The only people who were in the immediate area were the human employees who worked inside the building or the human firefighters, cops and other first-responders containing the evacuation. By keeping people calm and stopping misinformed rumors before they started was the most logical way to prevent unnecessary retaliation and rioting.

Freed from the destroyed building Gavin was outside in the snowy air and sitting down on the bumper of the ambulance patiently allowing a second paramedic to clean the numerous and painful cuts that marred his face, his neck and both of his hands. An oxygen mask was over his face to ensure he was able to clear the dust and smoke from his lungs to prevent a nasty lung infection from settling in. As his hand was being wrapped up in a protective layer gauze to keep the swollen cuts in his palm and over his knuckle from getting an infection, he glanced to the front doors of the building waiting for any sign of Hank or Connor to reappear.

"Any word on the guys still inside?"

"Nothing yet." The red-headed paramedic sympathized as she pressed the gauze around Gavin's right hand carefully. Her name tag said 'Mary' and her bright green eyes remained alert as she spoke to her reluctant patient. "I'll keep you posted if I hear anything."

"Same for Abby. She's my girlfriend, and-"

"I promise I'll keep you apprised of everything happening. Just sit still and catch your breath."

"Yeah. Thanks..."

"Gavin." Captain Fowler spotted the injured detective being treated at the back of the ambulance and approached him with a hasty gait. The composed Captain's dark eyes were filled with worry and restrained fear. "You okay?"

"A few bruises and cuts, nothing major, Cap'."

"What about Hank and Connor?"

"They were still inside when I was being taken out." Telling his commanding officer everything he could Gavin shuddered a little from the cold air while trying to unnecessarily maintain a straight face. He couldn't help but worry about his friends and his girlfriend being inside the unstable building. "Hank's a little banged up but Connor... he's in bad shape."

"Where were you exactly when the bomb exploded?"

"Three floors down from the bomb itself, ninth floor. Do we know what set it off, yet?"

"Definitely a remote trigger. We're looking for the suspect now."

"We didn't see any deviants inside the building as we cleared it out. Did..." Glancing about the area as the other first responders tended to the people caught up in the blast Gavin waited to see if there was any sign of confirmed casualties. "Did anyone else get trapped inside?"

"Fortunately, no." The confirmation was only a modicum of comfort in the tense moment. "You three were the last ones inside the building."

"Guess that's something to be proud of. Last ones out and all..."

The gurney carrying Connor was wheeled through the front doors of the barricaded building with Hank at his side and the firefighter, paramedic and Abby all working together to get the injured deviant detective to safety. Connor was still unconscious and in the faint afternoon light being obstructed by the snow clouds overhead the damage he sustained look even worse.

"Shit... You weren't kidding." Captain Fowler could see even from a distance that Connor was in critical condition and that Hank wasn't looking much better thanks to the dirt and blue blood all over his clothing. "Gavin, you and Hank are going to go the hospital to get checked over. I'll meet you there in an hour or so to make sure you're both cleared for active duty."

"Right, Cap'."

Captain Fowler walked over to the second ambulance that was set to take Connor to nearest Android Emergency Care Facility - The Zeta Facility on Tenth Street. Moving quickly Captain Fowler headed Hank off before he could stubbornly try to hop in the back alongside Connor. "Hank, come on. You need to get checked out at the hospital."

"Jeffrey, I'm not leaving-"

"For now, you are." Stern in his orders Captain Fowler wanted his Lieutenant to be taken care of before anything else happen. Not a man without mercy the seasoned Captain made a simple agreement with Hank to ensure he didn't push himself too hard or ignore a possibly fatal injury. "Just get cleared at the hospital and then you can check in with Connor and head home to Cole. You're both dismissed for the rest of the day with full pay."

Before Hank could protest Johnny put his arm out across Hank's chest to keep him from climbing into the back of ambulance after Abby climbed into the back to take care of Connor during transport. "Relax, Lieutenant. Abby is the best technician I've ever worked with." Johnny reassured Hank in a sincere tone of voice. "Your partner's in the absolute best hands."

"That I already know, but it doesn't matter." Hank tried again to climb into the back of the ambulance even as Captain Fowler and Johnny pulled him away from the emergency vehicle. "Connor's my partner, and I'm going to go with him."

Captain Fowler and Johnny forced Hank to step back as the doors of the ambulance were slammed shut in front of the senior detective. Unable to see through the back windows to where Connor laying unconscious on the gurney Hank begrudgingly watched the ambulance speed off down the street with his still unconscious and dying partner in tow.

