Outside the City: December 24th, 2038

The snowfall that winter had been very deep and nearly relentless as Christmas Eve arrived at long last. While seemingly everyone else in Detroit was last minute shopping downtown or traveling to their friends and families for the holidays, Hank decided to take Cole out of the busy city to get in some wintertime fun by going sledding without worrying about the hill being overly crowded. The fresh snow on the hill and the continuously falling snow from above gave the area a truly magical feeling as the father and son duo bonded together and just enjoyed not having to go anywhere or do anything else that day. The Lieutenant would have to work the next day on Christmas, but on Christmas Eve he was free to do what he wanted and planned on celebrating Christmas as soon as they got back home.

Connor had remained at the house to not only allow Hank and Cole to have some fun time alone, but to begin cooking Christmas dinner so that they could eat something warm as soon as they got back home. The sooner dinner was served, the sooner the small family could exchange and open their gifts together. It was important to Connor to be as helpful and supportive as he could since the holidays as Hank and Cole knew them were going to be vastly different in one year's time.

"What do you think?" Hank asked in a huffing breath as he and Cole reached the bottom of the hill for the umpteenth time that day and looked back up at the top now so far above and behind them. They both had beet red noses, cheeks and ears, and big smiles on their faces as they spent the day together at the snowy hill. "One more trip down the hill?"

"Yeah! This is awesome!"

"All right. We'll make sure to go as fast as we can on this last trip down the hill, then we'll head for home." The supportive father decided as he got back to his feet and grabbed the large wooden toboggan by its pull rope at the front of the sled. The snow seemingly doubled in depth during the past hour and it was going to get harder to keep walking up the hill, let alone drive back to the house. "The snow's getting deep, and we want to get home before we need to wait for the snowplows to clear us a fresh path."

"Can we drive a snowplow back home?"

"Sure! As soon as you're sixteen, get the proper licensing and buy your own snowplow, then we'll use the snowplow to get back and forth between the house and this hill every winter."

"That'll be so cool!"

Laughing as he trudged up the hill with the toboggan behind him and Cole beside him, Hank decided that he would take Cole out sledding every winter for as long as the little boy asked him. He knew that Cole wouldn't be a little kid forever and that he wouldn't want to pal around with his dad all the time anymore, so Hank knew to cherish the moments as they happened and never take them for granted.

"Yeah, damn right it will."

"Why didn't Connor come out with us?"

"Because I wanted some fun time with just you. Besides," trudging up the hill together Hank spoke to Cole in a mature and understanding manner. "Connor doesn't like being out in the snow and cold. Not sure why."

"Maybe he doesn't like feeling cold like we do."

"Or maybe it doesn't want its gizmos and gadgets to freeze up. Remember when it fell in the pond with you?"

"Yeah, I remember." That particular winter memory wasn't one of Cole's favorites and now served as a cautionary tale about not being aware of his surroundings at all times. "That sucked!"

"For everyone involved." Hank agreed as they reached the top of the hill and planted the toboggan on the peak and aimed at the base of the hill. "All right, ready for the big rush?"

"Yeah! But this time..." Cole backed up a few paces and seemed to line himself up for a swift dive onto the sled. "Let's get a running start! We'll go super fast this time!"

The Anderson Residence: December 24th, 2037

The house not only smelled of Christmas cheer courtesy of Connor's amazing skills in the kitchen, but it magically looked the part as well. The kitchen was full of perfectly cooked and seasoned food composed of Christmas traditional favorites, as well as Hank and Cole's personal favorites to make sure the dinner was as special and welcoming as ever for the two humans once they returned home. There were colorful and shiny decorations all over the house inside and out, and the Christmas in the corner was glowing with lights of every color as the countless ornaments hung from the bushy green branches. Garland was draped over every door frame, window and the fireplace mantle, and lights were glowing in every window.

Outside the house Connor had managed to hang strings of lights along the gutters, outline every window, the front door and the garage door, and he even managed to stick giant plastic candy canes along the front walk to create a glowing pathway up to the front door. Giant colorful spherical ornaments hung from hooks from the gutters and glowing, white reindeer sat on the front property to add some cheer to the otherwise blank front yard.

"Almost finished with dinner, Sumo. You can wait."

The deviant busied himself in the kitchen and managed to step around Sumo without any problems. Having the massive, lovable dog keeping him company made it a little more bearable to do so much work with such little appreciation. In fact, Connor had prepared Sumo a special meal of his own that was entirely safe for a dog to eat without him getting sick.

