Within a week of inspiration striking at the best possible moment, Connor and Lucas had begun the busy work with their neighborhood restoration project. The deviant brothers had taken their idea directly to Markus for his opinion on the matter, then discussed the project at length with North, Josh, Simon and even Lucy as they contemplated the overall outcome of such a complex renovation project. After a tense two-hour long back and forth debate among the seven deviants within the private office of New Jericho Tower, Markus ultimately decided to take a chance and use a combination of donated funds to New Jericho and additional funding from Carl's own charitable contributions to buy all the houses in the three-block neighborhood for restoration and eventual sale to deviant residents. It was up to the deviants to restore and maintain each property under their name, and as a result only Connor was willing and able to put up the finds to purchase a house to begin the project with his twin brother's aid.

Proudly Connor and Lucas set to work on leading the renovation project in the neighborhood and Connor had chosen the yellow brick house to become his own property and to be the first home he'd purchase for himself. After diligently checking the foundation of the house to ensure that it was safe to live in and build upon, Connor began painstakingly clearing the yard of the overgrown grass, weeds and vines creeping up the walls, then trimmed up the overgrown shrubs growing beneath the windows around the front and sides of the house.

The lawn was slowly being brought back to life just in time to go dormant as fall and winter encroached over the city. Seeing the property being cleaned up and restored before the house's exterior had even been touched was enough to make the area perk up just enough to confirm that the restoration project was well at hand. The last task of the day revolved around restoring the black iron fence to its former glory by replacing the missing bars, straightening the bent rods and then giving the fence a fresh coat of white paint to make the property looking more inviting to passersby.

"I think this will be enough for the day." Connor confirmed as he eyed the fence and made sure that every millimeter had an even coat of the fresh white paint. The tall double-gates were also painted but left aside to dry before having their hinges replaced and then hung back on the fence itself. "Using white paint was a good call too. The entire yard just looks... happier."

"You're right." Tossing aside the emptied can of spray paint in the nearby wheelbarrow, Lucas placed the empty can with the rest of the recycling to be disposed of later on. They'd wait until they were done cleaning out the house's interior before making a trip out to the local dump. "It's amazing that the entire area looks like it's somehow in a better mood despite being inanimate and without emotion."

"Have you selected which house you'd like to purchase for yourself yet?"

"I won't make that decision until after we've finished with restoring your house." Feeling very optimistic for the future Lucas joined Connor on the front porch to help replace the hinges on the now dried gates before returning them to the fence to be secured and locked for the evening. "I'll want your assistance when I begin the renovations."

"You have my word that I'll be there." Using the tools with great ease Connor realized that they'd need to properly thank Hank for lending them all the tools that they needed to get the renovations started and make the repairs easier. "We'll also need to invite Hank over to see our work and make sure he knows were grateful for his assistance."

"You're right, and we will."

Working together the brothers carried over the two gates one at a time to the fence to be secured on their massive, iron hinges and oiled to ensure the gates could easily open and close without a squeak or hindrance. After the two gates were secured in place Connor tested his key and made sure the gates could be locked and unlocked before he locked up the property to finish working for the day.

"I'll have to wait before I can begin cleaning up the interior of the house since I have to work four shifts in a row starting tomorrow." Pocketing the gate key Connor gave Lucas a proud smirk as the brothers began walking back to Hank's house just four blocks away with their two toolboxes in hand. Old pollen, dust and flecks of black and white paint trailed after the two deviants confirming their hard work and the mess that they were in the process of cleaning up. "I'll start at the basement and work my way up."

"Have you checked the wiring and plumbing?"

"Yes. My scan confirmed no damage to the wiring or any loose wires that need to be mended." Rubbing his hand along the back of his neck Connor eased a strange itching sensation lingering on his artificial skin courtesy of the grime covering him from head to toe. "The pipes are also stable with no sign of leaks, corrosion or even any rust."

"That's very fortunate. You won't have to replace anything internally that'll be very expensive to undertake."

"The vents running through the house will need a thorough cleaning though."