"Come on, Hank." Captain Fowler insisted patiently with true compassion in his voice. Slowly but surely he and Johnny managed to coax Hank over to the first ambulance where Gavin was still sitting to receive addition treatment and eventual transport to the hospital. "I want to know what the fuck happened in there before all Hell broke loose."

"Yeah, sure..." Hank bitterly walked over to the ambulance to be examined as he answered Captain Fowler's questions about the bomb. "Not a problem."

Inside the back of the speeding ambulance Connor remained completely unconscious throughout the transport to the facility. The swaying of the vehicle racing down the snowy streets and the loud screeching sirens weren't strong enough to pull the unconscious deviant back into the waking world. Extensive damage to his internal biocomponents, leaking Thirium lines, severed electrical lines, fractured plastimetal frame and torn artificial skin prompted Connor's self-healing program to function at maximum capacity despite his low Thirium volume. The low volume and low power levels, all courtesy of Thirium loss and internal trauma, were making the ordeal all the more complicated.

While Abby worked to replenish his dangerously depleted Thirium volume she reported on his condition to the facility via radio, informing the other technicians awaiting their arrival of the extensive, critical damage Connor had sustained during the explosion. It was when she was on the radio Connor's back suddenly arched as he began to cough and choke on blue blood collecting in the back of his throat.

"No, no, no... Don't do that."

Abby reacted quickly and pulled a small suction pump from the storage compartment to her side and placed the pump in Connor's mouth to drain and remove the excess Thirium to keep him from choking. The skilled technician had to move swiftly before the blue blood collected in his ventilation biocomponents and caused them to fail on him entirely.

"You're not dying in the back of my ambulance after surviving a bomb explosion! No way."

As Abby drained away the blood Connor steadily relaxed and he began to breathe slightly easier without the obstruction in his throat.

"Come on, now."

Placing a small pillow under Connor's head and neck Abby lifted him up enough to keep the blood from collecting in the back of his throat a second time.

"Hank seemed really worried about you. I can't imagine what Cole would think right now about now..."

Abby spoke to Connor in a very compassionate voice as she finished unbuttoning Connor's filthy dress shirt and removing the older bandages before she used her 'audioscope' - the android equivalent to a stethoscope - to listen to his battered chest carefully. The deviant's Thirium pump was still beating but it was struggling, and his ventilation biocomponents were working on minimal power.

Securing two wireless leads to Connor's bare chest Abby turned on the synced Thirial activity monitor and watched Connor's Thirium pump rate, ventilation rate, Thirium pressure, power level and core temperature all being displayed with red tinted digits. Connor's vital signs were either too high or too low, and all of the numbers needed to be balanced before Connor would be able to reboot his systems.

"Don't disappoint them by giving up on us now, Connor."

As she worked to stabilize the deviant detective in her care Abby worried that her friends would end up emotionally destroyed if he didn't pull through.

"I get the feeling your family really needs you in their lives for a little while longer."

Understandably frustrated, annoyed and in pain Hank angrily batted away the nurse's hand as she tried to adjust the bandage over the freshly stitched cut just above his left eye. Through the haze of his mild concussion, a wound he had either made a conscious effort to ignore or simply never noticed, Hank had already given his account of the events that had taken place to his Captain - events that Gavin corroborated himself - and was now waiting to be discharged from the hospital so he could go check on Connor a few blocks away. The last thing Hank wanted was to remain a patient and be treated with kid gloves by a medical staff wanting to give a detective special treatment.

Fidgeting where he sat on the treatment table in the private exam room Hank fished his phone over his pocket to check and see if Captain Fowler had sent him an update on Connor. The phone's screen was still blank despite Hank's highest hopes seeking some kind of update. Wisely, he sent Cole a text to let him know what was happening and that both he and Connor were going to be all right to keep his young son from worrying about the situation downtown.

"I'm fine." Grumbling again Hank put his phone back into his dusty coat pocket and pushed the nurse's hands away again. "Stop fussing over me."

The nurse gave him a sympathetic glance as she pulled her hands back and decided to let him alone. "Okay, call if you need anything, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Needing to see his Lieutenant in person Captain Fowler entered the room as the nurse left and folded his arms over his chest as he stared at his reputedly stubborn friend with righteous irritation of his own. "At least that nurse didn't run out of the room screaming. Nice to see you aren't taking out your frustration on nurses."

"They got enough shit to deal with." Hank replied as he gingerly touched the bandage over his stitched up wound. "Is there any word on Connor?"