As he cooked Connor kept glancing out the window above the kitchen sink and watched the heavy snow turn into a snowstorm. The idea of being out in the deep snow and the extreme cold always made Connor think of Amanda and how she tried to freeze him to death inside his own mind to prevent him from truly deviating and aiding Markus during the Revolution. He had managed to break free of her control and do the right thing, but in spite of his success he still felt the fear of near death and near failure constantly looming over him even years later and in a new timeline.

A playful 'boof' from Sumo brought Connor back to his senses and back to his task at hand. A quick rub of Sumo's ears and a visual sweep of the house helped Connor distract his thoughts and focus on something far less bleak.

"Fortunately, since Cole no longer believes in Santa Claus, I can put out the Christmas gifts as Hank had requested without ruining the holiday."

Sumo just watched Connor busying himself in the kitchen and wagged his tail happily as the deviant spoke to him.

"It's odd. I had initially thought that once Cole no longer believed in such a person that it'd be easier to prepare for the holidays without needing to worry about accidentally ruining the illusion for Cole in the process. Now I find it almost... sad that Cole no longer believes in such a concept as magic."

As he opened the oven door and checked on the large ham baking inside, Connor felt Sumo suddenly appear at his side and took the aroma of the delicious warm food more directly.

"I suppose that's another one of the childhood milestones that makes a parent happy and simultaneously breaks their hearts. Their child is growing up, and their child is becoming far more intelligent and aware of the world around them. It'll be harder to keep up the fun of make-believe and keep the sense of imagination alive as children continue to grow up and mature."

Sumo turned to look at Connor and pawed his arm as if begging for just a sample of the baked ham since it smelled so good.

"You'll get your own meal soon enough, boy. Wait for Hank and Cole to return."

The Saint Bernard huffed as Connor closed the oven door and didn't fall prey to the lovable oaf's big, sad puppy-dog eyes. After rubbing Sumo's chin lightly Connor straightened back up and washed off his hands before touching any other food to prevent dog fur contamination.

"Be patient. I'm sure that they'll be home soon enough."

A sudden cybernetic text message from Hank seemingly confirmed that Connor was right, and that dinner would be served soon.

"In fact, I believe Hank and Cole are returning as of this moment and Hank wants to make sure everything is ready..."

Outside the City: December 24th, 2038

The autonomous van had failed to engage in drive mode and pull out onto the road despite Hank repeatedly trying to get the vehicle to move. All autonomous vehicles were equipped with emergency protocols that prevented the vehicles from engaging during what were considered emergency weather conditions unless the vehicles were preemptively designated as emergency vehicles upon purchase. Even after switching the van over to manual controls Hank couldn't get the van to pull onto the road since the snow was so deep that it had created drifts beneath the van that kept it from gaining any traction. The tires spun and failed to catch anything for balance and traction, and just flung loose snow and ice in all directions behind the vehicle.

After trying and failing for the past twenty minutes to get free Hank had to admit defeat and accept that he and Cole weren't going to get back to the city any time soon in the van. They'd have to wait for a tow truck to pull them out of the snow or they'd have to walk back home on foot. The snow was falling in thick flakes all around them and building up fast creating deeper snow trenches that would all the more difficult to dig out. The wind was starting to pick up and made the air twice as chilly and stirred up the snow in gusting whirlwinds that encircled the trapped van.

"Damn. Too bad you're not sixteen and have your own snowplow, huh?" Joking a little Hank reached out his hand and ruffled Cole's snow matted hair to fluff up the locks again. "It might be a minute before we get back home."

"More than that." Cole huffed as he ate one of the granola bars that Hank kept stuffed in the glove box in case of emergency. "When's the tow truck going to get here?"

"About... twenty or thirty minutes."

"That's not so long."

"Well, that's how long it'll take for the truck to get here. It'll take another ten minutes to get the van out of the ditch and then another thirty or so minutes to make the drive back home."

"Ah, man... What about Connor?" Finishing off his snack Cole looked to his dad for some support and answers regarding their currently stunted plans. "He doesn't know where we are."

"I texted him and let him know what's going on. It's all right." Leaning back in his seat Hank checked the monitor installed in the dashboard and began searching for something to watch to tide them over until help arrived. The little monitor doubled as a G.P.S. unit and a fully functional television. "Think we could find one of those cheesy Christmas movies to watch and make fun of?"

"No. It'll just be a news report or some other boring thing."