"I imagine so." Lucas rubbed his fingers through his dark hair and caused a cloud of dust and pollen to fly freely from his locks as he walked alongside Connor to head for the house. His white t-shirt was more gray and brown than usual courtesy of his hard work, and would need to be thoroughly washed to restore its previous pure white color. "How is the heating and air conditioning elements?"

"The furnace will be replaced to ensure proper heat and no carbon monoxide leaks throughout the winter. In the spring," Connor was already planning for the future and was unwittingly beginning to scratch at his artificial skin along his neck, jaw and chin as he walked and talked. "I'll restore the cooling mechanisms regarding the air conditioning to ensure constant temperature regulation year-round."

"That's a good idea. I'll be sure to do the same when I select my house for restoration."

"Do any of the houses look appealing to you?"

"As of the moment, no. I believe that as long as I continue to work alongside you and watch the neighborhood regain life that I'll find a house that appeals to me just as you had with your own house."

"I'm sure once we have our houses restored and are living in our own residences, other deviants will follow after us. We're beginning a chain reaction of positive changes for our people." Smiling as he walked Connor felt stable and like he was finally on the right path after enduring so many years of doubt and confusion. "I can feel it. Things are finally going to get better for us all."

October was well underway and with that time of the year came Halloween and tons of leaves covering the city. Even with three weeks to go before the spookiest time of the year was ready to be celebrated Cole was eagerly decorating the house and begging his dad to carve his pumpkin early. It took everything in Hank to adamantly tell Cole to wait on the pumpkin since he didn't want to accidentally destroy his son's enthusiasm for celebrating the holidays since Cole was growing up fast, but the man stood firm and reminded Cole that if he carved too soon then his pumpkin risked rotting and would be rampaged by bugs and squirrels. As a compromise, Hank let Cole hang up lights, fake spiderwebs, bats and put other spooky items around the house and in the windows to keep up the festive mood.

Hank had busied himself with raking up the leaves in the front, side and backyard with Sumo and Bruno running around to keep him company while Cole decorated the house. The keen eyes of the skilled Lieutenant had noticed that Sumo was starting to slow down as age crept over the dog's body and stole away his energy and strength. It was inevitable that the eight-year-old dog would eventually pass away, but that didn't make it any easier to accept as time ticked away without anyone to control it.

"Hang in there for a little while longer, boy." Reaching out Hank rubbed Sumo's ears as the loyal Saint Bernard sat at his feet to let his master know that he was ready to go back inside the house for the evening. "I know how it feels to have your joints ache, energy fade and crave nothing but long naps all day long."

Bruno's ears perked up and he let out a singular happy bark when he spotted Connor and Lucas walking down the sidewalk and toward the front walk.

Looking up Hank noticed the brothers and then chuckled softly at how dirty and dusty they looked. "Man, you two would blend right in with the decorations that Cole's hanging up all around the house." Raking up another pile of leaves Hank gave them a dubious glance. "It looks like you two just crawled out of the mummy's tomb or something."

The duo stopped walking and looked down at themselves as they realized that Hank was right. They were pretty filthy and would need a thorough shower to rid themselves of all the grime and debris covering them.

"Head on inside and shower off. Don't worry about tracking dirt around," Hank insisted as he continued to rake up the colorful leaves towards the street. "I'm gonna' vacuum after I'm done with the leaves anyway."

"You first." Connor insisted as he gave Lucas a pat on the shoulder and took his brother's toolbox from his grip. "Feel free to borrow any of my clothes and place your current clothes in the laundry room to be washed."

"All right, I'll let you know as soon as I finish so you can clean up as well."

While Lucas walked inside with Sumo and Bruno right behind him Connor picked up a spare rake to help Hank with the remaining leaves. "Thanks for letting us use your tools. They were very helpful."

"Just glad I could do something to help you two out." Working with Connor beside him allowed Hank to finish raking up the remaining leaves and gather them in a big pile for the city's street leaf vacuum trucks to clean up in the morning. "How's the house coming along?"

