It had been a strange past few days, but Connor was adapting to the new world around him fairly quickly. Waking up inside Hank's house with the senior detective watching his every move was oddly familiar and yet upsetting since Hank's mindful gaze was stemmed by paranoid and not care, but seeing the man alive and well was all that Connor cared about at the moment. As if on autopilot Connor rose from the couch and proceeded to get to his feet without any noted difficulty in his motions or overall range of movement. The deviant's damaged body managed to mend itself during his deep rest mode while laying over the large couch in Hank's livingroom. The majority of the damage had been focused mainly around his plastimetal frames as opposed to anything significantly internal, and that allowed Connor to recover without needing technical assistance.

Before Connor could attempt to go about a past routine that he was comfortable with, the deviant detective was stopped by the sight of Cole rushing down the hallway to check on Connor and ask his dad for some breakfast. It was still so unusual for Connor to accept that he had succeeded in saving Cole's life and was now sharing a timeline when the little boy was still a massive part of Hank's life.

"Let's get you some breakfast and then I'll drop ya' off at school." Hank stated as he rubbed his hand along the back of Cole's hair affectionately. The little boy's thick and dark hair was getting a little long and was about due for a trim. "I'll cut your hair this weekend. You're too young to be trying to rock a mullet!"

"Can I get a mohawk?"

"After you're eighteen. I'm not going to talk to your teachers about a damn haircut."

Connor remained in the livingroom and watched as Hank and Cole walked into the kitchen together as he ran a self-diagnostic. It was so strange to see Hank in great shape, optimistic and entirely in control of himself and any potential vices. The complete lack of alcohol in the house, as well as the infamous revolver that Hank had toyed with when he was struggling with his suicidal ideation hadn't escaped Connor's astute attention. Even the house's decor was more family friendly since there were framed photographs mounted on the walls, a few toys strewn about the livingroom and the kid friendly sweets and treats stocked in the kitchen.

"Come on, Connor!" Cole shouted excitedly as he tried to get the android to join him in the kitchen. In the little boy's mind he had a friend staying over at the house and he couldn't wait to have breakfast with them. "Dad's making pancakes!"

"I am coming." Stepping into the kitchen Connor was met by Sumo's big and strong paws as the Saint Bernard stood up on his hindlegs and put his front paws up on Connor's shoulders to give the android a few licks to his cheek. "S-Sumo... I wasn't expecting you to do that."

Hank turned around and saw Sumo slobbering all over Connor's face. After shaking his head Hank returned his attention to the stove and scolded the large dog for being so happy to see his new housemate. "Sumo! Down. Don't eat plastic."

Immediately Sumo got down and sat at Connor's feet while wagging his tail. The large dog was still a gentle giant regardless of the timeline.

Cole just laughed and pointed to the open chair across from him at the small table. "Sit down, Connor! Pancakes are always good!"

"Th-Thank you, but I cannot eat pancakes. I cannot eat anything for that matter." Connor explained politely while refraining from taking the only open chair at the table. He didn't want to upset Hank or cross any boundaries. "I can only consume Thirium when I need to replenish my reserves."

"Well, can you at least hang out with me? I have to go to school, and I want to tell you all about what it's like to live here!"

"Yes, I can stay here." Watching Hank's body language carefully Connor continued to creep on eggshells while in the man's presence. "What would you like to discuss?"

Hank listened carefully to Cole excitedly telling Connor about all of his hobbies and the cool toys in his bedroom. It was sweet to hear how much Cole liked the idea of having an android around and wasn't afraid of the mysterious android seemingly showing up out of nowhere. Such fearlessness in his son was refreshing considering Cole had been suffering from nightmares and had two very close calls as of late, but Hank was still cautious to let Cole get too close to Connor while the android remained in his home.

"After school, do you want to play some baseball?" Cole asked the android hopefully, unaware of Connor's deviancy and the exact reason that Connor had come into his life when it had been the most important. "I have a glove and a ball and everything!"

"I'm..." Hesitantly Connor replied to Cole as delicately as he could. He had little experience with children, and he didn't want to upset the innocent little boy by telling him 'no'. "I'm unsure as to how to play baseball."

"I'll teach you!"

