The constantly snowy January weather had brought about a sense of glumness and overall melancholy that made it difficult for anyone to experience the winter in any capacity that was considered even enjoyable. The consistently gray sky, the relentlessly cold wind, the record cold temperatures and the abundance of ice bombarding Detroit had resulted in the city essentially going dormant for the remainder of winter. Such dour looking weather and the uncomfortable sensation that swarmed over anyone who stepped outside had turned even the most upbeat of a person into a quiet and despondent shell of their former selves as everyone living within Detroit waited for spring to warm the frozen city.

Connor was silently enduring a nasty headache again courtesy of the brutally cold air as he watched Sumo trotting around the snowy backyard. If he mentioned his headache then Hank would know he didn't actually install the patch to his system, and he'd want to know why. The problem was, even though it was Connor's decision to let the patch just idle untouched, he didn't know why he had done such a thing and couldn't even try to put his unusual choice into words.

Looking up at the thick snow clouds overhead Connor stared at the building snow miles above him and lamented that it'd soon have to fall. He disdained the cold weather even though there wasn't a tragedy revolving around Cole to make Hank constantly cranky or Amanda's haunting words in his mind after trying to freeze him to death the night of the Revolution to taint the season.

"Perhaps I should volunteer to set up a deviant relocation camp somewhere further south where it's warmer. That's something everyone could benefit from."

"If you head south for the winter," Hank overheard the comment as he entered the kitchen and caught Connor talking to himself as he begrudgingly stood in the opened backdoor. "you're gonna' take us with you. This cold weather is starting to hurt my joints."

"Hawaii seems like it'd be an ideal place to relocate."

"Yeah. Warm, sunny, giant fuckin' islands where you don't have to worry about a bunch loud-ass trucks blaring past the house at two in the morning... Nah!" Joining Connor by the backdoor Hank gave the deviant a coy smirk. "With our luck, the volcanoes would erupt without ever stopping."

A single hum was all Connor could say as he watched Sumo plodding through the snow and rolling about on the hard plastic cover over the pool. As long as someone was enjoying the snow and cold weather, winter couldn't be all bad, right?

"Sumo!" Hank called out to the Saint Bernard and noticed Connor flinching at the sound of his raised voice. Apologetically Hank patted Connor's shoulder with one hand and patted the side of his leg with the other. "Inside, boy. Sorry, didn't know you had another headache."

Connor lowered his voice as he gave Hank a poorly masked look of confusion. "What makes you think that I do?"

"For one, you didn't outright deny it." The sharp detective noted as Sumo entered the kitchen and he promptly took hold of the dog's leather collar. "And two, I saw you jump when I called for Sumo. Loud noises suck when your head hurts."

"It isn't anything serious." Stepping inside the kitchen after Hank led Sumo away Connor slowly closed the sliding door and made sure it didn't make a single sound as he locked the door behind him. "It'll fade once the weather warms up."

"We're in the middle of an arctic blast, son. It's not going to warm up again for weeks!"

The very notion of suffering from a chronic headache for several consecutive weeks made Connor wince as he pressed his palm to the side of his aching head as he returned to the livingroom and sat down on the couch to try and ease his discomfort. He didn't have to worry about any shifts at the precinct for the next few days since he had worked plenty of overtime and covered many shifts to let the other cops and detectives enjoy the holidays with their families, but even so he was still busy and working with New Jericho affairs even from afar.

'Markus, I'd like an update on the situation at New Jericho.' Laying over the length of the couch Connor rested his aching head against a pillow and hoped that by laying still his headache would lessen. It didn't help that when his headaches became too severe that he'd suffer from dizziness and feel nauseated. 'Was the update provided by Kamski successful?'

'Everyone who was able to receive and upload the update is doing well.' The deviant leader confirmed through their cybernetic link. There was a noted sadness as Markus spoke even within his own mind and it was hard for Connor to ignore. 'We're very fortunate that Kamski is willing to be a silent ally watching over us.'

'It seems help comes from the most unexpected places. May I ask why you seem so dejected? Is there something that I can do to help?'