"We've finished taking care of the lawn, repairing the fence and the securing the gate."

"Not bad. You do realize that once your house is fixed up and ready for furnishing that you're going to be hosting Christmas next year, right?"

Connor froze for a minute as the notion of having guests over for such a big holiday hadn't even crossed his mind. "...I am?"

"Yup. What better way to celebrate your new home than by having a get-together with your family and closest friends?"

"I wouldn't know." Connor stopped raking for a moment to scratch at the base of his neck and then rubbed his palm along his suddenly itchy eyes. "Once the other houses are purchased and renovated, the neighborhood will be restored to its former state and will help show the world that deviants are responsible and productive members of society."

"Sounds good. Hey, quit scratchin'!" Hank hated it when people tore at their own skin since it made his own skin feel suddenly itchy and tight. "I don't want you to hurt yourself, especially when you can just rinse all that crud off in a few minutes."

"Sorry." Lowering his hand Connor focused on the rake in his hands and made a conscious effort to not scratch. "I wasn't aware that I was doing it."

"Did you get into loose fiberglass insulation or something?"

"It's possible that I came into contact with such material when I was exploring the attic and basement of the house."

"Make sure you scrub like you just took a tour through Chernobyl so that stuff doesn't make its way under your skin and really cause some problems."

"I'll make a note of that."

"Finally... Leaves are done." Looking at the nice, neat piles alongside the street gave Hank a sense of accomplishment despite his aching back telling him to stop working in the yard. "Let's go make sure Cole isn't trying to dress the dogs up for Halloween, and then you and Lucas can tell me about everything you did today at your house. I know that it's going to look fantastic when you're done."

"Will do."

Connor took the two rakes with him as he approached the garage to put everything away for the night. Such encouragement and support only made Connor feel like his every decision and attempts to improve the house and restore an entire neighborhood wasn't just a futile exercise in vanity. It was going to make a positive impact on the city, and he'd have something to truly be proud of for years to come.

The rainy morning started off slow as the two detectives begrudgingly prepared to head out to work and left Cole at the house to spend the afternoon with Lucas while they were out and working. A few reports of incidents revolving around deviants were waiting for the only two detectives working in the deviant division to handle, but it only took an hour for Connor to check through the details and confirm the claims as false from bigoted humans trying to stir up trouble. Once their reports were filed the duo set about catching up on paperwork at their desks while making sure the complainants who filed the false claims were promptly dealt with and punished for abusing emergency services and lying to the police.

Hank sat behind his terminal screen while reading over the recorded minutes of a recent meeting and darting his eyes down to his phone to check on any messages from his dating profile. As he read the collected details Hank noticed a small cough from his partner and saw from the corner of his eye that Connor was starting to fidget where he sat as if the deviant couldn't get comfortable. The man then noticed that Connor was scratching at the side of his neck again. There were faint blue lines marking Connor's neck where his fingernails had dug into his own skin to try and rid himself of an uncomfortable itching sensation.

"Connor." Speaking up softly Hank caught the deviant's ear without drawing any unwanted attention his way. "You really need to stop scratching."

"I-" Lowering his hand from his neck Connor winced slightly and curled his fingers into a tight fist to rest atop his desk. "I'm not even aware that I'm doing so."

"What's going on with you? You've been acting weird since yesterday."

"I'm not entirely sure." Stifling another small cough Connor tried to resist the urge to scratch as the intensely uncomfortably prickling sensation continued to plague his body. "My system seems to be having some kind of reaction to an irritant that I can't fully identify."

"Irritant? You showered off last night, and I know you didn't put back on your dirty clothes, and we didn't go anywhere that was unusual before clocking-in."

"Correct." Connor performed a self-diagnostic as he coughed again and took in a small gasping breath as his fingernails resumed scratching away at the skin at the back of his neck and along the sides of his neck. A faint blip of an unknown contaminant inside the deviant's system had been momentarily detected, but the sample was so minute that the details of the contaminant were unable to be properly relayed. "There's s-something... wrong with me."

