It was just two days before Christmas and Detroit was glowing with lights and an emotional fire. Due to the high stress of the impending holiday season many people were beginning to lose their patience and lash out in very unproductive ways. Many stores had shortened hours to accommodate their employees to ensure that they too could spend time with the friends and family before and during the holidays, and as such when the stores were opened, they were packed full of angry, impatient and at times volatile people. Increased reports of fist fights, pickpocketing, car break-ins and attempted fraud through tag switching had exhausted the police force throughout all of Detroit. In return, every cop and detective were edgy, bitter and absolutely exhausted and couldn't wait to have their own time off.
One unfortunate reaction to the increased violence came in the form of Markus locking down Belle Isle to ensure that no one ventured out to New Jericho Tower to cause any problems. That security measure had resulted in countless deviants who were struggling with homelessness seeking shelter at the Android Emergency Care Facilities around the city. Due to the limited shelters just as many deviants who were struggling to find shelter needed to report acts of violence against them to the police on top of everything else that the police were actively trying to handle.
Connor had personally assisted fourteen deviants who had been mugged and beaten in the streets in a single day. After taking their statements and showing them to the second floor dispensary for treatment, Connor sought quiet and isolation by sitting outside of the precinct by the rear entrance. The deviant detective had only his coin to keep him company as he anxiously danced the quarter back and forth between his hands as he stared blankly at the untouched snow spread out over the parking lot all around him.
The tension in the precinct had been building to the point that Connor was beginning to feel smothered. Aside from his lack of expressing strong emotions during tense moments throughout the year, Connor disliked feeling as if he needed to watch everything he said and did to avoid an explosion from his own colleagues and friends. By removing himself from the precinct Connor felt like he was still in control of something and didn't need to worry about setting someone off by mistake.
Despite being a detective and a leader within New Jericho, Connor had to accept the reality that he couldn't protect his people from all the evils in the world. He was just one deviant; he could only do so much at any given time and place. Seeing his people bleeding, bruised, missing patches of their artificial skin and even full appendages or limbs was enough to make Connor lose hope that he could do anything to stop the violence and make the city even remotely safer for his people. In spite of all their struggles and progress it seemed that hatred, disdain and selfishness would always find a way to contend against love, compassion and empathy.
It didn't take long for Hank to notice that the deviant detective was absent from the bullpen and began a search for Connor. After tracking Connor down to the rear of the precinct Hank stepped through the doors and stood just behind Connor with his arms folded over his cold chest. Looking down at Connor's snow covered back for a moment Hank let out a deep sigh that disappeared in the form of a white mist before his very eyes.
"You gotta' be freezing." The cold air stung Hank's ears and nose quickly as he stood outside. The protective mentor and guardian knew that Connor hated the cold and didn't want to see Connor make himself ill by sitting out in the snow just because he needed some space. "Come back inside and take a break in the warm breakroom."
"I'm fine where I am." Catching the icy cold coin between his thumb and forefinger tip, Connor also sighed and slipped the quarter into his pocket. "I just want to be by myself for a few minutes."
"I get that, and I respect that, but you can't be out in the cold like this. You'll get sick."
"I'll be fine, Lieutenant."
"Connor, please don't fight me on this one." Gritting his teeth Hank couldn't contain his frustrated growl at being met with verbal resistance. "Just do what I tell you to do!"
That request seemed oddly out of place and confrontational. Being yelled at by Hank had caught Connor off guard and made Connor visibly flinch at the raised voice and turn around as he jumped to his feet quickly. The way he moved one might thing that he was expecting to be suddenly struck.
"...O-Okay, I'll go inside." Keeping some distance between Hank and himself Connor passed the man by and slipped through the backdoor to return to the precinct where it was warmer but far busier. "Sorry, Lieutenant."
"Con-" Realizing he has accidentally snapped at the deviant felt like a punch right in the gut. "Shit... Why in the fuck did I say that?"
Quietly Connor walked down the long corridor and made his way inside the precinct to warm up as he had been ordered. Slipping into an empty interview room Connor managed to remain alone even after returning to the busy precinct full of frantic energy and frustration as the chaos of the holidays unfolded out in the city all around them. He just wanted to be alone and not think about all the battered deviants he had spoken to and forget what their voices sounded like as they told their hauntingly identical stories of being targeted, assaulted and left to freeze in the streets.
Sitting down at the table Connor pressed his face into his palms as he leaned atop his elbows and just tried to breathe slowly. While he knew that Hank had only snapped because he was frustrated Connor couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to endure a second round of Hank being cruel and indifferent to Connor and to Lucas now that the second deviant was in his life. That particular fear had haunted Connor's nightmares and prevented the Connor from fully resting or accepting that Hank had changed for the better.