Hank stopped the discussion by putting down a plate of two fluffy pancakes down in front of Cole and then passing him a bottle of syrup. "Eat your breakfast. You can talk to Connor more about baseball after school."

With a dramatic sigh Cole listened to his dad and focused on his prepared meal. "Okay..."

"After that, go brush your teeth and change into your clothes. You got twenty minutes to eat and get ready, all right?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Good." Hank placed his own plate down on the table and sat in the second chair across from his son. As he used the side of his fork to cut into his own stack of pancakes Hank looked at Connor standing beside the table and spoke to the android a somewhat annoyed tone. "Looks like you're on the mend. Am I right?"

"Yes, you're correct." Connor confirmed as he kept his distance and only answered questions as opposed to ask them. "I am functioning at full capacity."

"And now what?" Taking a quick bite of sweet breakfast Hank tried to figure out what the android was going to do now that it wasn't malfunctioning. He never owned an android before and hadn't planned on owning an android, and in return Hank was left entirely clueless as to what to do now that Connor was in his life. "You just stand in the corner and wait for someone to order you around?"

"No, I'll do whatever you need me to do or I'll will use deductive reasoning to handle problems as they come my way."

"Like a butler or something?"

"I'm whatever you need me to be, Lieutenant." Connor found himself suddenly repeating his response in an eerily similar manner from the night that he and Hank had spoken to one another at the park after investigating a murder at the 'Eden Club' from the alternate timeline. "A guardian for Cole, a friend for you to talk to, or a just a machine designed to accomplish a mission."

"'Mission'?" Laughing at the comment Hank continued to eat his breakfast while Cole did the same. He hadn't expected such a response from the android. "What kind of mission do you have to deal with? Remove all your bugs and glitches before your screensaver kicks on?"

Quiet for a moment Connor contemplated the question before replying in a satisfactory manner. "It's whatever you want it to be."

"Now you sound like a genie." Finishing his breakfast with a large gulp of coffee Hank proceeded to place his dirty dishes in the sink and run some water over the sticky surfaces. Just as he made a move to grab the sponge Connor suddenly appeared beside him and removed his gray blazer before rolling up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. "What're you doing?"

"I'll wash the dishes while you take care of Cole and prepare for work."

"But I didn't tell you to do that."

At such a remark Connor paused and realized he had made a mistake by doing something without being told. "...No, you did not."

"Whatever." Backing off Hank let Connor have the dirty dishes all to himself. "I'm not going to fight for the chance to do chores. Cole, you finished?"

"Yup!" The little boy had eaten all of his breakfast and slid out of his chair. "I'm good!"

"Good. Go get ready for school."

Connor focused on the dishes and accepted Cole's plate to wash next while Hank continued to watch him curiously. It wasn't until he needed to hide in plain sight that the deviant detective realized how difficult and terrifying it had been for the other deviants to hide while in the alternate timeline.

"All right, here's the deal." Hank still wasn't sure about Connor but didn't want to stress too much about the android's presence. He wanted to keep things as simple as possible and not do anything that'd upset Cole by mistake. "You're going to stay here and clean up the house so that I can come home from work and focus more on my son and less on chores. Got it?"

Relieved to be of some use Connor readily accepted Hank's instructions with a restrained relief to his words. "Yes, I understand."

"And I want you to go to the store and pick up some things for me." Reaching into his wallet in his back pocket Hank pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill and placed it on the counter beside the sink for Connor to take for himself. "There's a short list of what to get on the fridge door. Do that, keep the house clean and make sure Sumo is taken care of, and I think we can get along okay."

"Very well." Connor finished washing the dishes and dried his hands off on the towel hanging off the cabinet door. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Go to Cole's school and escort him home when he gets out at three. Make sure your clothes mark you as an android too." Lowering his voice Hank made sure Cole couldn't hear him talking to Connor despite his son being far down the hallway. "I'm still dealing with the aftermath of the attempted kidnapping and assault charges pressed against Terrian and Zach."

"That should be a very simple case to-"

"Yeah, it should, but that doesn't mean it is." The Lieutenant barked momentarily before lowering his tone again. He didn't mean to snap; he was just under a lot of pressure at the precinct and didn't want to discuss work in his own home. "Just make sure Cole feels safe and that no one he doesn't already know doesn't try to approach him again. The school already knows to double security, but I won't take any chances."