Smoothly Hank rose from his seat and pulled Connor up to his feet by taking hold of the deviant's hand while slipping his phone into his back pocket. "Let's get ya' upstairs to see Joel. You must have some bits of insultation or some other nasty shit still stuck on your body somewhere."

Another cough stole Connor's voice before he could respond as Hank walked him across the bullpen and toward the elevator to get to the second floor.

"Gavin, we're going to be unreachable for the next half hour." Hank called out to the younger detective and managed to startle Gavin back into alertness as the still somewhat new father began to drift off to sleep at his own desk for a moment. "Anyone needs us, let 'em know we're indisposed until further notice, but I got my phone anyway."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Gavin patted the sides of his face rhythmically as he straightened up his posture and let out a deep sigh to try to wake back up. "No problem."

"Hang in there, son." Hank hit the call button for the elevator and watched as Connor fought the compulsion to scratch and tried to keep himself from coughing. As a father Hank knew when someone needed to see a doctor, or a technician in this case, and he knew that Connor was in trouble. "We'll figure this out."

Connor nodded slightly as Hank led him into the elevator car after the two previous occupants stepped out and onto the ground floor. The deviant suddenly found it difficult to breathe, let alone properly speak. It felt as if his air intake line was beginning to swell shut and prevent him from ventilating his system properly. As his only means of communication Connor put his hand on Hank's shoulder to get his attention and then used his opposite hand to mimic the signs of choking by gripping his own throat.

"Can't breathe?"

Alert and now worried about Connor's health Hank watched as the deviant nodded and kept his hand over his throat.

"All right, we'll get this figured out soon. Just stay calm and lean on me."

Struggling to keep his thoughts clear Connor sent out a cybernetic message to Lucas to ask his brother if he was feeling well but was met with silence. That either meant Connor's message wasn't properly sent or Lucas was unable to receive and reply to the message.

"Hey, Joel?" Hank called out to the precinct technician as he helped Connor to walk through the dispensary door. "Got a minute? Connor's not feeling so hot."

"That sounds unpleasant." The laidback technician exited the small storage closet in the rear of the dispensary to meet Hank at the exam table. Moving on autopilot Joel helped Connor to sit down on the edge of the exam table to give the deviant detective a onceover as Connor scratched at his chin and then both of the palms of his hands. "Strange abrasions along the neck, throat and around your hands. You're also not ventilating." Joel put his hands on either side of Connor's face and encouraged the deviant to tilt his head back a little. "Blue inflammation around the nostrils as well. Care to tell me why you're not ventilating?"

Hank answered on Connor's behalf as he helped the deviant shrug off his gray blazer and remove his tie. "He can't breathe. It started just before we got in the elevator."

"Strange. Open your mouth for me." Clicking on a penlight from his white lab coat's breast pocket Joel shone the light into Connor's opened mouth to peer down the deviant's swollen throat. "Blue tinted inflammation and swelling all around the air intake line. I'll need to use external cooling measures to keep you from overheating until the swelling reduces."

"What can cause that?" The senior detective was more curious than concerned since Joel was so calm and Connor wasn't panicking. "He wasn't jumped or anything, so I know it isn't from blunt force trauma to his neck and throat."

"Exposure to an abrasive substance for one." Joel explained casually as he clicked off his light and slipped an oxygen mask over Connor's nose and mouth to force some clean, cool air into his system without hurting him. "Another cause stems from androids coming into contact with something that they can't properly remove from their systems either through their vents or their Thirium filters."

"That... Wait, are you saying Connor is having some kind of allergic reaction?"

"That's a very apt description of what's happening to him."

"What in the hell are androids allergic to?" Hank took a good look at Connor's face and noticed that the deviant's face was beginning to flush blue along his cheeks as if he was beginning to break out into small hives. Putting his hands on Connor's forearms Hank kept Connor from scratching again. "Dust? Pollen? Computer mice?"