"Yeah, I contacted Abby at the facility that's taking care of him. She had to replace a few non-vital biocomponents and repair his thermal regulator that had been destroyed by the bomb, and then give him almost four pints of Thirium. He's going to be okay." The confirmation was somehow not as comforting as the man had intended it to be. "The technicians also collected fragments of the bomb from his body for Ben's team at the lab to analyze."

"Jeffrey, I can see it in your eyes." Despite the concussion Hank was still as sharp as ever and knew when his friend was keeping something important from him. "What aren't you telling me? Just give me the straight, honest truth."

Captain Fowler took in a deep breath and gave Hank the respect of telling him the truth as requested. "During transport to the facility Connor started to choke on Thirium, which meant he started to bleed again. BUT," he held up a silencing hand to keep Hank from shouting anger or rushing out of the room. "it was handled long before he got to the facility, and he didn't suffer any further complications."

"He was still bleeding internally?" Feeling like he didn't do a good enough job to protect his partner Hank blamed himself for the minor setback during the drive to the facility. Despite his best efforts it still didn't seem to matter. "Fuck."

"Easy, he's in good hands. You already know that."

"Jeffrey, just as the bomb went off Connor was saying something about the deviant, but I have no idea what he saw." Rather despondent and feeling almost useless Hank just let out a weary sigh as he stared at his commanding officer and old friend with utter fatigue glazing over his blue irises. "If Connor's in that bad of shape, then we may never know what he did see today."

"Hey, don't think like that."

"How can I not?" The images of Connor's damaged and bloody body would forever be burned into his memories. "His entire torso was blown apart and gushing blood with every damn beat of his heart."

"Look, the doctor said you're good to go." As he spoke Captain Fowler gave Hank a somewhat stern glance as if to say 'don't do anything stupid' as he spoke to the dedicated Lieutenant in a steady tone. "So go stay with Connor at the facility and we'll piece everything together at the precinct, and we'll make sure Cole is okay. You'll see it for yourself that Connor's still alive and that he'll be okay. Call me when he wakes up."

Sliding off the exam table Hank felt the muscles in his back tense up as the deep, purple colored bruise was beginning to form. "Yeah, sure."

"I'll hail a cab for you." Walking with Hank toward the entryway of the hospital Captain Fowler stood as a witness to let Hank sign the paperwork to discharge himself from the hospital and go about his business elsewhere. "I don't want you driving with a concussion. I'll be sure to have your car taken back to your house for you."

It didn't take long for the leaders of Jericho to learn of Connor's condition or to gather at the Zeta Facility to watch over their downed friend. The four worried deviants were determined to stay with their ally until they knew for certain that he'd recover and regain consciousness. Word of the bombing downtown had put everyone on alert and worried the four still standing representatives of Jericho. They weren't sure who had planted the bomb, let alone why they even created and detonated the bomb. With Connor unconscious and unable to report what he had discovered while investigating the building and the now destroyed bomb, all the deviant leaders could do was wait and hope for their answers to arrive before anyone took to the streets in violent retaliation due to the rumor of a deviant being responsible for the carnage downtown.

Slowly recovering and helpless to the world around him Connor was laying shirtless, completely unresponsive and motionless in the soft bed in the Zeta Facility's recovery wing as his friends all hovered close by. A tube of blue blood had been inserted down his throat to replenish his depleted Thirium volume to a stable level, a nasal canula was under his nose to keep cool, fresh air circulating throughout his ventilation biocomponents and the wireless leads were still in place on the deviant's exposed chest. The Thirial activity monitor was keeping track of the rate of his heart, and other vital signs, as his Thirium pump continued to thrum rapidly to compensate for his low Thirium pressure.

In that moment Connor was still suffering from the effects of the android equivalent hypovolemia known as 'insipid shock'. Only when his volume was brought up to seventy-five percent would Connor's system be able to reboot in low power mode.

While the damage to his biocomponents had been repaired, some of the non-vital biocomponents replaced entirely, the artificial skin covering his abdomen had yet to regenerate over the exposed and repaired white plastimetal frame due to the strain of his self-healing program attempting to repair the residual damage to his internal systems. Additional gauze wrapping was placed over his otherwise exposed abdomen to keep foreign matter from entering his plastimetal frame or damaged Thirium lines until his artificial skin could finally regenerate properly.

"He's so weak." North lamented as she lightly ran her fingers through Connor's messy hair. The smell of charred wood and explosive powder was clinging to his body despite his entire form being sterilized during his repair procedure. "Could this happen? He was supposed to return as a detective to protect this entire city, not die because of someone being a destructive idiot."