"Understood."

"Good. Cole still has his emergency phone, so I'll be able to call and text him if something happens."

"I assure you that I will keep Cole safe at all times."

"I'm not talking about that." Hank replied tersely as Cole walked down the hallway with his backpack slung over his shoulders and his shoes in his hands. "I'm talking about you. If YOU just up and vanish, then I'll know about it immediately and I'll make sure CyberLife knows that they have a defective android running around."

Such a comment offended Connor and his L.E.D. flickering from a content blue to a bright yellow betrayed the feelings he was trying to hide. "I'd never abandon-"

"You can say stuff like that all you want, but until it's actually been proven," the man stated tersely as he patted Sumo's back and opened the backdoor to let the dog out for a few minutes. "then it'll just be pretty words being spoken to try to charm me. I'm no fool, Connor. Never mistake me for one."

"...Yes, of course."

Earning Hank's trust without being a detective working alongside him in the field was going to be a massive challenge. During their first assignment together in the alternate timeline, Connor was able to impress Hank by finding the deviant hiding in the attic after murdering his former owner, then getting a confession from the deviant after he was brought into the precinct for questioning. Being able to get on Hank's good side by obeying the man when Hank ordered him to not chase after Kara and Alice across the highway, then saving Hank after Rupert knocked him off the apartment rooftop had been chance moments that helped forge trust between them. Their later encounter with the two 'Tracis' at the 'Eden Club' and Connor showing empathy toward them and then later showing empathy toward Chloe when Kamski pushed him to his breaking point had been the final tests that had proven Connor to be a good person and worthy of Hank's trust.

There was no way for Connor replicate those moments and earn Hank's trust the same way. He'd need to prove to be a trustworthy person and a good friend in an entirely new manner.

"Dad!" Cole called out as he finished awkwardly tying his shoes on the couch. Despite everything that had happened Cole seemed to be okay with going to school and going to his classroom without any reason to worry. "I'm ready!"

"Good job, Cole." Hank motioned to the backdoor with his thumb as he nodded at Connor to silently tell the android to make sure Sumo was let back inside after he was finished in the backyard. Stepping into the livingroom Hank checked Cole's work on his shoes and approved of the tied knots. "You're ready to go and so am I. We're going to set a world record someday with how great we are getting around in the morning, huh?"

"Totally!"

"Got your homework done?"

"Yup." Cole unzipped his backpack and showed Hank the writing assignment he needed to finish. It was a simple exercise in penmanship and basic spelling. "It's done."

"You're on top of everything, way to go!"

From the kitchen Connor watched the way Hank smiled and Cole smiled in return as they walked to the front door together. Seeing Hank as a happy father as opposed to a grieving widower mourning the loss of his only son was something that Connor had never expected to witness with his own eyes. It was like Hank was an entirely different person. Being different certainly wasn't a bad thing, but it could prove to be detrimental to Connor and his attempts befriend Hank and earn his trust in an entirely new timeline.

"All right," Hank opened the front door and showed Cole the car keys in his hand. "we'll take the Oldsmobile today so Connor can use the van and do chores."

"Can I drive?"

"Not yet!"

"Please?"

"Nope." Pushing Cole forward in a playful manner Hank reminded his son he was too young and too small to drive a vehicle. "You can't even reach the pedals yet."

"I'll stretch!"

Laughing at his son Hank shut the front door behind him and proceeded to head to the car parked in the driveway. He hadn't acknowledged Connor in any way and remained entirely focused on his son as they began their morning together.

"Cole's alive, and that's a wonderful thing."

Connor recounted to himself as he opened the backdoor and was met by a very happy Sumo. The dog was full, he had taken care of business outside, and now he was ready to go laze about the house for the rest of the day.

"The way Hank devotes his time and energy to Cole is admirable and expected of any father. However, the way he treats me like I'm merely a tool or a convenient babysitter makes me wonder if he's entirely incapable of seeing me as a person. Maybe... it's true. I was only taken in by Hank to fill a void after he lost Cole, not because he actually cared about my life as an individual. He just felt sorry for me and wanted some company."

