The year was drawing closer to its end and the three biggest holidays that remained were creeping up fast! While those who didn't have to work or go to school went out to shop and prepare for the holidays coming up, those who did have to go to work struggled to find the time to head out and shop between their shifts. The city's first responders were struggling the hardest with trying to keep up with their work and other responsibilities to the city, while also making time for their families and friends before, during and after the holidays arrived. Thanks to the uptick in shopping and people being out of their homes for prolonged periods of time, crime was on the rise. It seemed every cop in the city had a new active case to handle with each passing shift.

Trudging home with his head hung low and his shoulders tense from stress, Hank pushed open the front door of his house and discovered Cole sitting on the floor in front of the couch alongside Connor. The little boy was showing the android the intricate world of his toy dinosaur and Batman collections to bond closer with the android. It was refreshing to see his son happy, confident and entirely comfortable after everything he had gone through, and Hank hoped that his previous traumatic experiences wouldn't have long term effects on his mind and emotions.

"Hey, dad!" Cole greeted his dad's return without taking his eyes off the tyrannosaurus rex in his hands. The large toy was worn out but still very loved. "Can we watch 'Jurassic Park' tonight?"

"Yeah, sure." Passing by the coffee table Hank leaned down and gave Cole's hair a small kiss before walking into the kitchen. There was a large taco casserole sitting on the stove and the sight of the massive and delicious meal helped Hank feel slightly less tense within second. "Get your homework done?"

"Didn't have any tonight!"

"Did you take your bath?"

"Yup! I even ate my whole dinner!"

"Yeah, but you love spicy food just like your mom!" The attentive father noted as he picked up a clean plate. "Getting you to eat anything Mexican is like offering bacon to Sumo: Never a challenge."

"Connor put the really, REALLY hot sauce on my plate too! I loved it!"

"You have a stomach made of lead, son." Knowing that his young son was such a spice-fiend made Hank dread Cole's impending teen years. "I swear you do."

Connor listened to Hank getting himself a helping of that night's dinner and continued to entertain Cole as the little boy showed him his favorite toys. It was interesting how Cole could find so much joy in just a few things, and that made Connor long for his old coin all that much more. Without the aged quarter to use and channel his tic Connor felt his anxiety rising and wondered if he could find a substitute for that excess energy some other way.

"Do you have any toys?" Cole asked as picked up his action figures and bundled them all up in his arms. "We could play together!"

"Sorry, Cole. Androids don't have toys." As he spoke Connor turned his head slightly and watched as Hank practically scarfed his dinner and downed it with a can of cola and then proceeded to put on a pot of coffee to brew while he ate. That alone told Connor that the man was expecting to work late into the night and potentially pull in some overtime hours to keep up with the added cases piling up. "But if we did have toys, we'd share them too."

"No toys?"

"No. Since androids don't live as children and then grow into adults as humans do, we have no need for toys or other playthings."

"That's not fair!"

Such a bold reaction drew Connor's full curiosity to the little boy and made him tilt his head slightly as his L.E.D. flashed to yellow. "Why's that?"

"Everyone deserves to have a favorite toy!"

"Oh, I see."

"Sumo has a favorite toy too!" Cole stated as he pointed at the large dog sprawled out over his pillow in the corner of the livingroom. The dog's well chewed green fetch ball was resting next to Sumo's paws as he napped. "And dad has a favorite toy. Don't you dad?"

"Hm? Toy?" Hank asked from the kitchen as he put another big bite of dinner into his mouth. Chewing a few times the man nodded and responded to the question in the affirmative. "Sure I do. Right now, my favorite toy is my car."

"See? Everyone needs a toy!"

"You may be right, but as an android I don't have any toys that interest me." Connor tried to make Cole feel better about the injustice of some people being deprived of something as simple and lovable as a toy. "I'm all right as I am."

Cole didn't seem convinced. As he carried his toys back down the hallway and into his bedroom a glimmer of inspiration appeared in Cole's head and gave him a great idea to help Connor find something special that he could call his own.

In record time Hank finished his dinner and prepared to get back to work without breaking stride. As he carried his mug of fresh coffee with him into the livingroom Hank sat down at his desk near the front window and turned on his laptop to resume examining his open case. Just as the man logged into his precinct terminal through the laptop Hank noticed Cole's return and that the little boy had a stuffed animal in his hand.

"Here, Connor." Cole passed Connor the stuffed animal to hold. "He was my favorite for a long time, so I know you'll like him too!"

Connor eyed the stuffed Saint Bernard toy and noted the gentle wear and tear on the toy after years of being played with on a regular basis. It had one ear that had been torn loose and then sewn back on, but beyond the damage to the ear the toy had been clearly loved and cared for by Cole for many years.