'I'm not really sure. It's just-' The pregnant pause was enough to make Connor's worries double as he waited for Markus to finish his sentence. 'Have you spoken with North lately?'

'I haven't spoken with her since New Year's Eve. She contacted me at midnight to wish me a happy new year.' The lack of constant communication was beginning to take its toll on Connor's lingering guilt. There was no reason to stay away from New Jericho or his people, yet it seems his urge to remain isolated was too strong to be overcome. 'What's happened since then?'

'That's something I think she should tell you if she wants to do so. I shouldn't have even brought it up.'

'It's all right, I won't pry or let her know that you hinted toward something personal happening in her life.' Turning from his side and onto his back Connor draped his arm over his eyes and tried to block out as much light as he could. Even the simple motion was enough to make his whole head hurt and bombard him with a nasty dizzy spell. 'Anything else I should know? Any word on Chase?'

'There's a rumor circulating that Chase has been seen hiding in an abandoned office building with Bruno. He seems to be doing well for himself from what the rumors are stating.'

'That's good. Even if they are just rumors they're still a positive outcome.'

'Are you going to see him?'

'No. He doesn't want me around, and I don't want to cross any more boundaries with him by mistake.' It pained Connor to know that he had caused someone such horrible struggles even if it was an indirect result of his other decisions. 'As long as he's safe, that's all that matters.'

'Agreed. How about you? You seem to be recovering well after your own personal issue last week.'

'I'm fine.' The lie sounded hollow even inside Connor's own mind. He hated deceiving people, but he didn't want Markus to waste time worrying about him over something that he could handle by himself when he was ready to face it. 'The patch was finished, and I was able to successfully upload it.' Connor intentionally omitted the fact that he didn't actually install the patch yet. 'There have been no permanent side effects to my person.'

'That's good to know. I'd hate for one of my best friends to be incapacitated over something as trivial as prototyping.' Laughing a little Markus reflected on his own situation and of how he and Connor were very much alike in that sense. 'As one prototype to another, I can officially confirm that glitches are obnoxious and intrusive.'

'Did the update affect you or anyone else at the tower?'

'No, we managed to avoid any serious glitches and errors. We're all safe.' The deviant leader sounded relieved and yet a little hurried as he continued to speak with Connor over their private cybernetic link. 'I have a meeting with Mayor Nero in about fifteen minutes. I'll let you know how everything turns out afterward.'

'All right, talk to you soon, Markus. Thanks for the updates.'

Lowering his arm from his eyes Connor sighed and noticed that Hank had rejoined him in the livingroom and was now quietly reading a book in the recliner. It was nice to see that some things between the two timelines were consistent, such as Hank's hobbies and caring nature, whereas a few other details could do with some improvements.

Just as it seemed the house was going to remain quiet Cole returned home and brought a friend with him. As he and Asher kicked off the snow and ice from their boots Connor gave Asher a onceover and noticed that he had managed to lose some weight and was looking much happier and healthier compared to the last time he had since the boy. Changes were happening all over the city and to seemingly everyone.

"Hey, dad, hey, Connor." Cole casually greeted as he showed Asher up the staircase. "My new room's up here, you gotta' see it!"

Asher just gave Hank and Connor a casual wave as he accompanied Cole upstairs and had no problem keeping up with his friend. He did seem to be in a better place and had found a way to better himself all thanks to a little constructive discussion with Connor on a Halloween night that seemed so long ago.

"Hopefully they'll keep it down." Hank mentioned as he peered over the top of his well worn copy of 'The Maltese Falcon' to look at Connor on the couch. "I know you're trying to not complain about your head hurting you, but it's okay. Headaches suck."

"Complaining is irrelevant and superfluous. There's nothing to be done about my headache or the current weather."

"Maybe not, but I bet a change of scenery could do us all some good."

"How so?"