Sumo whined once as he pawed at Connor's hand and tilted his head slightly as if he understood Connor's words and were confused by such a somber thought.

"It's all right, boy. This isn't something that you need to worry about."

Not wanting to annoy Hank by any means Connor set about cleaning up the rest of the kitchen before taking care of the rest of the house. It wouldn't take him too long to clean the livingroom and the bathroom, and once he finished with his household chores he'd head out and do some shopping then meet Cole at his school and escort him home.

As for his clothes, Connor had limited options. He only had his gray blazer to mark him as an android, but with it being labeled with his prototype model number he'd undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. Fortunately, he could just remove the 'RK-800' text from the lapel and wear a white t-shirt beneath. Over time he'd have to acquire other clothing to appropriately mark him without it exposing him to any CyberLife officials who might still be looking for him.

"I'll just have to find a way to reach Hank that doesn't revolve around him feeling lonely or obligated to take me in. I know enough about him to get on his good side. At least... I hope I do."

A long and boring meeting at the precinct had left Hank feeling as if he had been lulled into a deep sleep the moment that he sat down in the conference room. The meeting didn't revolve around anything that Hank needed to immediately concern himself with since he was the lead detective for the homicide division, but he was expected to attend due to his high rank in the precinct. The man was more concerned with tracking down murderers and finding justice for the families of the victim, and he had absolutely no concerns for the city reporting an increase in city owned androids being damaged, destroyed or even vandalized by obnoxious teenagers or angry drunks walking the streets.

Joining Gavin for their patrol now only two hours later than they had anticipated, Hank sighed to himself and let the younger detective drive that day. He'd take over after lunch and give Gavin a chance to unwind after their uneventful meeting. The moment he sat down beside Gavin to begin their route around the city Hank sensed that something was weighing on Gavin's mind and that it needed to be addressed.

"Fuckin' waste of time." Gavin grumbled bitterly under his breath as he pulled the car out of the parking garage next to the precinct. The man was practically gnashing his teeth as his hands tightened into a stranglehold around the steering wheel before him. "We got better shit to do than worry about a bunch of overpriced plastic being dented by stupid teens!"

"Are you really this pissed off at androids and teens," the senior detective asked casually as he secured his seatbelt. "or did you have another fight with Patricia last night?"

"She just-" There was no denying that Gavin was wearing his emotions on his sleeve right now. "It's not that big of deal."

"If that was the case then you wouldn't be trying to snap the damn steering column in half." Hank put his hand to Gavin's shoulder and tried to get the younger man to relax to avoid any accidents on the streets. "Talk to me or let me drive. Your choice."

Slowly Gavin lessened his grip on the steering wheel to allow some color to return to his ghost white knuckles. "...Patricia says I'm working too much and don't give her enough attention, and that I'm hurting the relationship with being so selfish with work."

"Did you remind her that you're a cop, and that you have an entire city to protect?"

"Yeah, then she accused me of making excuses and not taking our relationship seriously!"

"You know, it might be time to just let this one go. I know you've been together for three years now and you don't want it to feel like a waste of time, but you're just not showing a lot of compatibility with each other."

"I'm not giving up." Stubborn and unwilling to relent, Gavin clearly didn't want to even consider breaking up. "She's the most stable relationship I've had since high school."

"Doesn't mean it's a loving relationship." Hank tagged on wisely as he watched the sense of personal discovery flash over Gavin's eyes. "But whatever, it's your life and your decision. Just making sure you're not going to end up spending your life with the wrong person."

"...Yeah, sure." Not wanting to talk about his relationship anymore Gavin decided to ask Hank about his own life. Due to his own personal issues with his family Gavin had found Hank to be a reliable source of wisdom and insight, almost like the father figure that he never had while growing up. "So, how's Cole? Did he go to school today?"

"Yeah, he's fine. I don't think he really knows what happened, but he does know that his bully won't be at school anymore."

"Lucky kid. I'd have given anything to have my bullies removed from my school when I was a kid."

"He's damn lucky." Hank was very aware of what could've happened and didn't want to think about it. "Nearly lost him to an out-of-control truck, then to a coward and a bully who thought hurting an innocent kid was proper revenge for what I did to a known criminal. Pathetic fuckers."