"Nothing quite so mundane or organic. Lay down." With a light touch Joel guided Connor to lay on his back over the exam table before he opened the top buttons of the deviant's shirt. "I'm going to listen to your vents, then I'll need to insert a small camera down your throat to examine your vents visually. It's going to be uncomfortable, but it's important."

"Ah, jeez." The idea of having a camera shoved down his throat made Hank wince and swear he felt an itch form in his own throat. "Are you going to at least knock him out so he doesn't feel it?"

"There are no android sedatives and it's best that he remains awake and alert so he can let me know if I'm hurting him by mistake."

"That sucks." Putting his hand to Connor's shoulder Hank gave the somewhat incapacitated deviant a sorrowful look as Connor coughed again and struggled to take in any kind of relieving breath. "You'll be okay, kid. You'll get through this."

Connor just nodded as he held still and let Joel use the audioscope to listen to his vents. Needing to feel some semblance of control over the situation Connor cybernetically sent a text message to Hank's phone to communicate with him. Watching Hank check his phone confirmed that the Lieutenant knew what he wanted and responded accordingly.

"Yeah, I can check-in with Lucas and make sure he's okay." Typing casually Hank reached out to the second deviant while staying beside Connor. "Give me one second to send him a message..."

Joel finished listening to Connor's chest and draped his audioscope around his neck with a graceful motion. "I can hear something in your vents that's either grating against the couplings of the connected air intake line, or you have something completely obstructing the filters inside the ventilation biocomponents." Setting up the long flexible tube with the camera secured at the end, Joel prepared for the next step in the diagnostic process. "The camera will let me identify what's causing the irritation and then I'll hopefully know how to remedy the problem."

"Uh, I just got a response from Lucas. He said that he isn't feeling too good either, BUT he's already at the Zeta Facility with Cole." Hank didn't want Connor to freak out and become too worried about his brother to worry about his own condition. "The autonomous van is pretty damn useful, huh?"

Coughing was the only sound Connor could make as his voice failed him entirely. The deviant detective made a conscious effort to not scratch at his itching skin again even as the irritating sensation continued to distract his every waking thought.

"Camera's ready." Slipping on a pair of gloves, Joel sprayed the length of the camera with a layer of diluted Thirium that'd allow the camera to pass more easily down Connor's swollen throat and air intake line into his vents. "Open your mouth, keep it open and as hard as it might be, resist the urge to cough or yank the camera out of your throat."

Slowly Connor lifted the nearly useless mask from his nose and mouth and did as he was told. Closing his eyes Connor looked away as Joel managed to slip the camera into Connor's mouth past his teeth and toward his throat.

"I'm going to use some diluted Thirium to coat the camera and help it slip into your throat with less resistance and irritation. It shouldn't take me more than a minute to get the camera into the vents," Joel was actively maneuvering the camera down the deviant's throat as he spoke to help Connor remain distracted while the procedure was underway. "and then I can get a sample of the irritant in your system after the camera comes into contact with the substance."

Hank kept his hand on Connor's shoulder while giving him updates from Lucas via his text messages. "Looks like Lucas is having the same problem that you are right now. He said that Abby is going to perform the same thing on him that Joel's doing for you, so we at least can get a double confirmation and make sure you're both getting the right treatment after the diagnosis is figured out."

"All right, I can see the vents..." Joel noted as he picked up the tablet screen synced to the camera snaked down Connor's throat to check out the vital biocomponents with his own eyes without needing to get too invasive. "And it looks like there's silicon particles blocking your filters causing all your problems."

"Silicon?" Hank repeated the word as he sent another text to Lucas to see if Abby found the same irritant. "How's that a problem?"

"The small crystals can create silicon dioxide and electrical interference." Gingerly Joel removed the camera from Connor's throat and carried the camera over to a table on the far side of the room to look at the collected sample under a microscope. "Have you been roaming around any junkyards, old electronics factories or any automotive plants recently?"

Again Hank answered on Connor's behalf while the deviant proceeded to cough and try to take in deep breaths to ease his irritated vents. "He and Lucas were both cleaning up and restoring an old house yesterday. Connor said that he checked over the all the wiring, pipes and the foundation while he was at it."