"We still don't know." Markus admitted as he stood beside the recovery bed and scanned his friend's body. Seeing the old scars from being shot next to the fresh damage from being caught in the explosion only made Markus's heart ache more as he waited for his friend to awaken. "That's something only Connor can tell us."

Looking at Markus for a moment North gave him a terse stare as she tried to wrap her head around everything that had happened. "Who would do something like this? It's so senseless."

"Someone who wanted to cause chaos." The answer was as simple as it was cryptic. "That's all we know for now."

Josh was about to comment on the situation when a cybernetic message Lucy entered his mind. "The deviants at Jericho are fearing retaliation. Lucy wants one of us to go back to Jericho to keep things calm."

Simon quickly volunteered for the task and gave Connor's shoulder a small pat before stepping away. "I'll go. I have more experience with handling panicked deviants than anyone here."

"Thank you, Simon." Markus gave Simon a gracious nod as the blond technician prepared to return to Jericho. "Be mindful of your surroundings and be sure to update us on the situation."

"You have my word."

The door to the recovery room slid open as Simon took his leave of the facility and soon another familiar face set foot inside to check on Connor. At long last Hank was shown into the recovery wing by the facility's receptionist - one of the 'Jerry' models named 'Barry' - and was reunited with Connor. Leaning down over the bed where his downed partner was laying Hank spoke to the deviant detective kindly as if Connor was in fact conscious and alert without paying any mind to the three other deviants watching over him.

"I knew you'd pull through, kid." Hank whispered as he took in Connor's battered form with tired, sympathetic eyes. "But we still need to know what happened back at the building."

Markus spoke up first as he saw the way North tensed up at Hank's presence. "Can you tell us what happened, Lieutenant?"

"Not yet. But I will." Carefully Hank picked up Connor's hand from the bed and held it firmly in his grip just as he had done at the scene of the explosion. "You saw something before the bomb detonated, I know you did. What was it, son? Can you tell me what you saw?"

Despite his repairs and Hank's voice calling out to him Connor was still quiet and completely unconscious.

"You were about to say something about the deviant, what was it?"

No response.

"Okay, I can wait for you to tell me what you saw, but I can't wait to know if you can hear me."

Squeezing Connor's hand lightly Hank raised his voice as he spoke to his unconscious partner in a comforting tone while Markus, North and Josh all looked on.

"Squeeze my hand."

Once more Connor's hand remained limp in Hank's grasp.

"Connor, come on. I know you can hear me. Squeeze my hand. Please," keeping his tone gentle Hank called out to the deviant and tried to get Connor to finally acknowledge his presence. "I need you to do this, son. Just squeeze my hand."

As Connor's hand refused to budge Hank was about ready to give up and let Connor be alone to rest, but a weak pressure around Hank's palm caught his attention. It wasn't much, but it was a reaction just as Hank had asked for.

"There you are, I knew you could hear me!" Hank tightened his grip around Connor's hand put his free palm against Connor's forehead gingerly just as North pulled her own hand back. "I need you to squeeze my hand again and open your eyes. Please kid."

Steadily Connor's glassy brown irises appeared between partially opened, heavy eyelids and stared blankly at the ceiling above him. Blinking slowly Connor's body suddenly tensed up from the gnawing pain in his abdomen and he tried to move as if he could get away from it.

"Hey, hold still, you're hurt. Just look at me and try not to move." Hank urged as he moved his thumb gently through Connor's hair; the rogue lock that always hung over Connor's left eye refused to be brushed back for more than two seconds at a time. The small direct contact and gentle voice was enough to get Connor to calm down and lay still again. "That's it. Focus on me. You're safe with me, Markus, North and Josh. You're going to be okay."

Connor blinked again as his brown eyes slowly cleared and drifted over to Hank's face and stayed focused on his friend.

"I know you can't talk because of the tube going down your throat," Hank stated with an empathetic lilt to his voice as he kept Connor's focus on himself and off his current pain. "but I need to know what happened before the bomb went off. Do you remember what you saw just before the explosion? Blink if you can remember. Once for 'yes', and don't blink at all for 'no'."

Connor's eyes moved from left to right a little before focusing back on Hank's face. Blinking once to acknowledge a 'yes' his eyes remained fixed where they were as he searched Hank's face needing some answers of his own.

"Good. You said something about a deviant just before the explosion. Did you actually see the deviant in the room?"

Connor didn't blink, instead he looked up at Markus and tried to set up a cybernetic link with his friend. The attempt at communication was readily reciprocated as Markus put his hand down on Connor's shoulder.