"Want me to pick him up from school today? I'm working a swing-shift, so I don't mind hanging with him for a few hours until you clock-out this evening."

"Thanks, but I'm having Connor do that today."

"The android?" Gavin's hazel-gray eyes seemed to widen with genuine concern as his hands tightened around the steering wheel once more. "Are you sure you can trust it?"

"I'm sure that Connor won't do anything to hurt Cole. It almost got itself destroyed protecting him twice. Hell," leaning back in his seat Hank looked out his side window and watched total strangers roaming the area with their own androids in tow. "it's like Cole has the perfect bodyguard. If Connor does get destroyed, well, that's it. One less machine crowding the city."

"Just don't forget that androids can malfunction and get people hurt in the process."

"Trust me, I've been watching Connor like a hawk. If it makes one wrong move or gives me any reason to suspect that it'll do anything harmful toward Cole, I'll take it out back and put a bullet in its head myself."

"Good. I'd hate to see anything happen to Cole." Gavin's hands relaxed again as he focused on the streets and let his own personal tensions fade away. "He's a good kid and deserves to live a good life. I care about him too, you know."

"Yeah, I know. When Cole starts little league in the spring he's going to want to practice his pitches with you again."

"No problem. The kid's got a rocket for an arm, and I want him to succeed." Gavin always had a soft spot for kids, but he really grew to adore Cole over the years. It seemed like whenever he hung out with Cole he was able to get a glimpse of what a happy childhood should be like and help confirm that his abusive and traumatic childhood was strictly his parents' fault, and that he hadn't done anything wrong. "And if I think that he's in any danger, just know that I'll take a bullet for him."

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Taking his phone from his pocket Hank turned on the device and checked the current location of Cole's phone to confirm that he was still in school where he needed to be. "I've had enough of good people getting hurt just for trying to protect the innocent."

The city felt unusual to Connor as he roamed the shopping plaza to finish his tasks. He was wearing his modified gray blazer over his white t-shirt, and no one seemed to take notice of his unique model and design. With the humans too preoccupied with their own needs and interests, and no other deviated androids in Detroit as of that time in history, Connor felt invisible if not entirely alone in the world. It was painfully quiet whether he was focusing on the real world around him or seeking communication with other androids. There were no deviant signals calling for help and all of the private android communication lines were either muted or being used by humans for their own purposes.

Reminding himself that his isolation was only temporary Connor resumed purchasing groceries according to Hank's shopping list and made sure to get the best possible value for the Lieutenant in the process. As he reached for a small container of fresh blueberries Connor noticed a familiar face in the crowd around him and turned his head quickly to ensure his suddenly distressed red L.E.D. wasn't visible to anyone who might care.

'Markus.'

Connor thought to himself as he spotted his future friend and the eventual deviant leader roaming the store without any sign of awareness. Seeing Markus as an obedient machine still taking care of Carl rather than rallying deviants together, providing hope and standing up against injustice was as strange as living a new life alongside someone who had previously never seen the end of that very year.

Markus was also looking for groceries and had a shopping cart loaded with the more expensive options, along with numerous vitamin and mineral supplements to keep Carl as healthy as possible. Having both of his green eyes and his L.E.D. glowing in his right temple were strangely unnerving for a reason that Connor's couldn't explain. The strangest thing was seeing that Markus was wearing a black jacket that was void of his own 'RK-200' number. That particular detail only seemed to stress that prototype models being out in public could cause problems for people looking to get a rise out of someone else.

'I cannot let him see me.' Connor thought to himself as he ducked down an aisle and waited for Markus to leave the immediate area. 'His memories of seeing me could compromise his behaviors and perceptions of me in the future.'

A strange pressure filled Connor's chest and he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. Being around Markus pre-deviancy had given Connor a form of an anxiety attack, and the deviant could only rely on himself to get through the strange and entirely unexpected encounter. It was hard to keep his hand off his chest and feign normalcy as he mentally steeled himself from totally breaking down in front of humans who wouldn't understand what he was dealing with.