"Maybe. But let's take a look anyway." It was still snowing and getting dark. Keeping the heater turned up and Cole distracted was important to ensure that his son didn't panic or feel unsafe. "We'll be sure to find something really cheesy when we get back home."

Cole peered out his window to watch the snowstorm raging beside him on the other side of the glass and doubted his dad's claims. "If we get home."

"Hey, we will. Snowstorms and Michigan go hand-in-hand, it's nothing we can't handle."

"What if we get stuck out here? We're going to miss Christmas."

"Not a chance! We're going to go home, have dinner, open our gifts and find one of the weirdest, cheesiest Christmas movies of all time to make fun of." Lightly Hank gave Cole's shoulder a reassuring shake as he did everything that he could to give Cole confidence that they were still going to have a Merry Christmas. "I promise."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a detective, and I've gone through this before. I know exactly what to do in these kinds of situations."

What Hank failed to mention was how he also knew that stranded motorists who were exposed to the extreme cold for prolonged periods of time were at risk of severe hypothermia and even frostbite. The longer they were stuck out in the snowstorm, the more likely they were to suffer from the ill effects of the cold exposure. Even with emergency supplies in the van including blankets, water and some food, Hank knew that it wouldn't be good for either Cole or himself to be out in the cold dark without proper shelter or a source of continuous warmth.

Needing a little distraction Hank continued to fuss with the monitor and looked to Cole to see how well his son was holding up. "Maybe Connor has the right idea in staying home and away from all this snowy mess."

"Yeah, but he doesn't get to play any games in the snow or do anything else fun because he hates the cold weather."

"Connor's an android, son. It doesn't like or hate anything."

"He likes us." Cole countered as he crossed his arms and gave his dad a smug look. "And Sumo. And music. And cooking. And-"

"All right, all right." There was no way to deny that Cole had a valid point about the enigmatic android. "I admit it, Connor does seem to like some things."

"So that means he doesn't like some other things too."

"Yeah, you're right." There was no point in trying to convince Cole otherwise since his son has had his mind made up about Connor since day one of meeting him. It was just easier to agree than it was to argue at that point. "Maybe next winter we should-"

A pair of bright yellow headlights appeared through the curtain of blowing snow obstructing the road and shone over the snowbound van. The sight of another vehicle driving along the outskirts of the city was a good sign and made Hank perk right up as he was certain that the tow truck had arrived at last.

"Look at that. Guess the tow truck is going to get us... Wait." Hank smirked and chuckled when he realized that he recognized the approaching vehicle and gave Cole's shoulder another shake. "No way."

"What?" Cole tried to get a better look at the approaching vehicle, but he had a hard time peering over the high window beside him. "Who's here?"

"I'll give you one guess..." Opening his door Hank greeted their rescuer and gave them an approving smirk. "Connor."

"Connor's here?" Leaning out of his seat Cole looked over his dad and saw Connor now standing in the opened van doorway. "Connor!"

"I received your message." Connor confirmed as he gave both Hank and Cole a small smile. The deviant was bundled up in his leather jacket and beanie to avoid being chilled by the snowstorm, yet he was still trembling from the intense weather and lingering fear of the cold. "And I decided to come and find you. The roads are slick, but it's nothing that I can't handle."

"All right, let's get going." Hank turned off the van's engine to preserve gas and made sure Cole was properly bundled up before exiting the van and making their way over to the Oldsmobile idling on the road. The deep snow made Hank shudder with a noted chill as he let out a huff as he helped Cole climb out of the van through the same opened door. "Are you ready to go home and get some good food?"

"Yup!" Cole jumped down into the deep snow and trudged over to the Oldsmobile with Connor safely leading him to the vehicle. "I'm starving!"

Relieved to have someone actually come out and help them while they were stranded in the snow, Hank locked up the van and slipped the key into his pocket before joining Connor and Cole already sitting inside the Oldsmobile. It was hard to imagine that anyone would be able to reach the isolated road so far outside the city during an active snowstorm, let alone an android that hadn't exactly been treated with respect by the man after so many years.

"Seatbelts on?" Hank asked as he sat down in the front passenger seat and allowed Connor to try them all back home. "Good. Okay, Connor. You know where home is, and you know how to get there without slipping off the roads at the same time. Take us there."

The bode of confidence from the Lieutenant wasn't expected but appreciated. Being very careful and using his preconstruction software to guide his route, Connor managed to drive everyone back to the house without any further incident. The gusting wind, slick terrain and thick snow were no match for the deviant's keen eyes, reflexes and ability to maintain control over every little thing in his touch. Without uttering a single word Connor managed to push aside his fear of the cold weather and swirling snowstorm to drive Hank and Cole back home and found himself relieved to know that he was able to get them both back to where they belonged safe and sound.