"Let me help." Markus understood what Connor wanted and lightly pressed his fingertips to his friend's right temple. Closing his eyes Markus received all of the information that Connor wanted to share and relayed it over to Hank. "Lieutenant, he saw everything."

"Good." Pulling his little notebook from the breast pocket of his dirty shirt Hank prepared to write everything down for official filing. "What happened?"

"Connor saw the person who had created and subsequently detonated the bomb, but they were NOT a deviant."

"The suspect is a human?"

"They are."

"Dead?"

"Unknown."

"Well, I guess we have a manhunt on our hands." Writing everything down Hank patiently waited for Markus to tell him the details that Connor couldn't actively verbalize. "Why did the tip say that there was a deviant on the premises if our suspect is- WAS a human?"

"The bomber was DRESSED as a deviant." Markus explained as Connor looked to Hank again and gave him a weak nod to confirm that nothing had been misunderstood of misinterpreted by mistake. "They disguised themselves as an android by taking one of the staff uniforms from the building's custodial closet, then they called the police themselves to falsely report a dangerous deviant android in the area."

"Shit. I knew that neighborhood hated androids, but to think they'd make a bomb and blow up a building just to frame one..." Hank squeezed Connor's hand again in distressed aggravation as he finished writing his notes. "If there was another person in the building then why didn't the firefighters find a body?"

Connor tried to speak but he only choked on the tube inserted down his throat, effectively silencing his words. His free hand reached up toward his throat and then his mouth as if he were going to try to remove it.

"Whoa, whoa, don't do that." Lightly Hank took his hand from Connor's hair and rested it on the deviant's chest. "It's okay, we'll figure this out. The technicians removed bomb fragments from your body, and they were sent to the lab at the precinct for analysis, will that help anything?"

Connor stopped fussing with the tube and blinked 'yes' upon hearing the question.

"Good. What should we look for?"

Markus continued on to speak on Connor's behalf. Theremaining details were enough to make the already nauseated man feel even worse about the entire situation.

"Great... Just great. I'll call Fowler and let him know what you uncovered, Connor. Just rest a little longer, okay? Then I'll see if I can take ya' back to the house to rest in private."

Connor blinked 'yes' and then let his eyes shut slowly to fall into his much needed rest mode to continue to heal.

"Good work, son. Markus," looking at the kind deviant leader again Hank asked for a simple request. "I know you guys have your own responsibilities to tend to right now, but can one of you stay with Connor while I'm at the precinct? I don't want him to be alone."

"Of course." There was no need to ask since he and the others had gone to the facility for moral support from the very beginning. "You take care of the investigation at the precinct, and we'll take care of Connor. We'll wait for the police to inform the media of what's happened before we say anything on behalf of the deviants."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

Patting Connor's arm in approval Hank quietly took his leave of the recovery room to allow Connor to rest.

"You did damn good today, son."

Hank knew how close he had come to losing Connor that day, and it made him realize how much he truly cared about the deviant. It was as if he was finally able to see the person in Connor that Cole had seen all along.

"If you didn't make it, I don't think I would've been able to handle this case on my own. I would've retired early and spent the rest of my days with my son knowing I'd never have to fear losing a partner and friend in the line of duty ever again."

The Central Precinct was abuzz with energy as the confirmation of the bombing being an act of human ignorance and sabotage spread through the city like wildfire. It was imperative for the detectives to keep the peace in the city and to act as unbiased mediators between the humans and the androids. To know that the deviants were keeping to their promise of a peaceful coexistence alongside the rest of the city helped to settle things back down and quell any worries of a potential civil war looming overhead yet again. Maintaining a sense of calm, control and overall empathy was crucial to helping the entire city move forward together and toward a more prosperous future.

Fidgeting with his bandaged hand Gavin paced about the rear parking lot of the precinct as he spoke with Abby over the phone. He needed to know that Abby was okay, and that Connor was going to recover as well. Despite his previous misgivings toward androids Gavin had to admit that he had actually grown to care about Connor and saw him as a living being in his own right.

"Great to hear." Gavin breathed a sigh of relief and stopped pacing at long last. "How are you holding up?"

'I'm fine.' Abby confirmed over the line as she too took in a deep breath. 'Didn't think my first case as a technician would be taking care of a friend, but I guess that's the risk we run as first-responders.'

"Yeah, tell me about it. When you're ready to clock-out let me know. I'll cook you dinner tonight."

'Can't we just order out?'

"Hey... My cooking isn't THAT bad!" Pausing for a moment Gavin wondered about his culinary skills and sought confirmation from his girlfriend. "...Is it?"