Preconstructing his potential options Connor readily finished checking off all the items on Hank's shopping list, using aisles and large displays to hide himself from Markus's immediate line of sight in the process, and quickly checked out with the money that Hank had provided to him earlier that morning. Carrying the three large bags outside and into the parking lot Connor quickly placed everything inside the autonomous van that he had used that day and dropped to the floor of the van to lay down and catch his breath.

"I-It's okay..."

Letting out a deep and calming breath Connor felt the pressure in his chest lessen and let his worries fade away. Markus hadn't seen him, no one in the store knew of his mini freak-out, and by all account everyone thought that he was just another android.

No one knew he was a deviant.

"H-He didn't see me. I... I didn't... a-affect his future. It's all r-right."

Sitting upright very slowly Connor peered out the van's tinted windows and eyed the parking lot warily. Only after he spotted Markus leaving the store with his own shopping bags did Connor even budge. He watched as the future deviant leader climbed into the back of autonomous taxi and left the store to head for his home and be with his own father.

It was surreal to know where Markus was going and who he was going to be spending time with despite never speaking to him.

"Markus is fine. H-He's still with... Carl, and he's s-safe."

Picking himself up from the floor Connor climbed into the front of the van and sat down in the driver's seat as he processed everything that he had just gone through that afternoon. Cybernetically Connor noted the time and decided he needed to head for home to drop off the groceries and then head to Cole's school to pick the little boy up and bring him home as Hank had instructed. There was nothing else to be done and Connor and had no reason to even attempt to break away from the routine set before him.

"Everything will be all right. As long as I don't say or do anything foolish then everything will unfold as it should."

Connor pressed his exposed palm to the center console of the van and put in the coordinates for the house. As the van drove itself from the store and toward the house Connor took the opportunity to keep breathing and reminding himself of the importance of patience and remaining discreet.

"Right now, Cole is the most important person I need to focus on. I can do this."

The van reached the street and headed in the opposite direction of the autonomous taxi taking Markus back to his own home. Neither android spotted one another and neither android would ever speak of the brief yet tense encounter.

"I have to do this. It's important for everyone else that I remain strong, confident and don't do anything foolish. I won't fail, I swear it!"

The school bell rang loudly and dismissed all of the elementary students to head for home for the rest of the day. Children as young as five years of age and as old as eleven years of age gathered their things, walked through the doors of their classrooms and then marched down the hallways to the doors to begin making their way home. A large portion of the children converged out front and climbed into their appropriate school bus to head for home, while others met their parents in the parking lot. However, a majority of the children all walked outside and met up with an android chaperone who'd either walk them back home or drive them back home in place of the parents who were too busy working or just couldn't be bothered to go to the school.

Cole tightened his hands around the straps of his backpack hanging from his shoulders as he stepped outside and looked at the parking lot for any sign of a familiar vehicle. He knew that Connor was going to pick him up since Hank told him all about it on the way to school, but Cole wasn't sure if he should risk going out into the parking lot by himself. The little boy was still scared about getting jumped by someone else even if he wouldn't admit it to his own father or to the school's security officers patrolling the property.

Just as Cole was about to head back inside the school to wait for someone he recognized to appear, a familiar voice called out to him instead and made him turn his head in response.

"Cole?" Connor addressed Cole by name and approached the sidewalk outlining the school and the parking lot to meet the little boy in person. "I'm here."

"Connor!" Excitedly Cole ran away from the front door and ran up to Connor with bright eyes to quickly grab Connor around his wrist. "Come on! I want to teach you how to play baseball!"

"All right, let's go."

Connor let Cole lead him back to the van since it seemed to fill the little boy with confidence. Something about the way Cole was acting told Connor to just roll with it and let things happen without trying to change them. After Cole climbed up and into the back of the van through the sliding door Connor made sure Cole had his seatbelt secured then climbed into the front driver's seat despite leaving the van in autonomous mode. He didn't want to drive and had no desire to take control of the van out of fear of potentially getting into an accident or doing something that Hank wouldn't approve of.

During the short drive back home Cole told Connor everything the android would need to know about playing baseball and the van passed by the Detroit Institute of Arts. As the van casually drove past the large building Connor's eyes were immediately drawn to two familiar figures out front and he felt his chest tighten again.

"Markus. Carl."