"Well," closing his book with a satisfying 'thud' Hank leaned forward and gave the book a light toss to drop it down on the coffee table. "this winter has been very cold and very gray and just very annoying thanks to all the snow and ice gettin' in the way. The city looks like a ghost town half the time we're on patrol, and we haven't seen the sun in what feels like months. I think we should take this rare opportunity at having the weekend off to head out of the city and go somewhere else just to get a nice change of scenery and get away from all this depressing looking crap in the city."

"I see." Unwilling to leave Detroit for his own reasons Connor tried to politely decline the offer as he remained on the couch. "It'd be unwise for me to leave the area in the event of an emergency. I'm needed here."

"That doesn't mean you're not allowed to have a life where you're not tethered to one place or a group of people at any given time."

Before Connor had the chance to decline a second time Hank pulled his phone from his pocket and began scrolling through some key contacts before making a call in private within the kitchen. It was strange to see Hank acting so determined without his temper being at the heart of his decisions. He was truly a much happier and less destructive soul with his young son still in his life.

The deviant detective had also noted that Hank never drank anything alcoholic and was actively taking care to not eat anything overtly greasy, salty or full of saturated fats without needing Connor or anyone else to monitor him. Hank was eating right, not drinking and even taking the time to work-out in the basement whenever he had the chance or excess energy to burn off in a positive manner.

"All right, son. Go pack a bag and get ready for a weekend away from work." Hank stated with a smile on his face as he held up the phone for Connor to see before slipping it back into his pocket. "We're going to spend the weekend at a secluded cabin about an hour outside of the city. It'll be nice and quiet, far away from the problems here in Detroit, and with any luck it'll give us something less bleak to look at for two days."

"You... can take a vacation with such little warning?"

"As a Lieutenant with a nearby flawless record, yeah. I just told Jeffrey I was taking two days off so he didn't have to worry about giving me full P.T.O. this year, and he was all for it. We'll leave first thing in the morning, so get packed now."

"I'm not sure that I should-"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Hank put his hands to his hips and used his 'dad voice' to get Connor to stop worrying and to listen to reason. "Connor, you need to learn that self-care is NOT selfish. Going out of town for two days just to decompress and destress is a GOOD thing. You can't just wait for someone else to give you permission to live your life and take care of yourself, you need to take that initiative for yourself. Got it?"

"I... think so."

"Cool." With a heart pat to the deviant's shoulder Hank smirked as he made his way upstairs to begin packing for himself. "I'll let Cole know, and before you know it we'll be out of the city and enjoying a nice vacation far away from all this madness for just two precious days."

Connor placed his palm down on his shoulder where Hank had just given him a friendly pat and realized how much he had missed those little signs of affection from the man that he considered his father figure. It was odd how the simple pat on his shoulder actually made Connor feel better despite his lingering headache refusing to leave him alone. With that realization Connor decided that made Hank's advice could be just as useful and beneficial.

"...Hank's right. I'm allowed to take time for myself and do things for myself without them being selfish by default."

Taking in a slow breath Connor stood upright slowly and approached the staircase with every intention of packing a bag as he had been instructed.

"It'll be okay for me to take a few days to get away from the city and find out more about myself."

The snowfall and icy conditions remained a chronic nuisance even after Hank had driven far outside the city to a modest cabin out in the forest and on the bank of a quiet, peaceful lake. There was snow covering the roads, the trees and every small building that had been constructed along the forested route. It was a silent and serene drive from Detroit, and yet the slick roads and unbearable cold made the journey feel unusually tense. Hank had complete control over the vehicle and showed no fear of the potentially dangerous road conditions ahead, whereas Connor was incredibly guarded as he scanned and preconstructed every inch of the roads in the event of disaster. Meanwhile, Cole sat in the backseat with Sumo sprawled over his lap while he looked out his window and watched the snow and ice covered trees being passed by with an unbreakable sense of wonder.

During the silent drive Hank kept watching over Connor beside him and Cole's reflection in the rearview mirror. As a father his primary concern was the comfort and safety of his family, and he didn't want anything to happen to those he cared for the most.

"You okay?" Hank noticed that Connor was tensed up where he sat and seemed unusually nervous. "Androids don't get car-sick, do they?"

