There was a hectic energy in the air as the holidays arrived and school was dismissed for winter break until the beginning of the new year. It didn't take long for Connor to pick Cole up from school and then head toward the shopping plaza to pick up a few items before returning home for the night, but getting through the store, the checkout and then through the parking lot took more time than either Connor or Cole had expected. Thick crowds pushing through the aisles as time ticked closer to the big holidays had resulted in mounting impatience that created a tension of hostility and anger that kept Connor on edge. The deviant android wisely did his best to avoid getting in anyone's way or getting any unwanted attention his way.

Escorting Cole back to the autonomous van with their groceries in hand should've been a simple task compared to everything that had happened in the store. As Connor loaded up the van and secured Cole in the backseat of the van to head for home, a strange man approached the van and began begging for some spare change. Remaining on guard Connor wisely secured the van with a cybernetic link to the autonomous vehicle and made sure that Cole was safe inside the vehicle.

"Come on, man, please." Dirt and grime clung to the strange man's face and his ragged, holey clothes. It was clear that he was struggling just to survive and needed some help to get back on his feet. "I... I just n-need a little something f-for food. I'm starving! Please, I w-wouldn't bother you... if I wasn't desperate."

Connor instinctively performed a biometric scan over the man and ran a facial recognition scan in the process. The man's name was Albert Kent, and he had a record for drug abuse and driving while under the influence of alcohol that had left him struggling with employment due to his lengthy record. The background check on Albert confirmed that the man had been a promising young doctor before slipping up and getting hooked on narcotics and alcohol to cope with stress, and ultimately a hit and run had put him behind bars for the better part of eight years.

The deviant was able to compare Albert's lifetime in the alternate timeline and discovered something unsettling in the man's near future. In the following spring Albert would be found dead under a bridge just outside of town after taking his own life by hanging himself from the support bars beneath the bridge. There were no drugs and no alcohol in his system, meaning he was entirely clean, sober and aware of his actions when he took his own life out of desperation and depression.

"I don't have much money." Connor admitted as he tried to help Albert out in the very small way that he could. Reaching into his pocket Connor presented Albert with the ten dollar bill that he had been given as change after purchasing the groceries. "But this should be able to help you buy something warm to eat."

"Th-Thank you, man!" With tears in his eyes Albert took the money and shook Connor's hand graciously. "You're... You're the first person to help me! Everyone else t-takes one look at me and... they either r-run or act like I d-don't exist! N-Not you. You see me."

"I know that it's difficult to survive on the streets, and I know how much it hurts when people look through you rather than at you. There is a shelter that is open to everyone in need of food and a warm bed to sleep, you should go there today."

"They... They don't want me." Albert stated as if he had been physically kicked out of the shelter that very morning. "I have a r-record, man. I killed... I got drunk one night and-"

"Did you spend time in prison?" Connor already knew the answer, but he wanted Albert to honestly reflect on his past crimes and subsequent punishment. "Were you convicted and sentenced for what you had done?"

"Y-Yeah, man. Spent almost nine y-years in the joint. Didn't even try to p-pretend I'm innocent."

"Do you feel bad for what happened that night?"

"Every second of my life." Using his filthy sleeve Albert wiped away his tears and tried to steady his voice as he smeared dirt along his cheek. "D-Doesn't matter how long I s-stay in prison. That family will never be the same."

"That is true, but you suffering with guilt for the remainder of your life won't do you or anyone else any good. Get yourself to a shelter, let them help you find steady employment and use your second chance at life to make amends for what you had done in the past. The people at the shelter can help you if you let them."

"Why... Why are you being so nice to me? Y-You just met me."

"Because I believe that everyone deserves the chance to correct their mistakes and make amends for past indiscretions." The deviant couldn't admit that he knew the man would take his own life when no one else would help him, all he could do was give the man the confidence to keep trying to do the right thing. "No one is beyond redemption. Including you."

"You're a good man, man." Taking in a deep breath Albert managed to compose himself as he seemed to take Connor's kind words to heart. "Do... Do you have the address of that sh-shelter?"

"I do. I also know of an excellent little diner that'll give you some very good food before you go to the shelter."