"Makes sense. Silicon is a key part in all kinds of electronics, transformer plates, machine tools, waterproof sealants and even concrete." Joel looked up from the microscope to confirm his findings with a quick data search on the nearby terminal to ensure his eyes weren't mistaken as he identified the irritant. "If he breathed it in, then there's no doubt that it's been slowly collecting in his vents and even weaving into his artificial skin causing his reaction and itchiness."

"And... Abby agrees with everything you said." Hank had received a confirmation text from Lucas after the kind technician at the Zeta Facility was able to identify the same crystalline particle irritating Lucas's own system. "She thinks that the little crystals got into their hands when they were examining the broken down house without any gloves, and then breathed in that stuff when they were beginning the cleaning and renovation process."

"Everything lines up with the evidence. Connor," returning to the exam table Joel gave his patient a sympathetic look. "you and Lucas are officially allergic to silicon."

"How can androids be allergic to something that was used in their own creation? I'm no engineer, but I know that silicon is used in just about everything electrical."

"Connor and Lucas are designed to run analyses on anything and everything they can get a sample of, which means their bodies are meant to accept anything that gets sampled without rejection. That of course means that anything that gets sampled unintentionally through basic ventilation and unprotected touch will also avoid rejection, and as a result Connor and Lucas are more prone to having severe reactions to particular substances that their bodies don't immediately filter out."

"Are these two androids the only ones who have an allergy to something?"

"Arguably, yes!" More amused than worried Joel prepared a sterilized plastic bottle full of diluted Thirium. After securing a special lid with an angled straw at the top Joel would be able to rinse the silicon particles from Connor's system without hurting Connor in the process. "Which also means the treatment for this allergy is going to be somewhat experimental."

"Oh. Fun."

"It always is. Connor, I'm going to use this diluted Thirium to rinse out your mouth and throat. If that reduces the swelling, then I'll prepare a type of nebulizer with additional diluted Thirium for you to inhale and help mend the irritation to your vents."

"What about the actual silicon crystals?" Hank was hearing a treatment for the symptoms and not the actual disease. "How're those going to come out?"

"A lot of coughing for one, and then I'll have to manually activate his emergency expulsion program to flood his vents before he can throw-up the crystals."

"Flood his-" That was a particularly macabre suggestion that made Hank's stomach sink. "Sounds like drowning."

"It's unfortunately not too far off from that exact experience." Joel admitted in a despondent tone. "Liquid breathing isn't too uncommon in human ailments when an oxygen slurry is needed to help combat carbon monoxide poisoning and even cyanosis. It's not pleasant for anyone, but it is effective."

"Sorry, son." Staying right at Connor's side Hank refused to let Connor suffer from such an uncomfortable procedure alone. A new text message popped in just as Hank put his palm to Connor's hair and confirmed that Abby was going to use the same treatment with Lucas. "Well, Lucas is going to go through this too. At least you won't be alone in your misery after I take you home to rest."

Connor sent Hank another text message as he cooperated with Joel and allowed the technician to begin rinsing the diluted Thirium through his mouth and down his throat to reduce his reaction to the silicon crystals. 'I'd prefer if neither of us had to undergo such a procedure.'

"Don't worry, once it's over I'll be sure to buy you two some strong work gloves and plenty of masks so you can work on your house again without another allergic reaction to spoil the moment when you finally finish with your project."

A rainy evening complemented the rainy morning as two miserable looking deviant brothers sat on the couch in the livingroom waiting for their allergic reaction to finally pass after they had their second shower to remove any remaining silicon from their artificial skin. Even with successful treatments for their allergies the duo was still enduring the physical discomfort from their allergies and were doing their best to not scratch at their prickly artificial skin. Connor and Lucas were given diluted Thirium to inhale via nebulizers to ensure that they could keep the irritation to their throats and vents at a minimum while they recovered from their reaction from earlier that afternoon. As they continued to perform their breathing treatments on an hourly basis as instructed, Hank took it upon himself to wrap up the two deviants' hands in white gauze to keep them from scratching their artificial skin down to the plastimetal frame beneath.