The elderly artist was out in front of the building in his electric wheelchair speaking to an official in charge of the institute, and Markus was standing diligently behind Carl to ensure that his father had help if he so requested it. Seeing Markus for the second time that day caused Connor's anxiety level to spike again and make it hard to breathe. Leaning forward Connor pressed his palm to his chest and took in a pained pant of a breath as he tried to calm himself back down.

"Connor, are you sick?" Cole had noticed Connor's behavior and wanted to help the android. "Dad says if you get car sick you need to put your head between your knees! I don't know why though."

"N-Not sick." Connor managed to huff out as he straightened up in his seat and took in a deep, slow breath. The van had passed the building by and now Markus and Carl were far behind him. "J-Just... u-uncomfortable."

"Why?"

"Not... Not sure." Lying quickly Connor tried his best to keep Cole from worrying about him or telling Hank that he was acting strangely. As the pain his chest lessened and his L.E.D. returned to a steady and calm blue, Connor regained his composure and found his voice. "I'm okay now. I'm not sick, you don't need to worry about it or mention it to your dad."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm okay."

Cole peered out the rear window and spotted Markus and Carl as well. Despite being a young child Cole had learned how to follow a person's line of sight thanks to his dad teaching him those little tricks every once in a while. "Did that android scare you?"

"Wh-What?" Trying and failing to feign ignorance Connor did his best to deny such a bold question. "What android?"

"The one back there with the man in the wheelchair! You saw him and got scared."

"I'm n-not scared. It's just... It's complicated."

"Do you know him?"

"...No. I don't know him." Lying to protect Markus's existence a while longer Connor did his best to get Cole's attention off of Markus and back to their after school plans. Straightening up in his seat Connor turned to look at Cole behind him and gave the little boy his full attention. "Once we're home I'll make you a snack and then you can teach me how to play baseball, okay?"

"Yeah! Okay!" Cole was all over playing baseball and was eager to play with his new friend. "We'll start with playing catch! Then I'll show you how to bat!"

"Very well." The memories of sitting on the couch with Hank and watching basketball games all evening long seemed like a dream. It was then Connor wondered if Hank started to dislike baseball and watch it less often because it was Cole's favorite sport and the game always reminded him of his son. "I'm sure you'll be a great teacher, Cole. It'll make your dad happy to see you doing so well playing baseball, too."

The long and thankfully uneventful day came to an end and Hank was able to return home to his son just in time to start dinner. Seeing his home lit up and warm gave him his own warm feeling deep inside. His home was his own sanctuary and knowing that Cole was safe inside was enough to make any lingering stress from the day fade away before he even parked the Oldsmobile in the driveway beside the house. As he opened his side door and pulled the keys from the ignition Hank caught a faint whiff of something delicious wafting in the air and in return his mouth started to water. The man was starving and hoped that Connor did as he was told and finished the grocery shopping for the night.

Unlocking the front door Hank walked into the livingroom and saw Cole sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table working on his homework with Sumo curled up right at his side. Seeing Cole look up at him and smile made Hank smile too.

"Dad!" Cole shot to his feet and ran over to give Hank a big hug the second Hank finished locking the front door behind himself. "I finished my homework!"

"Good job! Want me to look it over?"

"No, I did it all right."

"I'm sure you did." As he wrapped his arm around Cole's shoulders Hank realized the enticing aroma he had smelled was coming from his own kitchen and he couldn't help but ask about it. "What am I smelling?"

"Connor cooked dinner after we played some baseball. Steaks!"

"Steaks, huh?" Hank's blue eyes lifted toward the kitchen where he spotted Connor hovering over the countertops. "Wonder how it learned to cook like that."

From within the kitchen Connor finished placing the prepared meal down on the kitchen table and then proceeded to wash the dishes that had been used in the creation of that night's dinner. He didn't say a word to Hank and continued to play the role of an obedient, subservient machine as expected.

"Whoa..." Hank walked into the kitchen with Cole at his side and looked at the large spread waiting for them to indulge. "Steaks, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, fresh rolls and cheesecake. Holy shit."

"Connor made your favorites!" Cole beamed as he climbed into his chair and waited for Hank to join him. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Yeah... Very cool." Hank approached Connor and put his hand on the android's shoulder to get Connor's full attention. "How'd you know what I like?"