"I appreciate this," Connor stated kindly as he tried to decline the offered toy and ensure that Cole kept it for himself. "but this is-"

"Please?" The insistence behind the first grader's words and the way he pushed the toy toward Connor to keep was surprisingly difficult to ignore. "I don't play with him anymore and you don't have anything to play with out in the garage! You need him!"

"I... Okay." Despite his best efforts to resist caving to Cole's every request Connor accepted the stuffed dog and agreed to take care of it. "It'll have a safe place in the garage alongside me."

Hank shook his head as he set about bringing up his case files and then leaned back in his chair to look at his young son. "Cole, if you wanna' watch your movie, you need to start it right now so you can get to bed on time. All right?"

"Yeah, okay." Climbing up onto the couch Cole picked up the remote and turned on the TV to begin searching for his desired film. The little boy had a list of favorite movies all ready for him to choose from and he knew exactly how to start the stream. "Sit with me."

"Can't bud." Motioning toward his laptop Hank reminded his son that he had to work from home occasionally to keep up with his cases. "Need to get this done. We'll watch a movie together tomorrow night."

"Fine. Connor?" Cole looked to Connor still sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. "Will you sit with me?"

"Yes, of course." Pulling himself up on the couch with the stuffed toy still in his hands Connor casually glanced at Hank's laptop and cybernetically downloaded information on the opened case file. It was seemingly simple enough, a case of breaking and entering at a local gas station, but the lack of evidence was proving to be a real pain to navigate. "I'm ready to watch the film whenever you are."

"This one is the best!" The first grader sat on his knees on the couch cushion and pulled the blue blanket from the back of the couch to wrap around himself. "I've seen it a zillion times!"

"That is... many times." There was no reason to explain to Cole how it was officially impossible to watch a single film one zillion times in a single lifetime since it'd just disillusion the innocent kid about the wonderful world of experiences just waiting for him to discover. "I'm certain that this movie must be very good."

It didn't take long for Cole to become entirely engrossed in the film and to be completely oblivious to his dad working hard at his laptop. It was easy for Connor to watch the movie and absorb the plot while also keeping tabs on Hank's investigation. Being an android gave Connor the coveted ability to multitask regardless of what was happening around him, and as a deviant he was able to choose which task he wanted to prioritize over the others.

The robbery at the gas station had been performed by a single male human wearing thick clothing and a bandana to mask their face during the crime. While the store security cameras could only offer so many details due to the disguise on the man's face, Connor could see things that the camera simply couldn't highlight and that human eyes couldn't see. It also helped that the cameras all recorded audio and Connor could pick up little identifying quirks in the robber's voice as he demanded the cashier to hand over the money from the registers.

By the time the film reached its climax, Cole was beginning to fall asleep and was leaning up against Connor's side for support. It was a fight to keep his eyes open as fatigue wore down the first grader's stubborn resolve. It didn't take long for Connor to estimate when Cole would be deep asleep, and he knew it'd be best to carry Cole to his bedroom to sleep for the rest of the night.

Just as his personal counter hit zero Cole was effectively asleep and completely unaware of the movie still playing even without him watching it any longer. Using a gentle motion Connor managed to scoop Cole up into his arms and carry him down the hallway and into his bedroom without disturbing the little boy's rest. After laying Cole down in the bed Connor tucked him under the sheet and quilt to keep him warm through the night, then made sure the nightlight was able to glow and keep the room illuminated just enough to let Cole see his bearings in the night in case he needed to get up for any reason.

After partially pulling the door shut behind himself Connor returned to the livingroom to pretend to finish watching the film while also cybernetically monitoring Hank's progress on the case. It was clear that the detective was struggling to find any leads despite his years of experience and skills to guide him. The deviant detective knew exactly what Hank was overlooking and desperately wanted to say something, but Connor kept his silence and kept his eyes focused on the television screen while also fussing with the repaired ear of the gifted toy dog.

"Fuckin' Hell." Hank grumbled as he rubbed his palm over his wrinkled forehead in frustration. He was getting a headache and drinking coffee could only do so much to ease his building discomfort. "Why in the fuck is a simple robbery throwing me for such a damn loop?"

"...If I may offer an opinion," Connor spoke up timidly as he kept his focus directed ahead of himself and on the movie. "you're overlooking a key detail that can reveal the robber's identity."

"Oh, really?" Turning his chair Hank gave the android an irritated glance before making a broad gesture with his arm toward his laptop. "And what exactly is that?"

Connor heard the anger in Hank's tone, but he didn't take it personally. The deviant detective wanted to be of use as a detective again and decided that it'd be best to accept the vague invitation even if it was extended only in aggravation. Casually he rose to his feet and walked over to the desk to peer at the laptop screen more directly then placed his exposed palm against the side of the laptop's screen.