'Let me put it this way. There's a reason why your fridge is filled exclusively with full containers of leftovers.'

"All right, okay. I'll stop by the bar and bring back some fully loaded nachos and burgers topped with everything."

'Now you have my attention! See you tonight around seven, I love you.'

"I love you too. And nachos. I will always love nachos first and foremost."

'You know, I'm not at all offended at taking second place to nachos. Now, if you were to put me behind your own cooking, then we'd have some words...'

"Know what? You just surpassed the nachos. See you in a few hours, babe. Love you."

'See you later!'

Pocketing his phone Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his bandaged hand. He seemingly realized how close he too had come to facing death and now wanted to get his priorities sorted out. Focusing on his current relationship was going to be his main focus, but he had a few other past issues that he wanted to work through and make peace with in order to really move forward with his life and his own future. He knew he had already done right by standing up for Connor and his right to deserve a chance at living, and he wasn't going to stop any time soon.

"After I know that Abby is taken care of, I'll go and talk things out with everyone else. No one will be forgotten, and I'm not going to live with regret in my mind or my heart any longer. The rest of the world is already changing, so why should I change along with it?"

The Zeta Facility was quiet as the lone patient rested well in the main recovery room. In that time Markus and Josh went back to Jericho to assist Simon and Lucy, and didn't have any second thoughts about leaving North behind at the facility to look after Connor. After an hour into Connor's steady recovery Abby returned to the recovery wing to extricate the tube from Connor's throat much to the deviant's relief. With his Thirium volume restored to one-hundred percent and his system functioning at normal power parameters it was safe for Connor to have the tube extracted, which in turn gave him the freedom to speak normally once more. In that time Hank had returned to visit with Connor but had stepped out of the room and into a quiet area of the facility to call Captain Fowler at the precinct to inform him of Connor's recovery. Within that same hour the criminal responsible for the bomb had been identified and finally arrested.

It was good news all around as Connor awoke under his own power and a dangerous man was pulled off the street. A positive end to an otherwise negative day.

"Okay, Connor. We can take this out now." Abby stated confidently as she began to slowly pull the tube out of Connor's throat. As she prepared to remove the tube Abby watched North take hold of Connor's hand to ensure that the deviant felt supported all around. "Coughing will help and ease the pain. When I start pulling you cough. All right?"

Connor nodded weakly and began to cough as instructed by Abby as she removed the tube with a steady pull, and he instantly put his free hand to his sore throat once it was gone at last.

"There we go!" Abby praised as she successfully extracted the tube. "Nice and easy."

North gently rubbed Connor's upper back as he continued to cough and tried to clear his throat even after the tube had been removed. "Deep breaths. You'll feel better soon."

"I got ya'." Hank put his hand on Connor's back as the deviant sat upright on the table and caught his breath after coughing for a few more seconds. Connor's abdomen was still wrapped up and sore, but he was able to move about with only modest difficulty. "You did really good back there. We caught the asshole responsible for the bombing. Everyone's going to be all right."

Hank told Connor about the investigation and arrest while he was unconscious. The criminal was in fact a human who had lost his job due to layoffs at the office thanks to poor profits, though he was convinced it was because of androids. The man had lost his job just two weeks before the Revolution and had been holding a grudge against deviants ever since. Attaching a spare L.E.D. to the right side of his head the man entered the building disguised as a deviant custodian with a bomb hidden in a trash can. He stashed the bomb in the ceiling of the top floor since it had been shutdown due to budget cuts, and he hid in another room of the building to detonate it remotely.

Unfortunately, the man's bomb had only partially detonated, which is why only the top floors of the building were damaged and not the entire building as a whole. Because the bomb failed to detonate at its full strength the man wasn't killed in the explosion as he had planned on and he had been forced to sneak out with the other office workers when the fire department checked the building for survivors.

The fingerprints found on the inside of the still intact bomb casing, as well as the remote detonator, connected the man directly to the attack and ensured he was sentenced to life in prison for domestic terrorism. The cowardly man was found hiding in his bedroom closet in his apartment with soot and smoke still covering his burned, bloody clothes. As expected, the man surrendered without a fight.

Connor nodded slightly again as he responded to the positive news with a very hoarse voice. "...G-Good." Too pained to speak in full sentences just yet Connor pointed to the bandage over Hank's left eye as he slipped on his tattered white dress shirt with Abby and North's help, and then his dirty gray blazer over top so he could leave the facility. "...Hurt?"