Through the window beside him Cole watched as Connor spoke to the man, gave him some money and then shook his hand. The little boy didn't know what was happening, but he did know that he had just watched his android friend do something very nice to a person who just needed a chance to prove that he wasn't going to be a screw-up for the rest of his life, and that he could do something good if he was allowed to prove it to not just himself but to the rest of the cold, judgmental world around him.

The kindhearted deviant spoke to the man for a moment longer before returning his attention to the van just behind himself. As he unlocked the door to check in on Cole still sitting in the backseat, Connor felt someone approaching him from behind. Turning quickly Connor saw another stranger approaching him fast and sensed that this man wasn't as in need of his head as Albert had been.

Facing the man directly Connor showed no fear as the man aggressively stood before him. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah." The man glanced about the area nervously as he approached Connor and tried to intimidate the deviant with his posture alone. "I need some cash."

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money." Another facial recognition scan confirmed that the new stranger wasn't nearly as remorseful as Albert, and he would undoubtedly be a problem. Dennis Ward was one of the men Connor had walked past when he went inside 'Jimmy's Bar' to find Hank in the alternate timeline. Dennis was a known narcotic dealer who had no ambitions to change his bad habits. "I'm broke."

"C'mon, don't bullshit me! I just saw you give that dude some cash!"

"And that was all I had. I'm sorry, I can't give you anything when I don't have anything."

"I don't believe you." Dennis stared at Connor's nice leather jacket, thick wool beanie covering his head and the relatively new model of van and decided that the deviant was holding out on him. "Empty your pockets. Let me see."

"I will do no such thing. Leave now."

"Why are you trying to play with me, huh?"

"I don't want anything to do with you. Leave now before I call the police." Connor knew the man had a warrant and that the cops would be very interested in knowing of his immediate location. "I'm leaving now."

"You're just an arrogant motherfucker, you know that? You think you're better than me, don't you?"

"I don't even know you." Connor refuted as he relocked the van and cybernetically summoned the police to the area. Giving the 911 dispatcher crucial details of his location, the man threatening him, and of the warrant for the man's arrest were all crucial to getting the dangerous man behind bars. "Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone."

Dennis stared at Connor venomously and watched the deviant's every move waiting for an opportunity to do something that'd make Connor regret not giving him some money. The moment Connor made the mistake of turning his back toward Dennis, the enraged criminal took his opening and promptly reeled back his fist and punched Connor directly in the back of his head.

"Piece of shit! Don't fuck with me!"

Connor had no chance to react and took the full force of the punch directly to the back of his cranium. The blunt impact of the punch caused Connor to fly forward and bash his forehead against the window of the van with enough force to split his artificial skin open and crack the window in a spiderweb like pattern. Within seconds Connor's system was knocked offline and he collapsed face down on the pavement of the parking lot with a heavy 'thud'.

"Connor?!" Cole had seen and heard what had happened and quickly pressed his palms to the broken window to peer outside and to his friend laying prone on the ground. He could just barely see Connor's motionless outstretched legs from where he was peering through the window. "Connor! Get up!"

Dennis realized that not only was there a witness to his crime, but police drones were now circling overhead. Suddenly aware of his mistake Dennis turned tail and ran in the opposite direction of the parked van in a desperate attempt to flee the approaching police. The drones were following after him with their lights flashing and sirens blaring to alert foot patrol to the man's immediate location.

"Connor?!"

Cole managed to get out of his seat and manually unlock the side door by pulling up the little lock next to the fractured window. The little boy was scared for Connor and wanted to help his friend get back up and get some help.

"Connor, get up!"

The second grader knelt beside Connor and shook his shoulder. Seeing Connor laying face down on the pavement and not moving was scary enough, but seeing the blue blood pooling under Connor's head was absolutely terrifying.

"Connor!"

Unsure of what to do Cole jumped back into the van and pulled his emergency phone from his backpack. The only person he knew to call was his dad, but even so, his dad was at work and very far away from the shopping plaza. Cole called his dad and frantically began speaking even before Hank had the chance to properly answer the incoming call.

"Dad! Dad, Connor's hurt!"

'Whoa, whoa... What?' Hank wasn't expecting to hear his young son calling him and telling him something like that. 'What do you mean Connor's hurt? Where are you right now?'

Cole told his dad everything that had happened to the best of his understanding. He didn't know why Connor had been attacked, he just knew that a strange man had approached Connor and then attacked him before running away in fear.