Cole was keeping his older brothers company and taking notes about their allergy experience so he could have some ideas for his school's next science fair. He felt bad that both Connor and Lucas had gotten sick, but he was also fascinated by how human they could react to the world around them whenever they got hurt, sick or exposed to something unusual.

"Are all androids allergic to silicon?" Cole asked as he sat in the recliner next to the couch with his notebook and pencil in hand. A new, plastic trombone case was sitting on the floor beside his backpack confirming that Cole auditioned for band and succeeded. "Or is this new?"

"It's unique to us." Lucas confirmed as he rubbed his bandaged hand along his neck and reminded himself to not scratch. "It's not a common problem that the other androids need to worry about."

"But you're better now, right?"

"We're recovering, yes. We're still suffering from skin irritation and sore throats, but the worst of the reaction has subsided."

Connor let out a small sigh as he leaned back against the couch and put his hand on Sumo's head as the Saint Bernard rested his chin on his lap. It was nice to have someone watching over him and helping him to feel better through Hank's kindness, Cole's company and Sumo's protectiveness. Even as Sumo aged Connor could see the dog's adoration toward him and wanting him and Lucas to feel better, and he could see Cole maturing into a bright, compassionate young man.

"I think Hank is correct in wanting us to wear gloves and masks while renovating the house." Turning his head Lucas look to Connor beside him as he spoke. The 'RK-900' had Bruno sprawled over his lap looking rather content as he napped. "We'll also issue warnings to the other deviants to ensure that no one else endures any potential allergy attacks."

"Agreed." Looking down at his gauze wrapped hand had left Connor feeling particularly vulnerable and foolish. "We should've taken such precautions before we started to renovate the house."

"It's a single mistake that we learned from. It'll be all right."

Hank stepped out of the kitchen and overheard the comment as he joined his sons in the livingroom. "He's right. Besides, how in the hell were you two supposed to know that you are the only two androids in the world who can develop an allergy?"

"I'm unsure."

"Exactly. So, since you two had an annoying day, I went out of my way to order you guys some special Thirium to help you feel a little better." Holding out the two bottles of Thirium for the deviants to see Hank handed them over one at a time. "Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Whenever me or Cole feel sick a bowl of ice cream always seems to do the trick and helps us feel a little better."

"Thank you." Lucas accepted the bottle with both of his bandaged hands and realized that the man had even loosened the caps so that he and Connor could open the bottles without any assistance. "That was very nice of you."

"And you're going to stay the night here until you've made a full recovery." The father figure tagged on as he gave Lucas a stern look and handed Cole a carton of ice cream to enjoy. "I don't like the idea of you going back to your office with only Bruno watching over you."

"I appreciate that."

Connor tasted his Thirium and found it to be very tasty and made him want to drink more. As his Thirium reserve steadily replenished Connor perked up slightly and gave Hank a humble thanks for everything the man had done for them that day. "And thank you for staying with me and keeping me up to date with Lucas while I was undergoing treatment. It helped me to remain calm throughout the procedure."

"You're both welcome." Sitting down beside Connor on the couch Hank gave the stubborn deviant a knowing look as he too rubbed Sumo's ears and made sure the elderly dog knew that he was still loved. "Maybe in time you two will just know you can call on me and I'll come running to help you if you ask."

There wasn't anything to be said about such a simple concept. Connor knew he had remaining trust issues to work through, but whether or not he'd be able to let go of his issues any time soon, or learn to fully trust Hank in general, was difficult to be seen.

"At any rate," Hank continued on as he turned on the television and found a movie for everyone to enjoy for the night. The man's blue eyes were glowing with excitement as he looked over at Cole and imagined what his young son would be doing as a teenager and who he'd be hanging out with. "when you two are ready to get back to working on the house, let me know. It's been a while since I've been able to remodel anything, and I'd like to shake off the rust before I undertake a really big project in the next five or six years."

-next chapter-