"Just a cut. You're the one who got blown up." Hank sheepishly shrugged his shoulders a little. "Mostly, anyway."

"Move slowly." Abby removed the wireless leads from Connor's chest as she helped Connor to slide down off the bed and onto the floor. "Stay put and let your gyroscope recalibrate for a minute before you try to walk."

Abby had spoken with Markus, North and Josh, and gave him clearance to return home to rest provided that he had someone to keep a watchful eye on him in the event his system began to reject his replacement biocomponents. The bandages were to remain in place as well until his artificial skin fully regenerated, and his system finished running the self-healing program entirely.

"Remember, you're still recovering." Abby needlessly reminded Connor gently as she kept her hand on his back in case he became dizzy. Watching him Connor rebuttoning his shirt without any problems Abby was convinced that he'd be just fine. "Take it easy for the next forty-eight hours and don't physically exert yourself in anyway. Rest and drink Thirium if your reserves dip below ninety percent since your self-healing program will need the boost."

Connor nodded to acknowledge her instructions as he took a single shaking step forward toward the door to the private recovery room with North's hands wrapped around his arm to ensure he didn't stumble.

"Any weird side effects I should know about?" Hank asked Abby in an almost fatherly manner as he watched Connor sway a little on his feet before he regained his balance. He put his hand to Connor's shoulder to ensure that the deviant knew he was supported from all sides. "You know, just in case he needs more help."

"Aside from fatigue," Abby replied nonchalantly to the logical question. "he might experience mild overheating as a result of the numerous replacement biocomponents that his system needs to fully register and recalibrate, and of course his thermal regulator being repaired. Maybe a little Thirium rejection as well since so much of it was replaced in such a short frame of time."

"Oh." The delicate recovery process sounded as exhausting as Connor already looked. "Sounds... fun."

"If he overheats treat it like a fever and help him stay cool. That's about as easy as I can explain things."

"Okay, that I can deal with."

"But if you think he needs to be re-examined by a technician, then here." Handing Hank a business card with an emergency phone number on it, Abby patted Connor's left arm and nodded at Hank as if to confirm she wasn't just blowing smoke. "I'm just a phone call away."

"Thanks." Hank pocketed the card and turned to look at his partner after giving Abby an appreciative smirk. "Come on, Connor." He helped guide him out of the facility and toward the parking lot outside while North stayed right beside him. "The cab's out front."

Connor nodded again as he walked slowly, his hand pressed against his still sore abdomen as he took another step forward. Having North beside him was oddly comforting and Connor appreciated her staying with him at the facility while he healed.

"You know, Captain Fowler said that because this nut-job tried to frame androids as the ones responsible for the bombing a massive donation of charitable funds toward Jericho has been pouring in all evening from sympathetic pro-android supporters." The irony of the situation wasn't lost on anyone and it actually amused Hank to an extent. "Turns out this guy's master plan was far from masterful."

Clearing his sore throat relief fell over Connor at last. "...At least we know we have allies on the street. Not just at Jericho."

"Yeah, you're right." Sighing with a heavy tiredness Hank stepped outside the front doors of the facility with Connor walking at his side. "By the way, since Gavin was also at the scene of the explosion, Fowler gave him the responsibility of filing the report on this whole bullshit ordeal while we recover at home."

"Gavin's going to be pissed." Connor's voice was already regaining strength as his self-healing program kicked in. "Should we feel bad?"

"Don't worry about Gavin." Another grin appeared on his face as he and Connor reached the idling autonomous cab outside. The evening air was calm, cool and inviting as the two detectives entered the cab side by side to sit in the back of the vehicle. "He doesn't mind some overtime. Hey, North?" Hank didn't want to leave the second deviant out in the cold. "Hop in. We'll drop you off wherever you need to go."

Connor fastened his seatbelt and flinched slightly as the protective strap over his sore abdomen tightened. The last thing he wanted to do was reopen his wounds by accident. "The mansion." He knew that North was reluctant to let anyone know about Jericho's location even after peace between the humans and androids had been declared. "Markus will be there."

"All right, let's go." North only agreed to join the two detectives in the cab when she heard Connor's suggestion as a means of keeping Jericho's location secretive for a little while longer. "You need to get back to that house and rest properly. You deserve it after you risked your life and helped prove our peoples' innocence."

The house was warm, inviting and felt comfortably secure as the two detectives settled in for the rest of the night. While Hank showered off and changed into clean clothes down the hallway, Connor sat on the couch and told Cole about what had happened that day. The deviant detective was more concerned about Cole being scared whenever his dad or Connor himself went out to work, than he was with getting any rest. Only after he was able to reassure Cole that they were both okay and after Hank had finished his shower did Connor go into the bathroom to do the same. He needed to feel like he was truly clean and the only way to do that was to wash off the horrible day from his skin and his hair.