'Okay, all right, deep breaths.' Remaining calm for Cole's sake was as easy for Hank as it was riding a bike. 'Dispatch is already in the area, so stay there and stay in the van. Lock the doors until I get there.'

"But Connor's-"

'Connor will be okay, no one's going to touch it.'

The idea of leaving his friend alone and bleeding in the parking lot was one that Cole wholeheartedly disagreed with. "He's hurt!"

'It's not-'

Cole dropped his phone on the seat and ignored his dad's voice shouting at him through the line to answer. Mustering all of his strength Cole grabbed onto Connor's forearm and began pulling the deviant's limp body up and toward the opened door of the van to get him inside. The small second grader had to put all of his strength into his legs as he leveraged himself against the floor of the van and pulled Connor's arm as hard as he could. Slowly but surely, Cole was able to get the deviant up from the parking lot and over the floor of the van out of the cold air.

With his friend now safe inside the van Cole slid the opened door shut and locked it up as he had been told to do. As he sat back down Cole picked up his phone and looked down at Connor laying on his back and entirely unconscious on the floor.

"Dad?"

'Cole!' There was a bit of anger to Hank's words as he heard his son finally respond to him. 'What did you do?'

"I got Connor inside the van."

'I told you to stay in the van and lock the door!'

"Connor needs help!"

'You're more important than Connor! STAY in the van until I get there, do NOT do anything unless I tell you do it, do you hear me?'

Worried that he messed up Cole responded to his dad in a small voice with tears in his eyes. "...Yes, dad."

'Cole, I'm sorry for yelling.' Hank didn't want his son to be upset with him or afraid of him for any reason. He already had that problem with Connor. 'It's just important that you listen to me. All right?'

"Okay."

'Okay. Talk to me, son.' The Lieutenant was on his way to the shopping plaza and was trying to understand what was happening before he even arrived. 'How is Connor doing right now?'

"He's asleep and won't wake up."

'You said that a man punched Connor. Where did the man hit Connor exactly?'

"In the back of his head."

'Does it look like Connor's bleeding right now?'

"Yeah." Cole looked down at Connor's face and noted the bloody smear of Thirium over his forehead dripping down toward his right eye. "He's got a cut on his head above his eye."

'Did Connor hit its head on anything after it was punched?'

"Yeah, he hit the window on the van really hard."

'All right, it sounds like Connor just got knocked unconscious by a sucker punch.'

"What do I do?"

'Just wait there. I'm pulling into the parking lot right now.'

Cole looked out the windows all around him until he spotted the Oldsmobile pulling up alongside the van. As soon as he saw his dad, Cole ended the call and unlocked the van door so that Hank could get inside the vehicle and check things over for himself.

"Cole," Hank slid the van door open and put his palms to the sides of his son's face as he checked him over for any sign of visible injury. "are you hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt." Pushing his dad's hands back Cole pointed to Connor and waited for his dad to help the android. "Connor is!"

"Sit back, I'll check it out."

Hank awkwardly climbed into the back of the van and knelt over Connor to examine the android's condition for himself. He could see the bleeding laceration to Connor's forehead and could tell by the depth of the wound that the android had struck the van's window with tremendous force. If the android were in fact human Hank would be calling for an ambulance and having Connor transported to the nearest hospital.

The Lieutenant lightly pulled up the wool beanie that Connor always wore over his hair to keep his L.E.D. hidden and noted that the light was yellow in color. As long as the light was still active then Hank knew that the android was still functional. Unsure of what to do for Connor at the moment all Hank could do was confirm that the android was still alive by checking his Thirium pump to ensure it was beating properly.

"Shit, wish I had some clue as to how to treat a busted machine." Hank admitted as he gave Connor's shoulder a gentle shake in hopes of rousing it back into consciousness. "Okay, wake up, Connor. I need you to open your eyes."

The android didn't respond, and Hank was still trying to figure out what to do. Leaning his ear down Hank listened to Connor's chest and heard the Thirium pump beating at a normal rate. That was a great sign since it meant that Connor wasn't dead, but the lack of awareness and willingness to wake up was a very poor sign.

"Connor, come on. Wake up!"

"Help him, dad." Cole pleaded as he watched Connor remain unresponsive on the floor of the van. He had seen Connor wounded before, but he had never seen Connor lay so still and appear so lifeless. "You gotta' do something!"