"What're you doing?" Hank asked as he watched Connor's L.E.D. flickered in yellow rapidly before returning to blue. "Accessing the matrix or something?"

"No. I'm merely analyzing the same security footage that you've been observing for the past one-hundred and eight minutes, fourteen seconds."

Cybernetically Connor brought up a key moment in the security footage and zoomed in on the shirt that the robber was wearing during the crime. Connor pinpointed a single area on the man's shirt above the breast pocket on the left side of his shirt.

"The robber is a mechanic who was recently fired. Based on his height I can determine him to be of six foot, two inches tall." Expertly Connor analyzed the details and helped Hank start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "The sound of his voice if indicative of a male between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. Also, the way the man remained calm and never pointed the gun at the cashier confirms that he knows the cashier and never intended to harm them during the robbery."

"What... the fuck?" Leaning forward Hank looked closer at the screen and barely made out any additional details despite Connor's efforts. "How do you know all that?"

"There is a rectangular discoloration to the man's shirt confirming that a patch had been sewn to the shirt for an extended period of time, then recently removed leaving being a discolor portion of the shirt. The shape, size and location of the discoloration matches that of a custom embroidered name patch. And here," pointing to faint stains along the center of the shirt Connor gave additional information that Hank could use to his advantage. "are faded stains that were caused by automotive fluids repeatedly dripping onto the shirt. Mostly likely oil and brake fluid."

"So, we're looking for a pissed off mechanic?"

"No. The robber was calm and never shouted his demands. He was not angry; he was desperate and felt guilty for his acts during the crime itself." Connor continued as he analyzed the footage with a keen eye and interest. "The robber targeted the gas station because he personally knew the cashier and knew how the cashier would respond while in a dire confrontation. That's why he didn't aim the gun or threaten the cashier with violence."

"All right, then can you give me the location of the garage where this burglarizing mechanic used to work?"

"Based on the color of the shirt and the type of name patch that had been previously attached to the shirt, I've narrowed it down to a single garage. The 'Speed and Balance' garage two blocks from the gas station. Based on the employee manifest," Connor managed to upload a record of the garage's current and former employees onto Hank's laptop for the Lieutenant to review himself. "there was a single mechanic fired in the past twenty-four hours. This mechanic matches the height of the robber in the footage, as well as the eye color and complexion that is visible on his hands and face where the bandana didn't fully conceal his identity. His name is Randall Montgomery."

"Well, I'm sure a lot of mechanics stop by that gas station to and from work because it's so close." Out of his own sense of pride Hank tried to dismiss the theory and make it seem like Connor was just making wild guesses. "Any other way to prove that Randall is the robber? We need to get the arrest warrant approved if we're going to go after anyone for this mess."

"Yes." Bringing up the audio of the security footage with a cybernetic command Connor played out the clip from the robbery for Hank to hear for himself, then played a recording Randall's exit interview after he was fired earlier that day. Overlaying the two voices from the recordings showed that they synched up perfectly when displayed with an audio wave. "The voices are a perfect match."

"Holy shit..." Hank couldn't deny that Connor's investigation had been thorough, accurate and hard to disprove. "But, what's the motivation behind the robbery?"

"Randall was fired earlier this morning due to a perceived poor job performance. However, the employee records show that Randall had been written up numerous times for late arrival and for taking extended breaks. I suspect that Randall has a drinking problem, and his alcoholism was beginning to affect his work to the point where his boss deemed it necessary to terminate him from his position as a mechanic."

"Okay, now how in the fuck do you know THAT?"

"During the robbery Randall's eyes continuously drifted over to the coolers where the alcoholic beverages are being sold, his eyes are also showing a mild jaundice glaze that's indicative of alcoholism damaging the liver. Also, the robber was noticeably trembling despite being calm; muscle tremors are a sign of withdrawal."

"Poor guy's going through alcohol withdrawal AND unemployment in time for the holidays." Hank sympathized with the struggle since he knew how expensive that time of the year could be. "I almost feel bad for needing to arrest him."

"Don't feel bad for him." Connor continued in a cold and calculated tone. "He's responsible for the death of a young woman six years prior."

Hank just stared blankly at Connor as he knew that the deviant would elaborate on the details without needing any further prompts.

"Randall's height, eye color and the type of gun that he is brandishing in the robbery video all match the description given by a witness when a Carla DeLisle was found murderer in her own apartment. She had dated for Randall for six months then broke up with him when Randall cheated on her. Randall had been the prime suspect during the murder investigation; however, police were given an alibi that absolved Randall of suspicion and the case grew cold."

"Let me guess, Randall was visiting his parents and they swore up and down that Randall was with them specifically at the time that Carla had been attacked."