As he sat alone in the interview room Connor didn't notice Hank passing by the room and peering through the observation window to watch him for a moment. It was clear that Hank immediately regretted losing his cool and wanted to apologize, but he also knew that Connor was someone who needed space to think and feel for a minute before confronting any personal issues.
"Damn it." Grumbling to himself Hank walked down the rest of the corridor and entered the breakroom to get some space for himself while helping himself to one of Mrs. Collins's famous homemade cookies. "Should've known I would've managed to screw something up so close to Christmas."
"Wha'dya do?" Gavin asked around a mouthful of cookies and a piece of apple pie. Wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket Gavin swallowed his treats and then tried again as Hank grabbed a single tree shaped cookie to snack on. "Forget to buy Cole something special? I took care of Abby and Aria's gifts back in October."
"No, Cole's covered, and I never worry about messing things up with him."
"Don't tell me you forgot all about your gift to Connor and Lucas this year! That took you months to sort through!"
"No, that's fine too, and everything's been filed and officially declared legal." Taking a bite of the cookie did little to ease Hank's worries as he replayed how fast he managed to make Connor wary of his very presence. "It's Connor. I just barked at him and scared the shit outta' him."
"You did what now?"
"I snapped at him because he just wanted to sit by himself for a while outside."
"Why... did you do that?" The younger detective was truly at a loss at what he had just missed out on. "What's so wrong about him wanting to be alone?"
"Nothing. It was him sitting out in the cold and potentially getting himself sick that was wrong." Even after clarifying things Hank still felt like he had made a huge mistake. "Then again, it might just be me being a huge control freak because I got stressed out today. The kid's smart enough to when to get out of the cold if it gets to be too much for him to handle. I know it and he knows it too."
"Well, considering what he went through today I'm not surprised he wants to get away from us humans for a while."
Hank gave Gavin a blank stare as he realized he hadn't even considered what Connor had been doing all day long. "Do I need to be brought up to speed on something important right now?"
"Only that he dealt with easily two dozen deviants getting the shit beat outta' 'em by some humans." Summing everything up only made the night seem colder since Gavin made it sound like business as usual. Having had his fill of snacks Gavin wandered back to his desk sounding exhausted as he looked. "Happy holidays, huh? By the way, you may not want to keep calling Connor 'kid' if you want him to feel like an equal and not always a junior! Just a thought."
Taking in a deep breath Hank let it out slowly and glanced around the breakroom as if seeking some form of inspiration for making amends with Connor and to find a way to apologize for his crass, snarky attitude. The large array of snacks and drinks were essentially picked by humans for humans with only one or two offerings for the android staff. A handful of blue tinted, Thirium-based candy canes were left in a bowl beside a glass pitcher of apple cider flavored Thirium, and they didn't provide much to the smaller, still somewhat misunderstood deviant staff. At least it was a start!
Picking up two of the candy canes Hank stepped out of the breakroom and nearly ran into Connor as the deviant hastily made his way back to the bullpen as if he was on the hunt. "Whoa, sorry, son." Stepping back Hank watched as Connor continued on his way to the bullpen without a word. "What's the hurry?"
"Captain Fowler has an assignment for us, I'm reporting to him as requested. I presume he thought you'd be in my presence and didn't bother to speak to you directly as a result."
"Shoulda' known we'd get a last-minute assignment." Slipping the two treats into his coat pockets for the time being, Hank followed after Connor and entered Captain Fowler's private office to speak with the man for a few minutes. The look on the seasoned Captain's face was almost enough to tell an entire story on its own. "What's going on, Jeffrey?"
"Got a report of a potential 'red ice' ring downtown." With a simple wave over the monitor on the wall beside his desk Captain Fowler produced a 3-D holographic display over his desk's surface for his two detectives to view for themselves. "The old hotel by the former 'Eden Club' was condemned this past spring and is slated for demolition this coming summer. There's been a lot of activity in the area for two shutdown businesses for my liking, and a patrolling officer confirmed that they had seen some people skulking around the property. A K-9 unit picked up on some 'red ice' in the area and trailed it right to the hotel's front door."
"And why are we being told about this?" Hank felt it was necessary to remind his commanding officer that he and Connor weren't in charge of the narcotics division and that Hank hadn't been on homicide in over a year now. "Doesn't sound deviant related to us."
"You're right, it's not. But you're one of the best detectives in the city when it comes to handling 'red ice', and Connor's ability to run in-field analyses make you two the perfect investigators for a potential 'red ice' bust." Captain Fowler stared at the holographic image with an intense gaze as he gave his two detectives their new assignment. "I got the search warrant already filed and approved. You two need to check out the building and arrest anyone trespassing. If they're dealing drugs, lock their asses in a cell until the new year. If they're homeless and just trying to get out of the cold, take them to a shelter and tell 'em that I said to give 'em a hot meal on my tab."