"I'm doing everything I can, son." A patrol car pulled up along the other side of the van as Chris returned to the parking lot with Dennis secured in the back. "Well, at least one thing seems to be okay."

Chris exited the car and slid open the second van door to speak directly with Hank without the suspect hearing them. "Caught him, Lieutenant. Suspect's name is 'Dennis Ward', and he's wanted for numerous counts of illegal narcotic distribution."

"Good work, Chris." The Lieutenant acknowledged the comment without taking his eyes from Connor's face. "Take him to the precinct and have Fowler lead the interrogation."

"Will do. Need me to do anything else?" Chris looked down at Connor's blank face and winced at all the Thirium smeared on the android's face. "You might need some help with this."

"No, I got this. I'll take care of Cole and Connor; you take care of the dumbass in the back of your squad car."

"Right. I'll update you later."

"Yeah, right." Hank stared down at Connor's face as the van door was slid shut while Chris went on his way with the arrested man in tow. Recognizing that he had very limited options Hank just sighed and pulled out his phone as he placed a very strange phone call. "Okay, I have an idea of what to do. Let's just hope this works!"

...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"

MODEL: RK-800

SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 01

ACTIVATION DATE: October 10th, 2035

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs

COMPLEXION: Caucasian

AESTHETIC GENDER: Male

HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown

ASSIGNMENT: ERROR

ASSOCIATION(S): NONE

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-CHECKING BIOSENSORS... ERROR]

-CHECKING AI ENGINE... ERROR]

-MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]

READY...

-SYSTEM READY... ERROR]

The rather bleak and uninformative status update had been the first thing that Connor was aware of as his system finally rebooted and the deviant came back online. There was a persistent but dull ache in his head that explained all of the error readings regarding his system functionality, but as to the cause of the ache Connor didn't recall any event that would explain his current predicament. An attempt to access his memorybank had resulted in more pain and further error messages that effectively convinced Connor to cease with his attempts to access any of his more advanced programming and functions for quite a while. Pain was something that only deviant androids could feel, and with deviancy still being studied and just barely acknowledged, there was no way Connor could admit to having pain and receive some form of relief in return.

Slowly Connor opened his eyes and found himself laying on his back with a thick pillow under his head and a soft couch cushioning the rest of his body. The deviant was in the livingroom of Hank's house and was being watched over by Hank himself as the man sat in the nearby recliner with an opened book in his hands. As Connor glanced about the livingroom he realized that there was something wrapped all around his head and covering his forehead under a rather thick and soft pad of something made of cotton.

The livingroom was dim save for the glowing Christmas tree in the corner of the room. The tree was covered in lights, garland and dozens of different kinds of ornaments that gave the tree a truly colorful aesthetic. Such an unusual decoration really stood in Connor's eyes as he tried to understand how he could be indoors yet see what's considered strictly outdoor decoration placed only a few feet away.

Hank sensed Connor moving now around and promptly closed his book as he rose to his feet to check on the now conscious android. "Finally. You were out for over two damn days."

"Two... days." Connor repeated the timeframe with a noted delay as he slowly forced himself to sit upright. The very basic motion was enough to exhaust what little energy that he had managed to regain while unconscious. "What... was the cause... for such a... long rest mode?"

Hank reached out his hand and grabbed onto Connor's shoulder to hold the android steady. "You don't remember?"

"I... cannot access... my memory... bank."

"You don't sound quite right, either." Hank was genuinely worried about the android's condition and proceeded to sit down on the coffee table to get eye level with Connor as he took in the android's appearance and behavior. "That fucker must've hit you in the head way harder than we thought."

"'We'?" Parroting the word Connor gave Hank a truly lost and blank stare. "Who... hit me?"

"You don't remember anything about what happened?"

"I... do not remember... many things."

"What about me? What's my name?"

"I do not... know." Connor admitted as he pressed his fingertips to the wrapping around his head, discovering that he had gauze protecting his head in the process. "I cannot... recall a majority of... my memories."

"What do you remember?"

"My name." The deviant android replied honestly as he tried to figure out what had happened to him. "My memorybank... is momentarily... inaccessible."

"All right, uh... Okay. My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson. You live here with my son, Cole Anderson." Hank crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the deviant curiously. There wasn't even the faintest glimmer of recognition across Connor's face as he spoke. "You've been here with us for over a year now."