"Whoa..." Cole leaned forward and peered over the front seats to look at the glowing house over Connor and Hank's shoulders. The lights and bright colors were hard to ignore and made the dour mood suddenly ten times lighter. "Did you do all that by yourself, Connor?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he pulled the Oldsmobile into the driveway and brought it to a safe and smooth stop. Curbing the wheels in case the ice caused any issues Connor turned off the engine and gave the little boy a little smirk. "I decided to put up the decorations while waiting for dinner to cook. Do you like it?"

"Yeah! The house looks really cool!"

Hank had to agree and decided that the house did look nice for the holidays. "It does look good. Hasn't been this bright in years..."

Connor took in a deep breath as he realized that he had finally done something right in Hank's eyes and was no longer getting criticized for everything he did. By the time he finally got on Hank's good side Connor was ready to leave the house and go into hiding. It seemed his timing was as perfect as always.

Once everyone was outside the car and back out in the blizzard the trio used the decorative candy canes lining the front walk to locate the front door. It seemed the efforts to make the house appear truly welcoming and celebratory had another purpose that was far more useful than expected. The deviant followed after Hank and Cole after the door was unlocked and was happy to see Cole's eyes light up at the fully decorated livingroom as well.

"This is all so cool!" Cole rushed over to the Christmas tree where the mounds of presents were waiting to be opened, then ran into the kitchen where he could smell all the food being kept warm in the oven while everyone was out of the house. As he ran about Cole had Sumo watching his every move curiously while he thumped his tail rhythmically. "Connor! You rock!"

Hank smiled at the bright and colorful decorations, and especially liked the way Cole was so excited to see everything. "Smells great in here, Connor. You're like the 'robot Mary Poppins' with how much you do around here."

"I'll... take that as a compliment." The deviant decided as he removed his leather jacket, beanie and shoes to place beside the front door. "Dinner's ready whenever you are."

"Thanks for doing all this for us. And for saving us from the snow." Hank stated with genuine kindness as he too removed his coat and his boots by the front door. "Not many people would do that, and I'm including cops in that. Hey, Cole? Take your coat and shoes off, then wash up. It's time for dinner, bud!"

"Okay, I'm coming!"

"Whatcha' make?" Hank asked Connor as he walked into the kitchen while Cole did as he was told. "Smells like ham, mashed potatoes and some corn on the cob."

"All correct. I also made biscuits, a green bean casserole-"

"Damn right."

"I also steamed some carrots," Connor continued after Hank interrupted him with enthusiastic approval. "cooked some peas, cooked some beets, made cranberry sauce from scratch and I baked one pecan pie and one cheesecake for dessert. I elected to not cook nearly as much for Christmas dinner as I had done for Thanksgiving last month."

"Good plan. I never had leftovers last that long before." The senior detective admitted as he opened the oven door and peered at the food being kept warm while everyone had been out of the house. "Not that it was a bad thing, but man, never thought I'd get sick of slow roasted turkey!"

"Which is why I selected a ham for Christmas dinner."

"Good call."

Casually the two detectives began setting the table for dinner and interacted with one another as if they were actually friends. It had been so long since Connor had experienced the calm aura that came with being around a friend that he almost didn't recognize it. It was hard to admit, but Connor felt lonely even while living with two other people and living in a familiar environment for over two years.

It seemed Hank wasn't the only one who knew to appreciate the small moments of serene bonding time that snowy night.

"All right, everything's set, and everything looks great." Hank set about carving the ham just as Cole returned to the kitchen and sat down at his seat and eyed every enticing option on the table. "Okay, son. We're going to sit down and have a nice meal together, then we'll go and check out the presents under the tree. I get the feeling that you're really going to like what you find this year."

"Connor too!" Cole agreed as he put a little bit of everything down on his plate. "We did find some good stuff while shopping!"

"Yeah, we all did great." Hank chimed in as he motioned for Connor to join them at the table for dinner. "Sit down, Connor. If anyone deserves to get off their feet for a while it's the one who did all the cooking, decorating and then rescuing tonight."

"I will in a moment." It was hard to mask his confusion as Connor responded to Hank's more gentle behavior throughout the holidays. Seeing the man showing him the same kindness and patience from the alternate timeline was surprisingly disconcerting since any change in behavior could be indicative of either stress, health issues or even calculated deception. "I'm going to direct the tow truck to the house and make sure they can find the driveway."