"I made an accurate deduction from the shopping list that you provided." Unwilling to divulge that he knew what Hank liked because he had lived with Hank for just barely one year before altering the timeline, Connor used the list as a proper and logical cover for his preexisting knowledge. "I presumed you wanted to make this for your dinner tonight since you wanted me to gather these specific ingredients together."

"I didn't put the cheesecake on the list though."

"No, but it was on sale." Pulling the shopping list from his pocket Connor pointed to Hank's own little notes scrawled all over the back. "And you specifically left instructions to gather anything on sale, on clearance or had a coupon attached."

"...Oh, right."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's fine." Hank took the list and crumpled it into a ball before tossing it into the recycling bin under the sink. "Just... Yeah, uh, good work."

Connor merely nodded and resumed washing the dishes while Hank took his seat and began filling his and Cole's plates with their delicious meal. It didn't take long for Cole to talk about his day at school, about playing baseball with Connor and then getting help with his homework from Connor, or how he was doing well in school despite his recent traumatic experiences. Hearing how Cole just focused on the positives and didn't once mention Connor acting like he was sick when he saw Markus on the street gave Connor the confidence to believe that Cole wasn't a person that he needed to worry about possibly affecting the future deviant Revolution.

After dinner concluded Hank encouraged Cole to take a quick shower and change into his pajamas so they could have their usual movie night together before heading to bed. While Cole was in the bathroom Hank put away the sparse leftovers and noticed that Connor had resided himself to the livingroom to quietly stand against the wall with his eyes closed and hands folded together before himself. It was still so strange to have an android in his home, even if it did seem to be working out for everyone.

"So, Cole was all good today?" Hank asked as he approached Connor for a moment then dropped down onto the couch to relax. The man had to lean back a little and let out a small sigh as he realized he may have eaten a little too much at dinner that night and needed to let his stomach settle. "No issues at school that I need to worry about?"

"No." Connor confirmed monotonously from where he stood. "Cole had a good day."

"That's what I want to hear. And you?" Looking up and over the back of the couch Hank watched Connor's body language closely. "No problems with you?"

"I am functioning properly. No errors detected."

"Good. Then that means you can pick up Cole from school again."

"Does..." such a comment filled Connor with a renewed sense of hope. "that mean you trust me?"

"No, it means I'm willing to trust you." The protective father clarified with heavy bass in his voice. "As far as I'm concerned, you're on probation, and if you do anything that I don't like I'm tossing you out on the street. Got it?"

"...Yes, I understand."

"Good." The bathroom door burst open as Cole ran into the livingroom in his blue pajamas and jumped up onto the couch to join his dad for movie night. The little boy had styled his wet hair up and into a mohawk style and he gave Hank a hopeful look. "Hey... What's with the new look, 'spike'?"

"Doesn't it look good?"

"Not at all!" Using his palm Hank smooshed Cole's hair down flat over his head and then rubbed his hand back and forth to create a less flattering bowl style haircut over the crown of Cole's head. "There we go, now you look like Spock!"

"No way!" Playfully Cole pushed Hank's hand away and then used his own fingers to restyle his messy, wet hair into his usual look before scooting away from his dad for a minute. "You're so weird!"

Hank just smirked and tossed the blue blanket from the back of the couch over to Cole to cover up for the evening. "And proud of it."

Connor didn't make any comments and just stayed back while he watched Hank turn on the television and begin searching for a movie to watch. He just observed the way Cole wrapped himself up in his blanket and then scooted back over to where Hank was sitting to sit right next to him, and then watched the way Hank wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders to give him a side hug. Even Sumo, who had been napping on his pillow in the corner of the livingroom, decided to join in and jumped up on the couch to lay over Cole and Hank's laps to cuddle.

It seemed like everyone was right where they belonged that night, even if it meant that Connor had to stand aside to not intrude on the heartfelt moment.

Closing his eyes again Connor entered rest mode for the night and tuned out the sound of the movie as he retreated into himself to avoid causing any problems. It was just the first day of Connor returning to Hank's life and earning Cole's trust under the guise of being a completely normal android, and the lone deviant wasn't sure what to expect to happen to Hank, Cole or himself in the morning.

-next chapter-