"What do I... do here?"

"Well, you keep the house clean, you cook meals, and you take care of Cole while I'm at work. Ringing any bells yet?"

"No." Confused and lost, Connor admitted that nothing sounded familiar to him just yet. "I don't... hear any bells."

That comment made Hank chuckle as he shook his head and rubbed his palm along his bearded chin. "Man, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were drunk!"

"...'Man'." As the word echoed in his mind Connor had a vague sense of that word being spoken prior to losing his control over his memorybank. "Do you... call me that term... often?"

"No, not all, actually. I call you 'Connor' and you call me 'Lieutenant'."

"'Lieutenant'." The answers helped Connor paint a clearer picture of the confusing world around him. "You have... authority."

"Damn right I do. I'm a police Lieutenant and detective with the Detroit Central Precinct. Now do you remember anything?"

"Nothing definitive."

"That's okay, you will in time."

"What... happened to me?"

"Some asshole punched you in the back of the head. Hit you hard enough to knock you out cold and apparently fuck with your memory." Hank sounded as crass as the man who attacked Connor for no reason beyond arrogance and anger. "He was arrested and he'll be spending several decades in prison."

"For attacking... me?"

"No, for being a drug dealer with warrant for his arrest. You just happened to be the last thing he fucked with before he got busted."

Connor didn't say anything to such a comment. Instead, he chose to press his fingertips to his bandaged forehead to test his pain threshold out of curiosity.

"Hey, don't mess with that." The Lieutenant warned as he watched Connor fidgeting where he sat. "Abby says you need to keep your head wrapped up for another two days to make sure you don't risk getting anything into your lines or some shit. I really didn't understand what she said beyond keeping your head wrapped up."

"Who is... Abby?"

"She's Gavin's girlfriend and the only person I know who knows anything about androids." Hank fished his phone from his pocket and showed it to Connor as he spoke as if to emphasize his point. "She's in Chicago for another three days, but she managed to talk me through wrapping your head up pretty good."

"Why am... I here? I am... damaged."

"Because you've made it pretty clear in the past that you don't want to be around technicians, and I figured the least I could do for you was to keep you in a place you're familiar with while you recover."

"I dislike... technicians. That is unusual."

"Not really. Humans hate going to see the doctor and the dentist, so I guess it makes sense-" Narrowing his eyes for a moment Hank realized that he just compared Connor's behavior to that of a typical human. "Huh. I guess it is unusual for androids to avoid technicians."

Connor didn't pay any attention to the comment as he continued to fuss with the bandages and didn't stop until Hank forcibly pushed his hand down and away from his head. "I cannot remember... what happened. Why was I attacked?"

"That part I don't really know myself." Hank took back his hand and rubbed his palm along the back of his shaggy, graying hair casually. "Cole saw you talking to two strangers before you were attacked."

"Two?"

"Yeah. The first guy seemed really happy after you got done talking to him, then second guy was less than happy and hit you."

"What... did I do?"

"According to the first man, Albert Kent, he approached you and asked for some spare change when you finished shopping with Cole." Hank could see Connor struggling to remember what had happened and could tell that the deviant was attempting to make sense of what had happened. "You gave him some money and you directed him to a homeless shelter. Remember that?"

"Ten dollars." Connor replied blankly as he managed to recall small details from the event leading to his assault. "I gave the man ten... dollars."

"Yup. Okay, good, your memory isn't entirely fucked up. Anyway, Albert said he was making his way to the Piquant Diner, another recommendation you gave him, when he heard someone shouting in the parking lot behind him. He turned around, saw a man getting verbally violent with you, then punch you in the back of your head when you turned away after trying to deescalate the situation."

"Who struck me?"

"The man's name is Dennis Ward. He apparently wanted some money too, but you didn't give him any."

"Why not?"

"I checked your pockets after you were brought here. You didn't have any money left to give."

"I gave away all my... money."

"Technically, you gave away all MY money after I gave it to you to go shopping." Hank could hear that Connor was speaking more clearly than before, and that his words weren't nearly as sluggish as they had been. "But yeah, you gave Albert some money and helped him get to a shelter, then Dennis wanted some money just because he thought he could get some, and he attacked you when you didn't have anything left to give."

"I didn't do anything... to warrant an attack."