"I'm not nauseated." Connor confirmed as he fell back against his seat and closed his eyes. Pulling his quarter from his jean pocket he began fidgeting with it nervously as he spoke. "I am merely experiencing another headache from the lack of air movement inside the car, as well as the feeling of being enclosed in an uncommonly small space."

"Sounds like you're a little claustrophobic." The senior detective observed keenly as he turned on the air inside the car and pointed the vents toward Connor's face to try to make him feel better. "That's new."

"Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed or small places..." The deviant expertly described the fear and feeling. "That isn't a fear that I can personally relate to."

"Well, whatever's bothering you, it should stop once we're at the cabin."

"You seem to know these roads fairly well." Noticing Hank's keen sense of direction Connor asked about Hank's familiarity with the area. "Have you been here before?"

"Yup. Me and my dad went fishing up here every summer from when I was four years old until I was fourteen. I got to take Cole fishing with me only four times before work got too hectic and made it almost impossible to get weekends like this away from the city anymore."

Connor opened his eyes and noticed Hank's focused gaze as he focused on the snow covered dirt road they were traversing. "How long are we going to be up here?"

"I figured two days would be enough to relax without having to worry about some weird-ass disaster hitting the city or some lunatic rampaging against androids because of some other stupid bullshit. Forty-eight hours of nothing but peace and quiet."

Smiling vaguely at the comment Connor watched as the modest log cabin at the end of a lengthy drive came into view through the thick green trees that surrounded the road. The building was isolated yet had a very welcoming presence.

"This is it." Hank confirmed with a simple point of his finger through the windshield. "Hopefully we don't have to clean up after some rowdy teens hiding out of the city during the past summer break before we unpack."

"Rowdy teens? What do they do so far away from the city?"

This time it was Hank who smiled as the question was so naive and innocent. "Don't worry about it, kid. I'm sure everything is fine." Turning around Hank looked at Cole in the backseat and gave his young son a big smile. "Look familiar, Cole?"

"Yeah, I remember this place." Cole unfastened his seatbelt and patted Sumo's back excitedly. "We came here a lot when I was small."

"You're still small!"

Ignoring the jovial banter Connor stepped out of the car as Hank turned off the engine and pocketed the key at the same time Connor pocketed his coin. The cabin was unlike any building that Connor had seen in the city.

It was a two story cabin of vibrant amber hued timber with a dark shingles over top. The roof dipped down low near the sides of the cabin to shelter the siding from weather. Two large windows outlined the front door atop the wooden porch and a single large window overlooked the area from the second floor. A clearing of green grass behind the cabin provided adequate room for camping outside, having bonfires or picnics. The property also led right to a large oak dock stretching out into the crystal clear lake beyond.

"This entire cabin is for the three of us?"

"Yup." Hank confirmed as he pushed the driver's seat forward to reach into the backseat to let Cole and Sumo out before getting the other packed things from the floor. "Plenty of space and no one around for miles. Go check out the lake out back. It's the clearest water in all of Michigan. Actually, I guess it'll be the clearest ice in all of Michigan right now."

Connor watched as Hank fussed with the fishing poles thrown in the backseat for a few seconds before he walked around the side of the cabin to the rear of the property. Thick pine trees towered over the cabin with an intimidating presence of nature that was somehow foreign in concept to Connor. Being born in a lab under cold, mechanical prosthetic limbs had an unexpected effect on Connor's perception of life as a whole after his deviancy set in. There were times that Connor seemed to view the world through the innocent eyes of a child rather than a state-of-the-art prototype model designed to work as a flawless detective.

The drastic change in Connor's life was for the better, even if it was in fact very confusing at times.

From where he stood on the snow and ice layered sandy lake shore drew Connor's admired the expansive, large clear lake. Curiously Connor looked out over the frozen lake and ran a cybernetic scan finding no sign of other human life or activity in the area. There was virtually no life to be spoken of courtesy of the indigenous wildlife laying low or hibernating through the remaining weeks of winter.