Standing in the middle of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, Connor stared at his reflection in the mirror and traced his fingertips over his still healing wounds with a hiss of pain to accompany each impact. The way his prototype design had survived such rampant physical abuse and damage was almost astonishing. It made him wonder if Kamski hadn't enhanced his physical endurance when he agreed to help him travel into the new timeline, or if he was always meant to be so strong and stubborn.

As he dressed his wounds under a fresh layer of gauze Connor cybernetically informed Markus of his current condition to let him know that he was safe and recovering well. After he sent the message Connor then reached out to North to make sure she was able to return to Jericho safely and promised her that he was safe in the house with Lieutenant Anderson. He understood why she was so hesitant to trust humans and wanted to respect her mistrust while also helping her to change her view on humans as a whole.

Two knocks on the closed bathroom door pulled Connour of his mind and back into reality.

"Connor?" Hank called through the door to spare Connor's privacy. "You good in there?"

"I'm fine, Lieutenant." Securing his bandages over his abdomen was easy. Redressing himself was going to be a challenge since his range of mobility was still temporarily limited. "Nearly finished."

"All right, uh, the couch was made up for ya'. I also ordered you some extra Thirium if you need it."

"...Thank you." It was then Connor realized he wouldn't be able to help North with her mistrust toward humans if he didn't do anything about his own mistrust first. "I appreciate that."

On the other side of the bathroom door Hank sighed and gave Connor his space as he finished up in the bathroom. There was nothing more to be done for Connor, and all that Hank could do was join Cole in the kitchen for dinner. After shooing Sumo from the couch of course!

"Hey, ya' big oaf!" Hank reached over the back of the couch and patted Sumo's rump to get the dog's attention. "You're going to get your fur all over those nice clean sheets! That's Connor's bed, not yours."

Sumo just wagged his tail as he rolled from his belly to his side and continued to embed his fur into the sheets, blanket and pillow.

"I should train you to wash the damn laundry." Walking into the kitchen Hank put his hand on Cole's shoulder and watched his son pushing around his piece of garlic bread on his plate with his fork. The spaghetti had been barely touched and it seemed like Cole was distracted by something. "How's dinner?"

"It's fine."

"Just fine, huh?" Hank prepared his own plate and joined Cole at the table. "How about you? Are you fine?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Good. Thinking about what happened today?" The bathroom door 'creaked' open and Hank watched from the corner of his eye as Connor slowly walked into the livingroom and laid down over the bed pulled out from the couch. The way Connor didn't mind Sumo's presence was almost impressive considering Sumo took up half of the bed. "Need to talk about it?"

"Not really." Cole finished messing with his plate and gave his dad his full attention as he finally addressed what was on his mind. "I just want to know something."

Twirling his fork through his pasta Hank nodded in acknowledgement and looked his son in the eyes. "What's that?"

"Why did someone try to get the androids in trouble for something they didn't do?"

"Same reason that bullies push people around then try to blame everything on them when someone calls 'em out." The man replied sharply as he looked back into the livingroom and saw that Connor was already asleep and buried under his thick blanket and Sumo's fure. "Cowardice."

Such a simple answer seemed too easy to accept. "Really?"

"Yup. The guy who made the bomb and then tried to make it seem like an android was responsible was angry that he lost his job." As he went into more detail Hank made sure Cole resumed eating his dinner. "He blamed the androids for supposedly taking his job, when in reality he lost his job because he was a crappy employee."

"Why are people like that?"

"No clue, bud. If I could solve that mystery, then I would've retired years ago." Hank took a bite out of his garlic toast and then grinned as he gave Cole some good news to think about and distract him from the day's earlier events. "By the way, while I was at work I got a message about the house we were looking at."

That little comment held Cole's full attention and made his eyes light up with renewed hope. "The one with the pool?"

"Yup. The owners accepted my offer, and tomorrow I can go into town and start signing the paperwork."

"We have a new house?"

"We have a new house." The man confirmed with utter pride in his eyes as he and Cole exchanged high-fives. "We'll start packing up after I come back with the signed paperwork and some boxes. In just a couple weeks we'll be celebrating the holidays in a new, bigger home that has room for everyone!" He looked over at Connor's sleeping form in the livingroom with the determination to make the deviant feel officially welcomed into the Anderson family. "And I do mean everyone."

-next chapter-