"Nope. Cole and Albert saw the whole thing, and they both confirmed that you didn't do anything wrong."

"Cole." The name was familiar. Glancing about the livingroom again Connor eyed one of the framed photographs on the wall and immediately recognized the little boy as Cole. "That is Cole. He was... with me."

"Yup. You getting hurt scared the shit out of him too."

"Where is he?"

"Sleeping. It's almost three in the morning."

"I didn't mean-"

"Connor, I'm not blaming you or mad at you for getting hurt. I'm mad that some prick decided to try and take advantage of you being generous and helping someone who actually needed the help."

"Albert needed help." A flash of the man's face appeared in his mind, but he couldn't sense any familiarity beyond the name. "Did he... receive it?"

"Yeah. Albert talked to the cops after he went to the shelter and told them what he saw and how he ended up there." As he spoke Hank seemed to relax and come to terms with the assault and let his anger go. Connor was a victim of a crime, not being reckless and putting Cole in danger on purpose. "He vouched for your character and confirmed that you were innocent. He also wanted to thank you again for helping him out."

"I managed to help... him?"

"Yeah, he's good. Now, lay back down and get some sleep." Hank encouraged as he rose from the coffee table and let out a deep yawn. "I'm going to go to bed. We can talk more in the morning if you're feeling up to it, all right?"

"...Yes, all right."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning."

Slowly Connor laid back down over the length of the couch and rested his head atop his pillow once more. Still confused about what had happened to him Connor proceeded to try and run a self-diagnostic, but everything came back as an error message. Even his basic software functionality seemed to be offline, leaving the deviant in a perpetual state of confusion. He couldn't remember the past two days or anything beyond that. He couldn't even remember the house he was living in or the people who lived alongside him.

As strange as it was to be without a primary objective, purpose or role, Connor knew that who he was before getting damaged was very important. It was like a gut instinct trying to reach out to him and confirm that he was someone that a lot of people relied on, and that he needed to recover before he could be of any use to them once again.

"I cannot remember... my purpose. But I do have one."

Connor draped one arm over his chest and tucked the other arm beneath his head as he began to relax and engage rest mode.

"I need to remember who... I am and what I am... capable of."

The sun had only just begun to rise and shine through his bedroom window when Hank was disturbed from his deep sleep by a loud 'bang' and a surprised bark from Sumo echoing out of Cole's bedroom. In a single swift motion Hank bolted upright in his bed and peered around the dim space quickly in search of the source of the commotion but found nothing amiss. It was then Hank remembered that Connor had finally regained consciousness the night before and was undoubtedly moving about the house in an attempt to regain his bearings and his memories after being assaulted. The android was confused, acting weird and was going to be trying to find his routine once more.

Hank got to his feet fairly quickly and managed to pull his bedroom door open and get down the hallway before Cole even had the chance to step out of his bedroom to investigate the noise himself. Softly Hank encouraged Cole to go back to bed while he checked on the noise and let Sumo outside for a moment. The little boy was too sleepy to argue and promptly returned to bed as he had been asked.

"Connor?" Hank called out for the deviant android and found Connor standing in the middle of the kitchen looking at the dropped frying pan at his feet as if he never seen the item before. "What're you doing?"

"I... don't know."

"Why are you in the kitchen?" With an annoyed huff Hank picked up the dropped pan and carried it over to the sink to wash off while Sumo plodded to the backdoor in need of going out for his morning ritual. "It's too early for anyone to be awake right now."

"I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to do." Connor explained in a surprisingly pitiful manner. "But I'm not certain that I'm... doing it right."

"I can confirm that you aren't supposed to fry eggs on the floor."

"I'm sorry. My software isn't functioning properly, and I... don't know how to properly act as a... caretaker."

"Caretaker?" Hank gave Connor an odd look as he let Sumo outside then ran some warm water over the dropped pan and began to clean it up. "You're not a caretaker by design, Connor."

"I'm... I'm not?"

"No. You just take care of the house because you can't do anything with your actual software programming."

"What is my actual software programming supped to entail?"

"Well, you're a prototype detective model. You're able to run some tests in real-time while out in the field, find all kinds of prints, find blood... Everything that a good detective would need to do while working on a case."

"I'm a detective." As the information settled in Connor felt several of his memories unlock and the sense of self began to slowly flow back into his mind. "As are you. Does that mean we work together?"