"Not bad, huh?" Hank stated confidently as he dropped the fishing gear beside the lake and motioned for Connor to follow him back to the car where Cole and Sumo were running about and stretching their legs. "Help me clean out the car then we can head out onto the lake for a few hours."

Turning around slowly to follow after Hank, the deviant assisted in unpacking the car and bringing their luggage inside the cabin. It was an easy feat for the two detectives and the simple task did not deter either of them from being able to relax a little and fully enjoy their vacation. It was a rare feat for anyone working as a first responder to have a weekend away from problems, and Connor was determined to enjoy it.

The trio of vacationers were bundled up in thick clothing from head to toe as they made their way out toward the center of the frozen lake on foot. Hank was carrying a large metal corkscrew for cutting through the ice over his shoulder while Connor carried the three fishing poles and tackle box at his side. Cole was dragging a sled that had three camping chairs folded up laying on top, as well as a small thermal bag holding some food and drinks to ensure everyone could snack while fishing without needing to walk all the way back to the cabin. Even Sumo had joined everyone out on the lake for the afternoon, albeit for his own activities of rolling around and enjoying the snowy weather as opposed to actually fishing.

While Hank used the metal corkscrew to carve a hole into the ice after locating an area that had thick enough ice to support everyone's weight, Connor put up the chairs and laid out a soft towel for Sumo lay on to prevent his paws from getting frostbitten. Cole was more interested in help Hank dig the hole in the ice and wanted to see how thick the ice was under his feet.

"Keep back, son." Hank warned as he pulled up the corkscrew and used his boot to brush away the small ice shavings from around the hole. He held up one hand to keep Cole from getting too close to the hole in the ice. "We don't want ya' fallin' in again."

"I won't fall, dad."

"Hope so." Watching Connor carefully Hank noted that the deviant seemed to be preoccupied despite being away from work and wanted to help Connor stop thinking for just a few precious minutes. "Okay, now let's get our poles set up and try to catch some fish."

"Are we going to eat them again?"

"Nah, too messy and it takes too much time." As he set up the three poles with the lines and reels Hank saw Connor's shoulders relax a little and he began to wonder if Connor would've been offended by Cole and himself catching, killing and eating the fish. "Besides, I brought food from home so we can have some nice hot burgers this evening for dinner."

"What about lunch?"

"Check that thermal container. I warmed up some mini burritos in the microwave, and yes, I put extra jalapenos on yours."

"Good! I love jalapenos!"

"Surprised you don't breathe fire these days..." Setting up Cole's hook first Hank placed a fake work on the sharp point and helped Cole release his reel to drop the baited hook into the water as opposed to giving it a full cast. "All right, son. Hang on to your rod and watch the bobber closely."

"How long are we going to do this?"

"Not too long. It's freezing out, but I didn't want to pass up the chance to get in some fishing while we're at the lake." While he sat in his chair and set up the next line and hook Hank casually made conversation with Connor to get the deviant back into reality and enjoying their vacation. "What's on your mind, Connor? You look like you're trying to solve the mysteries of the universe right now."

"I'm merely keeping tabs on New Jericho by communicating with North." It wasn't a total lie, but it also wasn't entirely accurate as to what Connor was doing. He had reached out to North during his walk across the lake and learned of her current plight. "There seems to be some mild... unrest."

"Son, stop working." Hank grabbed Connor's wrist and placed the fishing pole into his hand as he proceeded to carve a second hole in the ice. "You're on vacation. The city is always going to need someone to be doing something for someone else, but it isn't always going to be your responsibility. What's so important that it looks like it sucked the fun right out of ya'?"

Connor opened his eyes and gave Hank a somber gaze as he finally acknowledged the fishing pole in his grip. "I cannot say as I don't want to breach the trust of a friend who is experiencing something very personal and upsetting."

"O-Oh, uh, sorry." Hank quickly recognized what Connor was trying to say and decided to drop the matter entirely. "Just, uh, try to have some fun this weekend, all right? You deserve a nice weekend away from the city."

"I know. It's just difficult to stop worrying."