Hank rubbed his palm along his bearded chin and sighed openly at the new assignment. "All right, fine. We'll head out, check out the hotel and then we're done for the night. It's been a long-ass day for everyone, and we're tired."
"Deal." With a simple motion Captain Fowler directed Connor to upload the information about the hotel to use during the investigation. "There's the address of the hotel. Remember, the hotel's been condemned so watch your footing. I don't want you falling through the floor and breaking your leg or something."
"Right. Let's go, kid." The eagerness to finish their assignment and head for home was the only energy that Hank could use to keep working. "The sooner we get that hotel cleared out, the sooner we can get some damn rest."
Without offering any opinion on the matter or even a protest about the assignment outside of his own division, Connor silently accompanied Hank outside of the office and promptly over to the connected desks in the heart of the bullpen. After picking up his leather jacket from the back of his chair while Hank grabbed the keys to the Oldsmobile, the deviant detective remained completely quiet. A strange need to stay silent, unseen and unnoticed seemed to be guiding Connor's every action and decision on that cold winter night, and he wasn't sure why.
It didn't take Hank long to notice Connor's steel silence as he used his G.P.S. to head out to the questionable hotel. The way Connor had reacted so quickly and so negatively to his raised voice and short temper reminded Hank of all the mistakes that he had made with Connor during their first three years of knowing one another. In spite of his efforts to atone for his mistakes and actually earn Connor's trust, Hank knew that he'd never truly be able to make up for his negligent and cruel behavior or be able to undo all the damage he had done to the deviant. The stubborn and prideful man hadn't even bothered to apologize to Connor in any meaningful way, and yet he still had the nerve to expect Connor to be patient and understanding with him about all of his past misgivings simply because he was willfully ignorant to how deviants could think and feel.
"Hey, uh, Connor?" Hank watched from the corner of his eye as Connor remained statue still in the passenger seat with perfect posture. The deviant wasn't even looking at all of the colorful lights and decorations lining the streets, he had his focus on the dashboard before himself with a blank gaze. "I know this might seem kinda' outta' nowhere, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. And I'm sorry for all the ways I was a prick to you in the past. I shouldn't have yelled at you or tried to tell you what to do when you weren't doing anything harmful in the slightest. I still got my own shit I need to work through and I have no right or reason to take out my frustrations on you or anyone else."
Connor didn't say anything in regard to the apology. His shoulders merely slumped a little as he realized that while he had slipped on his jacket he hadn't zipped it up. Being out in the cold without a properly secured jacket would be unacceptable. As he zipped up the garment Connor looked up through the windshield and spotted the hotel just a few yards away.
"...Address is the on the right, Lieutenant."
"Right." Feeling worse than before Hank gently pulled the Oldsmobile to the side of the street and parked just in front of the now shutdown 'Eden Club' to ensure that if anyone was inside the condemned hotel that they wouldn't take notice of their arrival. "I'll take the lead; you stay behind me."
"As always."
That muttered remark made Hank pause for just a moment as he unfastened his seatbelt and opened his door. Hank didn't want Connor to feel as if he always to come second behind himself for every situation in their lives, he just wanted to keep Connor safe while out in the field. Deviants were still prime targets, and even without his android unique clothing or L.E.D. on display Connor's fame as a deviant leader would still make him very recognizable and prime target for vengeful humans skulking the city.
Hank hovered his hand over the gun holstered on his hip as he approached the boarded off entrance to the hotel. As soon as Connor was beside him Hank asked for the deviant to scan the property and check for any life signs within to avoid making any mistakes.
"Anybody home?"
A biometric scan over the hotel revealed four humans, sixteen rats, twenty-two mice, nine stray cats and three stray dogs all lurking inside. "...Yes. Four humans, several animals and no androids."
"Where are the humans?"
"Rear of the building, ground floor." A swift cybernetic download of the hotel's old blueprints helped Connor gauge the building's overall layout. "Kitchen area."
"Sounds like they found the perfect hideaway to brew up some 'red ice' for the winter." Carefully Hank took hold of the door's brass handles and pulled slowly. Sure enough the boards over the double doors had all been loosened in such a way that the doors could be opened while still looking completely barred and secured from a distance. "Let's check it out and get some trash off the streets."
The old hotel's floorboards creaked and groaned under the weight of the two investigating detectives as the entered the front lobby together. Massive gaps and cracks in the walls and the ceiling all stemmed from years of neglect and abuse from the previous owners and guests at the hotel itself. Mold of all colors was growing in the faded torn-up carpet, within the corners of every room, and inside the opened cracks in the walls. Old water pipes that had dried up had broken free of their supports and were now protruding through the ceiling courtesy of rust and gravity. Neglected, exposed and still sparking electrical wires hung dangerously loose in the crumbling walls and down from the holes ceiling created a very precarious environment.