"Correct."

"But someone saw Randall at the apartment and forensics confirmed the caliber of the bullet that killed Carla, and you can also prove that Randall was in fact the man who killed her." Hank stated rather gruffly as he waited Connor to provide more details to the case being discussed. "Am I right?"

"Correct again."

"HOW? You can't just use speculative evidence to support your theory."

"The angle of the three bullets that tore through Carla's body confirmed that the height of the killer matches Randall's height. Also, Randall would know how to access Carla's apartment due to the length in which they had previously dated and he knew that her bedroom window would be unlocked since her apartment was on the third floor. Randall knew which window was hers and he was able to use the fire escape to climb up to the third floor, climb through the window, shot Carla three times after a heated argument, then exited the same way that he had entered."

"And the witness's statement?"

"Was entirely correct. He claimed to have heard raises voices - one male and one female - heard three shots in quick succession, then had seen someone walking from behind the apartment building where the fire escape's ladder reached the rear parking lot."

"So Randall was seen at the apartment, but with his parents' alibi there's no other way to argue that he was miraculously in two places at once!"

With another cybernetic command Connor was able to bring up the details on the old cold case and bring up additional security footage that had been previously unavailable due to lack of resourcefulness from the time when the murder had taken place. "These are the surveillance recordings of the highway leading from Detroit and to the home of Randall's parents in Lansing. Randall's personal truck was seen at the time he claimed to have left, before the murder." Bringing up new footage Connor showed Hank the security footage of the backroads connecting Detroit to Lansing. "And this is footage showing Randall's truck returning to Detroit one hour before the murder happened. He took the same route back to Lansing after he committed the murder, knowing that the police would only look at the security footage from the turnpike to very his story when he stated that he had driven that particular route."

"That fucker used the security cameras on the turnpike to cover his ass, then used the back roads to head back to Detroit to commit the murder and finally make his way to his parents' house to make his alibi seem more solid."

"Correct. I suspect the guilt over the murder led to his eventual alcoholism and subsequent termination."

Hank was stunned silent by how easily Connor not only solved his active case but closed a seemingly unrelated cold case at the same time. He knew that Connor was a prototype detective model of android and that was designed specifically to analyze all evidence and create accurate theories, yet he just couldn't accept that someone who was essentially a plastic rookie detective could easily do what a skilled and seasoned police Lieutenant could not. It was unreal.

"...Can you send all that stuff to me terminal at the precinct? And your theory?"

Connor looked away from Hank for a moment as his previously blue L.E.D. flickered in a nervous yellow. "It'd be best for you to do it. After all, you're the detective and I'm just the tool. I shouldn't be credited with solving these cases when I'm not really a detective."

"Connor, don't-" There was no way for Hank to try to tell Connor that he was wrong with his observations on the situation. The android had been told as such, then physically threatened for challenging the claim. "All right, fine. Send me the evidence so I can organize it and file it myself when I clock in tomorrow."

"Very well." Returning his exposed palm to the side of the laptop screen Connor uploaded everything that Hank would need to his precinct terminal. "Done."

"...Yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Hank let out a small sigh as he closed his laptop and rose to his feet. There was nothing more for him to do that night and only had to file his report in the morning. Eager to get some sleep Hank carried his empty coffee mug into the kitchen and set about putting the remaining leftovers inside the refrigerator. As he went about his own little task Hank heard the television turn off, then heard Connor passing through the kitchen to get to the garage on the other side of the connected laundry room.

"Goodnight, Lieutenant."

Curiously the man looked up from the fridge and saw that Connor was carrying the little stuffed dog in his hands, and he had to admit that it was very sweet of the android to humor Cole by taking on the love and care of the old toy for himself. It was only then Hank realized that Connor really didn't have anything to his name beyond the clothing, a uniform no less, on his back! The garage wasn't even truly Connor's own safe place, it was a section of the house that'd keep Connor out of Hank's way when the man wasn't in the mood to order the selfless android about.

Only after Connor retreated into the garage did Hank decide to double-check the locks on the doors and windows of the house before retiring to bed. He didn't want to admit that Connor had been a massive help since day one after he took the android in - helping both at the house and at the precinct - but Hank also knew that Connor wasn't like the other androids. The curious prototype really seemed to be self-aware and eager to help other people, not because it was ordered to help, but because it truly wanted to help.

"Fuckin' androids. Such a pain in the ass to deal with."

Mumbling to himself Hank checked on Cole for a moment before going to bed himself and gave his son a goodnight kiss on his hairline. Quietly Hank went into his own bedroom just down the hallway and changed into his night clothes to get comfortable before laying down to rest.

"Those things were supposed to help make our lives easier, but Connor is just making my life way more complicated than it should be!"

-next chapter-