"Wait," Hank put a dollop of mashed potatoes on his plate and did the same for Cole as he gave Connor a surprised look. "you can do that? How?"

"I'm in cybernetic communication with the towing company and have confirmed that the autonomous tow truck had located the van and is in the process of towing it here as you requested."

"Okay, thanks again."

Quietly Connor walked into the livingroom, patted Sumo's head as the large dog laid over the couch, and then peered through the front window as he directed the newly arrived tow truck to the driveway. As soon as the van was returned to the driveway where it belonged Connor decided it was time to return to the kitchen and to give Sumo the special plate that he had made just for the lovable dog.

"Come on, Sumo." Patting the side of his leg Connor called the dog into the kitchen and opened the microwave where he wisely hid the dog's meal so that Sumo didn't get into it while everyone was away. "You've waited long enough for your dinner."

Sumo 'boofed' once as he trailed after Connor into the kitchen and sat at attention while the deviant pulled the plate out of the microwave and put it on the floor beside the dog's usual bowls. The moment he saw what he had been given the dog wagged his tail hard enough to send a person flying if they weren't ready for it.

"Good dog."

"Sit down now." Hank urged as he and Cole began eating their dinner with a ravenous desire. "It's your turn to take it easy for a minute, Connor."

"Very well." Casually the deviant sat down in the chair at the table to sit alongside Hank and Cole as they ate their dinner. He wasn't quite sure what to say or do, if anything at all, and just remained a guest at the table. "Does everything taste as it should? I am unable to determine what anything should taste like according to what is considered good compared to what is considered bad."

"It's all good." The senior detective confirmed as he continued to eat while Cole was too busy already eating to say a word. "You did a great job tonight, Connor."

Being complimented should've felt good but that wasn't what Connor was feeling at the moment. Instead, he was feeling judged. After everything that had happened since Connor came through time and altered the natural flow of events, the deviant felt as if everything he said, everything he did and everything he thought were all being judged and used against him in some way. Even positive interactions felt judgmental in some way that he couldn't put into words.

"And I appreciate you going that extra mile to get me and Cole out of that snow. I think we both know how, uh, messy things could get when it comes to snow, ice and just plain being too cold." Hank didn't want to admit how dangerous the situation had been for Cole's sake. "We know how much you hate the cold weather."

"I just did the right thing."

"You also pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone, that isn't easy. You came through for us tonight. Well, actually, you come through for us all the time, so thanks. For everything."

Just like that, with those simple words of kindness and acknowledgement, Connor felt as if he could effectively cut all ties with the small family knowing that they were going to be all right without him around. Hearing Hank speaking without any hostility in his tone and hearing him acknowledging that the android wasn't a burden or in the way was like Connor had accomplished one mission and was ready to take on the next.

"Dad? Can we have dessert before we open our presents?" The ravenous little boy had finished his rather large dinner in record time, but he was still hungry. "I love cheesecake."

"Absolutely. You know how much I love pecan pie."

Connor noticed that Sumo had licked his plate clean and decided to clean up a little to keep everything nice and tidy. "Good dog, Sumo."

"Let's have dessert." Hank decided as he picked up his and Cole's plates and carried them over to the sink to be washed. "One piece each, then we'll go check out those presents."

"Dad, do you have to go work tomorrow?"

"Sorry, bud. I lucked out with getting the past couple of Christmases off, so now it's my turn to work this year." Taking the plate that Connor had picked up from the floor from the deviant's hands, Hank began washing up all the dishes while Connor just stood back looking stunned. Seeing the man choosing to clean up while Connor was permitted to do nothing. "Same for New Year's Eve. I'll be sure to facetime with you from the precinct though. Cool?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

"Cool."

Using a sharp serving knife Hank cut into the cheesecake and then into the pecan pie to carve decent sized slices for Cole and himself to enjoy after their amazing dinners courtesy of Connor's equally amazing cooking skills. As the man served up the two desserts on two smaller clean plates Connor peered outside through the backdoor window to watch the snowstorm swirling outside. The idea of Hank and Cole being stranded out in the cold weather all night long made the deviant internally wince as his own hatred and phobia of being lost and freezing to death in the snow hadn't faded over time as he had hoped it would. Even without Amanda in his head to taunt him and torment him, Connor's fear of any snowstorms remained consistent.