"Tell me about it." Setting up the third fishing pole and then carving the third hole in the ice finally gave Hank the chance to cast his own line and attempt to catch a fish or two before he felt too cold to be out on the lake. "When I'm at home I'm worrying about Cole even when he's right beside me in the livingroom. Then when I'm at work I'm worrying about the city AND Cole, and I'm trying to remind myself that the worst case scenario isn't the only outcome for everything that'll happen."

"Yes, I can understand why."

"You know something, kid? You'd be a good father." Hank casually dropped his baited hook into the icy water of the freshly cut hole and watched the bright yellow bobber intently for any sign of movement. "You're insanely patient, you're caring, you're devoted to everything you do, and you've been an amazing guardian for Cole without needing anyone to essentially point you in the right direction."

"That is a kind thing to say, but androids aren't currently capable of having our own families."

"Why not?" Leaning back in his chair Hank placed the end of the fishing pole between his knees and then breathed into his cold palms to warm them up a little while sitting out in the cold air. "I've seen androids playing surrogate for humans, so I know that CyberLife made all the 'right parts' so to speak."

"Androids aren't permitted to purchase the necessary biological donations since the legality around android family units is still being debated." As he spoke Connor seemed to be opening up about a personal pain that he had been keeping hidden for far too long. "We aren't legally allowed to act as medical or familial proxies in the event of an emergency, and we aren't legally allowed to adopt any children, which means we cannot go through the process of biological reproduction."

"Yeah, but I've also seen little kid androids running around too. What about them?"

"The 'YK' models of androids do not age." The very idea of being trapped in an endless childhood seemed nightmarish to anyone who was very aware of the world and how dangerous it could be for any children. "They will remain children in mind and body for the entirety of their existence, and New Jericho is looking to find a way to transfer the consciousness, emotions and memories of such models into more advanced models to allow them to live a fulfilling existence without age restrictions and other limitations."

"There's only little kid androids? Not, uh... infants?"

"The infant model is used only for educational or therapeutic purposes for humans." Another headache was coming on, but Connor didn't want to complain about it and ruin the fishing expedition by accident. "The infant model is also deemed very controversial and will have their designs modified to allow them to actually grow and develop as a human child would. That'll still take time to accomplish since it'll require an android body to physically change and grow."

"Jeez, I had no idea that androids were going to have such a struggle to just have what us humans take for granted." Hank could now understand why Connor was so stressed out and trying so hard to be in two places at once and play so many different roles. "Most humans are born right into families or find families on their own after going through their own life experiences. Androids aren't even born! You guys are built and then thrown right into the thick of things without any warning."

Cole listened in everything being spoken as he absentmindedly pulled on his line in the water while waiting for a fish to take the bait. "Does that mean androids don't have birthdays?"

"That is correct." Connor confirmed as he reeled in his line and put the fishing pole aside. He had no interest in the sport and the intense cold around him compelled Connor to tuck his hands into his jacket pockets to keep them warm. "Since androids aren't actually born and no one gives birth to us, we do not have birthdays."

"You should!" The optimistic little boy cheered as he continued to rhythmically pull on his line to make the baited hook deep within the water dance around. "You can pick any day you want and then you'll have a reason to hang out with your friends and do anything you want!"

"That's not possible." The deviant detective sounded truly morose as he admitted to yet another feat what was intangible for androids to accomplish. "Androids can't just do something like that."

"Why not? A lot of people have their birthdays on days that aren't really their birthdays because of school or something, so why can't androids just pick a day and celebrate their birthday like that?"

"Technically androids will never have birthdays because we're never born. We're simply created and activated."

"Have a 'Create-Day' or an 'Activate-Day' then!"

Hank just gave the conversation a small shake of his head as he listened to the odd debate taking place around him. "How about we just focus on fishing and then head back to the cabin so we can warm up in front if the fireplace, hm? We can discuss potential android holidays later."