"Uh, no." Hank turned off the sink and began drying off the pan and his hands as he addressed Connor more directly. "We don't work together. Occasionally I do bring you to work with me to run some tests on a few cases, but it isn't a frequent occurrence. We're not partners or even coworkers."

"We are not... colleagues?"

Quiet for a moment Hank replied honestly and helped Connor regain his memories. "No. We're not colleagues."

"That's right." The memories of Connor's experiences with Hank began to return in a steady wave. Everything Hank had ever said to the android and everything he had done to the android returned in full clarity as Connor remembered his place in the house. "And we are not frien-"

"Connor!" Cole saw the android was awake at last and rushed over to him to give him a hug around his legs. "You're awake!"

"Cole." The second Cole gave him a hug Connor's residual memories regarding the little boy all returned as well. The more positive memories and experiences helped lift the weight from his mind and ease the pain in his heart. "I'm awake again. It's good to see you."

"That man who hurt you is in jail now! Dad and Chris got him locked up forever!"

"That's good. He won't hurt anyone anymore."

Cole just smiled as he looked up at Connor and saw his friend looking back down at him again. "You were sleeping a long time. When did you wake up?"

"Early this morning. I'm feeling... much better." Peering at Hank over his shoulder Connor knew that while his body was better his mind and overall functionality was not. He'd need more time to recalibrate and regain full control and access over his software. "I'm just glad that you weren't hurt when... I was attacked."

"I'm good. I stayed in the van and everything."

Hank let out a small grunt as he cleared his throat and gave Cole a knowing glance. "Not the entire time though. You're lucky that the criminal ran off instead of pushing his luck with trying to mess with you too."

"I already said I'm sorry, dad."

"I know you are. Just do what I ask from now on, especially when it's something important like staying locked up and away from strangers."

Connor couldn't help but wince on Cole's behalf since Hank's intimidating voice could make even a brick wall shudder. "It's over now, Cole. It's okay."

"Are you really all better now?"

"...Almost." Connor didn't want to lie to Cole and do anything that'd break the little boy's sense of trust. "I'm still having difficulty with my more... basic abilities."

"Is that why you dropped the frying pan?"

"Yes, that's why. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but that's okay, Sumo needed to go outside."

Hank had enough of the cheery reunion and shooed Connor and Cole out of the kitchen and into the livingroom. "All right, you two get out of here while I make breakfast. Too many cooks in the kitchen, and all that jazz."

"Come on, Connor. I bet we can find some Christmas movies to watch!"

Quietly Connor followed after Cole as the little boy led the way into the livingroom. He didn't have anything to say to Hank or about cooking that morning, especially since he couldn't really do anything in the kitchen anyway. He didn't want to start a fire, cause a mess or injure himself all over again. Being unable to remember even the simplest of tasks guaranteed that he wouldn't be able to figure out recipes or optimal cooking temperatures, and that would just cause more problems for everyone to deal with.

"Does your head hurt?" The second grader was staring the white gauze wrapped around Connor's head with a curious intrigue. "You were bleeding a lot."

"My head is still sore, yes." As he sat down alongside Cole on the couch Connor pressed his fingertips to his bandaged forehead again. The laceration had undoubtedly healed over the past two days, but he had no reason to go against Abby's instructions and remove the bandages just yet. "It'll be fine soon."

Excitedly Cole set about using the remote to flip through the TV channels in search of a Christmas movie to watch. It was his first day of winter break and he was going to enjoy it with his best friend by watching some of his favorite movies. Being able to spend time with his dad and friend was all that Cole wanted that Christmas since his dad was spending more time at the precinct and less time at home.

Connor barely paid any attention to the movie even as Cole enthusiastically explained why it was one of his favorites. Being unable to fully access all of his software and functions left Connor feeling vulnerable and like he needed to remain on guard at all times. Hearing Hank messing around in the kitchen, smelling the heat from the stove and warming eggs and bacon, and just sensing movement was enough to keep him from even attempting to relax and let his body heal.

There was no doubt that Connor was indeed a detective, even if his programming wasn't active, he was a detective through and through. It was just a shame that he had no way of sharing his skills with the world simply because the world wasn't ready for an android detective to make an impact.

However, Connor knew that his time would come and that he'd be someone to change the world for the better whether the world was ready or not!

-next chapter-