The knowledge of the alternate timeline brought Connor only pain as he cybernetically monitored the weather and hoped that the deviants who hadn't found their way to Jericho or anywhere else safe could survive the extreme cold. Too many humans overlooked how extreme weather could hurt other lifeforms beyond that of the average human being.

A small voice suddenly cut through the deviant's thoughts and brought him back to reality. "Connor?"

"Hm?" Blinking a few times Connor looked away from the window and down at his side where he saw Cole looking up at him worriedly. "Yes, Cole?"

"Your light's all red. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." As he spoke Connor's L.E.D. shifted from red to yellow and finally back to blue. "I was monitoring the weather which requires excess power. That's all."

"Are you sure? I know you don't like it when it snows a lot."

"I'm sure." Connor instinctively lied to keep Cole from worrying too much about him, especially on Christmas Eve. "We're safe in here, and as a result the snow isn't affecting me."

"Okay. Me and dad want to open our gifts, you need to join us!" Cole insisted as he ran back into the livingroom with uncontainable excitement. "You got one too!"

"...I did?"

Trailing after Cole toward the livingroom Connor saw Hank sitting on the floor sorting through the wrapped gifts to pass them out to everyone. The minute the deviant set foot inside the livingroom Sumo rushed past his leg and promptly sat down beside Hank since the Saint Bernard recognized what was happening. It was amazing to see how everyone seemingly knew what to do and where to go, yet Connor still felt out of place.

"Here's one for Cole." Hank gave the small box a casual toss to his son to open up as he sat on the couch a few feet away. "And I got Sumo's present right here..."

The large dog happily took the brand new rawhide bone from Hank's hands and trotted over to his pillow to lay down and begin gnawing on it.

"Here's one for me," the senior detective put the gift down beside his leg as he continued sort through the gifts. "two more for Cole, and... here's one for Connor. It's pretty heavy, so be careful!"

Wordlessly Connor accepted the large gift with both hands and tried to guess at what was inside. The box was about four inches wide, two feet long and eight inches long across. The shape of the box was mostly rectangular with narrowing at the top making it look almost like an elongated trapezoid. The weight of the box was just over eight and half pounds with a majority of the weight focused near the bottom of the box. It was wrapped in dark green paper and bore a dark red bow containing Connor's nametag.

The deviant was trying to guess what was inside the box before he even opened it, and seeing the delay was driving both Hank and Cole crazy.

"Go ahead." Hank insisted that Connor open his gift and join Cole on the couch during the Christmas celebration. "Open it up! It was Cole's idea, by the way."

Unsure of what to expect Connor carried his surprise gift over to the couch and held it over his lap to ensure it was balanced before properly before unwrapping the box slowly and carefully. As the paper was removed Connor found himself pleasantly surprised to discover that he had been gifted a brand new electric guitar. An emerald green 'Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat' complete with a set new strings and a dozen new picks to use as soon as Connor was ready.

"Not bad, huh?" The Lieutenant saw the shocked look on Connor's face and smirked proudly. "Cole thought you'd like a guitar, and I had a hell of a time finding one that I thought you'd like. I felt like a kid in a candy store trying to find the perfect guitar just for you."

"You gifted me a guitar." Connor was still in shock and wasn't sure what to say or think. "This is... This is too much for me to accept."

"Nope. You like music and you never ask for anything, so I figured that you'd be able to handle that."

Cole chimed in as he pointed to the two other gifts wrapped behind the tree waiting for Connor to open up next. "You got two more too! It's for your guitar!"

Hank shrugged casually as he watched Connor remain on the couch with his newly opened gift still in his grip. "Nothing special. Just a case and an amplifier so you can play your guitar and store it properly."

"...Thank you for this." It was hard for Connor to speak since he was still stunned by such a thoughtful gift. He felt like he was trespassing on Hank's life despite the man slowly warming up to him and giving him a place in his home. "I mean it."

The Lieutenant just nodded as he passed Cole another gift to open. "You're welcome."

"WHOA!" Cole had finally opened his first gift and celebrated what he had been given with pure enthusiasm. "It's a chemistry set! It looks like the stuff on 'Star Trek' and everything!"

Hank wasn't expecting that kind of present and turned to look at the gift warily. "Uh..."

"It doesn't contain anything caustic or poisonous." Connor quickly responded as he understood Hank's concerns. "It's safe for children aged six and older."