Retreating into his mind Connor resumed communicating with North on a private cybernetic link and tried to find a way to help his friend. While they were never close in the original timeline Connor was aware that their relationship could change for the better if he gave it a chance. The best way to make such a change was to reach out to North and offer her his help and a shoulder to cry on while she contemplated her options and tried to figure out a solution to her current problem.

It was strange how Connor had initially cared only about keeping Hank and Cole safe from all the ills in the world, then focused on Markus and the rest of Jericho. Now he couldn't seem to stop caring about the other deviants in the world and of what fate potentially had in store for them. He never cared that much about North due to her previously hostile nature toward him, and he never even knew of Chase in the original timeline, but now he couldn't get them out of his head.

After barely an hour had passed the group decided to head back to the cabin and accept the two fish that had taken the bait were going to be their only catches for the weekend. The idea of ice fishing never appealed to the deviant detective, but he at least tried the sport to humor Hank and Cole while they enjoyed the little activity together. While the two humans warmed up by taking turns in the warm shower upstairs and layering up in thick clothing, Connor proceeded to make the duo some hot chocolate in the kitchen and dried off Sumo's fur in the livingroom. Even the Saint Bernard - a breed that was born to survive in icy environments - seemed to be uncomfortable during the passing arctic blast.

The serene silence of the cabin was soothing in a way that Connor couldn't argue against as he sat in front of the blazing hearth with a blanket wrapped around his body and Sumo laying over his lap. Only the crackling of the glowing fire disturbed the silence as it gave off an inviting and calming warmth that pushed away the relentless cold that smothered the entire forest surrounding the cabin and lake.

Hank walked into the livingroom with his thick hoodie, sweatpants, slippers and a blanket wrapped around him as he joined Connor by the fire. The man knew that Connor was struggling with something personal and emotional, but he just didn't know what it was or how he could help.

"Maybe tomorrow we can try walking around the forest instead of sitting out in the cold trying to catch fish. The forest looks amazing during the winter." The man suggested casually as he sat on the couch that Connor was leaning against so he could speak with the deviant directly. "I know you're not feeling great, so I don't want you to do anything you don't feel up to doing. I kinda' understand what's going on with you, and I can help Cole to understand it too."

"I'll go on the walk." Connor stared at the flames in the hearth in an almost hypnotic fashion. "I don't want to ruin the vacation."

"Hey, you're not ruining anything, son. You act like you're the first person in the world to get a headache or just feel like shit while out on vacation." Sympathetically Hank put his hand to Connor's shoulder and didn't notice that Connor leaned into his touch since his hands were still pretty cold from fishing. "I've gotten sick a few times while on vacation, and then there are just some days that you don't feel like yourself and you can't put what you're experiencing into words. It's okay to have a bad day even without there being any real reason to feel bad. It's a part of being human."

"But I'm not human. I look human, sound human, feel and think as humans do, but I will never be a human. I'm just an android." Pulling his legs up to his chest as Sumo whined in protest at looking his pillow, Connor bowed his head down and pressed his forehead atop his knees. "But just like a human, I will eventually cease all functions and I'll succumb to time itself."

"Are you having a mid-life crisis? At what... four years old?"

"Actually, I'm five years old when you include the year that I was alive before I-" Connor stopped himself short before he began speaking too analytically. "It doesn't matter. I'm merely aware of my limitations as an android, and I'm aware that I can't correct all mistakes or protect everyone I care about."

"Okay, that was a little too specific." Hank's fatherly instincts were on full alert when he heard the unspoken concern in Connor's voice. "Who's in trouble, son?"

Keeping quiet for a moment Connor decided it was best to keep particular information to himself. "...It's not my place to say."

"All right, so you're keeping something private to protect someone else's privacy, that's good. Can I at least get a hint as to what this problem is?"

"...An error that cannot be corrected."

"So you're worried about another deviant." Taking a moment to think Hank did his best to deduce the identity of the deviant in distress without Connor having to outright say their name. "It's not Markus, right?"

"Correct. Markus is fully functional and is not suffering from any type of error."

"All right, that's good. Are you talking about Chase?"