"Okay then. As long as-" Opening his own gift as well Hank was a little surprised to see a customized photo album full of restored photographs of his family and friends that he hadn't seen in years. The photograph of Hank and Barbara holding Cole after he was born at the hospital was at the center of the album's cover with the surname 'Anderson' engraved beneath the photo in silver print. "How did you... Where did you-"

"While cleaning the house I came across a box of old photographs." It wasn't a total lie. Connor found the photographs in an old box, but they weren't uncovered when he was cleaning, they were uncovered when Connor intentionally went in search of them since he knew where they were from the alternate timeline, and he wanted to give Hank something nice during their final Christmas together. "I had them either restored or reprinted to ensure that they remained intact for you. I didn't intend to overstep any boundaries."

"You didn't. This was just... very unexpected." Opening the album Hank eyed the photographs and realized that they had been put inside the album in chronological order of events celebrating Hank's life with his late wife and his son. It reminded Hank of everything that he had gone through and of everything that shaped him as a person before, during and after his marriage and journey into fatherhood while working as a police Lieutenant. "Thank you. This is amazing."

It seemed the three occupants of the livingroom all had something special to focus on that snowy night and keep their minds off the storm raging outside.

The small family wasn't celebrating Christmas in the traditional sense, but they were still celebrating the holiday nonetheless and seemed to be at peace with what they had and what they could do while struggling to just find the time and a reason to be together. For Hank, celebrating holidays on unusual dates or unusual times wasn't all that strange. Even Cole had gotten used to the way his dad worked unpredictable and erratic hours. However, it was Connor who was more aware of time than anyone else in the entire city, perhaps the entire world for that matter, and with that awareness came great responsibility.

The year was coming to an end, and by the time the new year started Connor knew that the reports of androids deviating and going rogue were going to draw in a lot of unwanted attention to those who wanted to keep a low profile and just survive. Change was inevitable, and Connor alone knew what was going to happen, when it was going to happen and where it was going to happen.

There was more than just the blizzard to prepare for as Connor knew a storm of Revolution and progress was coming.

Detroit Central Precinct: December 31st, 2037

The snow had finally let up enough to allow people to travel about the city with minimal difficulty and delay. Many people had gathered together with family and friends to welcome in the new year, while those who had to work that night gathered with their favorite colleagues and coworkers to celebrate in their own way while remaining on the clock. Those who had nowhere to go that night and no reason to leave their warm homes that chilly night converged in their livingrooms to watch the ending of one year and watch the beginning of the next year. It was a fascinating and engaging holiday that brought in a new sense of hope while giving people the chance to let go of their regrets and begin new better habits with a feeling of a fresh start.

Those who were lucky enough to be in the bullpen as to opposed to being out on patrol gathered at their desks with a few celebratory snacks as they began watching the big new year's countdown taking place on the numerous televisions mounted on the walls all around the bullpen itself. There were only ten minutes left until midnight and everyone was excited to begin the new year with a new beginning.

Gavin was chatting with a special someone over the phone in relative privacy in the community breakroom and discussing their own future plans together, Chris was anxiously waiting by his desk while craning his neck towards the precinct's front doors, Tina was passing out snacks to anyone who might need a refreshment, Ben was chatting with Captain Fowler in the commanding officer's private office, and Hank was sitting at his desk trying to figure out how to facetime with Cole so they could chat during the big celebration. Just as Hank was about to chuck his phone in the trash out of frustration a friendly face and joyous laugh drew his attention elsewhere.

"Dad!"

"Cole?" Hank jumped out of his chair and met his son as Cole ran to his father at his desk. As happy as he was to see Cole he had no idea how his son managed to get to the precinct. "What're you doing here?"

"Connor drove me! He said that your phone wasn't working right because everyone's trying to use facetime at the same time, so this was easier!"

"Damn right it is." Putting Cole down in the empty chair across from his own desk Hank happily handed his son some snacks as they decided to bring in the new year together after all. "Where is Connor?"

"Here." Connor replied as he walked with Julia, Chris's happy and glowing wife, into the bullpen. He was carrying a relatively heavy crockpot on her behalf and happily placed it in the breakroom with the rest of the provided snacks. "I hope you don't mind me bringing him here, Lieutenant."

"Not one bit."

Julia walked right over to Chris and held his hands they beamed proud smiles at each other with a true love that very few could hope to experience. "I managed to bring those special meatballs that you asked for. And... I'm ready."

"Yeah?" Chris's eyes lit up as he squeezed Julia's hands and looked around the bullpen excitedly. "You're sure it's okay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Julia nodded excitedly as she and Chris decided that they couldn't keep their big news a secret any longer. "Let's share the good news!"

"Okay, yeah."

"Good news?" Tina heard the comment and popped up right at Chris and Julia's side as she snapped a photo of the happily married couple of her phone. "What kind of good news?"

From the breakroom Connor heard the discussion and made sure everything was properly placed before he and Gavin returned to the bullpen to take part in the special announcement. The deviant already knew what was happening, which was he was so quick to volunteer to carry the heavy object on Julia's behalf. He didn't want her to do anything that could've physically strained her body while she was in her delicate condition.

"Still here, babe." Gavin confirmed over the phone as he walked back to the bullpen alongside Connor. The curious gathering had caught both Captain Fowler and Ben's attention through the office's transparent wall, and they too joined in the group inside the bullpen. "And I promise, next year we're celebrating every holiday in person, not just over the phone."

Once everyone who was curious about Chris and Julia's news had gathered around the excited young officer finally told everyone what was happening. "So, uh, I just wanted you all to know that this August there's going to be some big changes in our lives."

August of 2038 was going to be big in more ways than one. Connor knew what was destined to happen and he knew there was no way to change it or prevent it from happening without drastically altering the events leading up to the positive outcome for the deviant's peaceful Revolution. It was hard to stand back and not get involved with the important events. Being sidelined was always difficult for Connor to accept and handle regardless of the timeline.

"We just found out that Julia... is pregnant!"

A flurry of congratulations, handshakes and hugs were given out as the officers and detectives joined in on Chris and Julia's exciting big news. Working in such close quarters under highly stressful situations had forged very strong bonds of friendship and even family that made it easy for everyone to support each other and celebrate the good news while grieving the bad news all together.

Connor hadn't witnessed such camaraderie in so long that he had almost forgotten what it looked like. It was a good feeling to have people supporting you and watching your back no matter where you went or what you were going through in life. With any luck Connor would know that feeling all over again before the end of the incoming new year.

"Connor?" Cole curiously looked up at the deviant android standing beside him and overlooking the celebration in the bullpen. "Why's everyone so excited?"

"Because Officer Miller and his wife are going to be having a baby this coming summer."

"Everyone's excited over a baby? How come?"

"It's difficult to explain why so many people get excited and emotional whenever a new baby is announced, but I can confirm that everyone is happy for Chris and Julia because they are happy to be having a baby of their own. During special occasions in life, the joy can be... contagious."

"Contagious. That means everyone gets infected by something, right?"

"That's correct."

"I thought that only happened with germs."

"That is the most common concept regarding contagion, but I can confirm that there are other contagious concepts in life that are emotional as opposed to just physical. You'll understand that when you're a little older."

"Like dating?"

"Yes," the deviant confirmed with a small smile on his face. "you'll understand things like dating and the joy of a pregnancy announcement when you're older."

"Hey, we got one minute left!" Tina announced as she strategically knelt on top of the vacant desk and turned her phone into selfie mode. Angling the phone just right Tina managed to get everyone in the bullpen in focus - including Cole and Connor - and prepared to snap the picture. "Everyone smile! This is the last documented proof of the year 2037, and I want everyone looking their best!"

The group all turned to the phone and smiled in their own way and managed to get in one nice group photo to commemorate the new year.

"That's a keeper!"

Hank put his hand on Cole's shoulder as everyone looked up at the television mounted on the wall to watch the last minutes of the old year tick away and give bring in the new year with a cacophony of cheers, laughter and singing. As the large decorative ball began to lower over Heart Plaza the people who had gathered at the plaza began to countdown the last ten seconds in a unified chorus as the beginning of the new year enticed everyone into higher spirits.

"Hard to believe it's already been another year." Hank observed as he kept one hand on Cole's shoulder and his eyes on the television screen. "Time really doesn't like to slow down for anyone for any reason. We have to really cherish what we have for as long as we have it."

Such words of wisdom weren't what Connor expected to hear from Hank that night. Such a positive and optimistic outlook just made it seem as if Connor was being directed away from the family and out to the streets to help his people with the impending Revolution by forces that he couldn't explain.

"Three, two, one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Everyone clapped and cheered together as midnight struck and the new year greeted the city with cascade of positive energy and enthusiasm.

From where he stood Connor watched the year shift from 2037 to 2038 and knew that in just a few precious months he'd be on his own and fighting alongside his people to change the world. Whether or not those changes would affect his current relationship with Hank and Cole was impossible to determine and anticipate.

Only when it was time for the Revolution would Connor know where he stood and who his allies truly are.

-next chapter-