"No." Even though Connor didn't know what to really call Chase since the deviant didn't want to be known by that name, he couldn't bring himself to simply refer to Chase as the 'RK-900' every time he was brought up. "I've been informed that he's doing well and isn't suffering from any errors or glitches."

"Then you're worried about another one of the Jericho leaders. I won't try to narrow it down any further, but I will try to offer you some advice if you're willing to hear me out."

Opening his eyes Connor turned his head and gave Hank a small nod of affirmation. "Please."

"It's okay to worry about them, but it's not okay to just assume the worst thing is going to happen or believe that you're unable to help them." The fear and sense of doubt hovering over Connor's mind just didn't suit the stubborn deviant. "You can do so much more than you realize, even if you are 'just an android' and won't live forever. No one lives forever, son. It's a horrible truth we all need to accept, and we need to learn how to make our lives worth living and stop only counting the years as they pass us by."

"It's hard to not assume the worst when I can't even think of a single good way to help someone who needs help."

"I know it is. That's the curse of being a detective and an empathetic soul." Hank kept his hand in place without realizing how grounded he was making Connor feel in that moment. All Hank cared about was helping Connor through his emotional crisis. "You're both of those things at once. It's going to hurt you a lot more than the average person whenever you face these challenges, but you shouldn't give up on hope or lose sight of a positive outcome. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Turning his attention back to the hearth Connor focused on the warm flames and away from his own cold emotions. "I think so."

"That's good. Try to relax and enjoy your vacation now." The sound of Cole rushing down the staircase and rushing into the livingroom drew both detective's attention to the little boy as he joined them in the livingroom. "This type of peace and quiet needs to be taken advantage of at every possible opportunity."

"I'm aware, and I'll try to enjoy this weekend. I promise."

Cole was bundled up in his pajamas, slippers and a large blanket as well as he strolled over and sat beside Connor on the floor. The little boy had a cheeky grin as he presented Connor with something he had concealed just under his blanket. "Here, Connor. This is for you!"

"What is it?" The deviant asked as he watched Cole toss aside his blanket with a flourish to reveal the item in his hand. It was a mass of blue and white Lego bricks arranged in a specific fashion. "It looks like... A cupcake?"

"Yup! Happy Active Day!" Placing the Lego cupcake down into Connor's palm Cole sat back and explained his reasoning before Connor could even ask why in the world Cole had given him such a gift. "Since you can't eat real cake, I made you a fake cupcake that'll last forever."

"That was very nice of you." Eyeing the small gift in his palm Connor knew that he wasn't going to be able to get away from the idea of a birthday anytime soon and decided to just roll with it since it'd made Cole feel good to do something nice for him. "Thank you."

Hank agreed with what Cole had done and reached out his free hand to ruffle Cole's hair even with the blanket covering his head. "Next year we'll let Connor pick his own birth date and we'll have a proper celebration. For now, let's get that hot chocolate Connor made for us and warm up by the fire."

Cole liked that idea and got back to his feet as he wrapped his blanket tightly around his body. "Want me to get a game out of the closet?"

"Good idea. Go find 'Monopoly'." The man insisted as he gave Connor's shoulder one last shake before he rose from the couch to head into the kitchen. He had a feeling that Connor didn't want to be left alone for too long and he didn't want to give the deviant anything else to stress over. "We're going to be in here for the rest of the day, so we might as well play a game that'll take well into the night to finish! And no, there is no calling dibs on 'Boardwalk' this time!"

Connor remained on the floor and straightened out his legs once more as he felt less worried and more secure. The moment his legs were stretched out Sumo climbed back onto his lap and wagged his tail happily. Having the bundle of fluff staying loyal at his side was reassuring in itself.

"Hank's right, Sumo." Whispering to the large dog Connor rubbed Sumo's chin and did his best to stop worrying about things he couldn't control, change or undo as he tried to enjoy the rest of their vacation at the cabin. "I need to accept that I can't change the world, let alone the people in my life just because I want to protect them from something bad happening. Instead, I need to focus on a way to stand by them regardless of what happens to them and to myself."

-next chapter-