"They're siphoning power from another building to feed into this one." A distinct aroma of chemicals and a sickly sweetness hung in the air and made Hank shake his head as his eyes began to water a little. "They're definitely cooking 'red ice' in here. We'll need a hazmat team to document the scene when we're finished."
"I've already informed Investigator Collins of the situation. He's on his way."
"Good work."
Keeping his movements slow and deliberate Hank followed the corridor and the old sign placards just barely hanging onto the walls to guide him into the kitchen in the rear of the building. The smell of the brewing 'red ice' was growing stronger, and Hank knew that he and Connor were getting dangerously close to their suspects with each step they took. He couldn't determine if anyone was armed or not, but the experienced Lieutenant wasn't going to take any chances while he was out in the field with his partner, friend and someone he's grown to view and appreciate as family.
The entrance to the kitchen was left wide open since the old swinging door had fallen off the hinges years ago. Following the small corridor connecting the kitchen's serving area to the actual kitchen prep area in the back resulted in the two detectives picking up on the sound of muffled voices speaking to one another. Hank peered around the corner of the corridor and into the kitchen where he saw four masked humans - three males and one female - all hovering around a greasy, dirty, covered countertop with glass beakers sitting atop flaming Bunsen burners. The burners were being fueled by dangerously redirected electrical wires that were constantly sparking and threatening to ignite the improperly stored and very volatile chemicals sitting far too close to the flames and wires in general.
"They're right in there." Unholstering his weapon Hank checked the clip and made sure he'd be able to fire without any incident if it became necessary. He hated that Connor never unholstered his own gun and chose to use only his hands to subdue criminals, but he respected the deviant's desires to never use a weapon against another living being. "I'll announce our presence, you circle around to the other side of the kitchen to keep 'em from running out the back."
Connor gave Hank a quick nod of confirmation as he quietly crept back down the corridor and looped around to the rear of the kitchen. While Connor moved into position he wisely cybernetically updated the precinct of the situation and requested back-up to the scene to take the four humans into custody while cordoning off the dangerous building to keep other people from entering the arguable deathtrap. Once he was in position Connor sent a cybernetic message to Hank's phone knowing that the man would feel it 'buzz' in his coat pocket and give him the cue to make his move.
Holding his breath Hank appeared from around the corner with his gun drawn and his voice deep after he knew Connor was ready. "Detroit Police! Put your hands up!"
The four humans - all in their late teens - turned around quickly, took one look at Hank and his gun, then froze in place. No one dared to move as the Lieutenant approached them slowly and continued to bark orders at them. Their wide eyes overshadowed their masks and made the group look as pitiful as the unusual scene would have anyone guess.
"Put your hands behind your head! Get on the ground, NOW!"
Connor put himself in the second doorway of the kitchen to keep anyone from bolting and watched as the four suspects all cowered on the floor and didn't even try to make a run for it. The bass and authority in Hank's voice was enough to make them all drop to the floor and obey his orders without question.
"Do NOT move." Hank growled as he kept his eyes on the four suspects and didn't pay any attention to the flaming and sparker burners just beside him. The brewing 'red ice' was bubbling in the large glass beaker atop the bright orange flame. "You're all under arrest for suspicion of creating and selling narcotics, trespassing and just being a pain in the ass. Don't do anything stupid!"
"We're not gonna' move!" The young woman promised as she cowered on her knees with her hands wrapped around the back of her head. Her clothing was dirty and essentially just rags hanging off her scrawny frame. "Please, just don't shoot us! Please... We just... We're sorry!"
Connor couldn't blame the frightened teenager for begging for her life considering Hank's intimidating presence and the gun pointed right at her head. With a noted gentleness the deviant detective used his handcuffs to secure her wrists behind her back as she remained in her kneeling position on the dirty floor. Using his second set of cuffs Connor did the same to the young man cowering right beside the already arrested young woman and refused to use aggression to maintain control over the situation.
"Here." Hank tossed Connor his two sets of handcuffs to ensure that all four suspects were cuffed and unable to get ahold of any weapons. "Make sure they can't slip their wrists free and try to run."
Silently Connor repeated the process and then directed the four handcuffed teenager to sit on the floor with their backs to the wall out in the corridor leading to the kitchen. He didn't want them to be near the dangerous chemicals, flames and sparks while he and Hank awaited back-up.
"I'll begin chronicling the evidence." Connor stated somberly as Hank kept watch over the arrested teenagers all gathered in the corridor trembling in both fear and cold. The sooner the scene was contained the sooner they could leave. "We can trace the origins of these chemicals to a warehouse secured on the harbor. We'll be able to locate an illegal seller of these chemicals from there and have the supplier arrested."
"Hear that?" Slipping his gun back into his holster Hank stood before the four teenagers with his hands on his hips. The man looked more like a principal scolding tardy students than he did a detective watching four criminals due to their youthful and frightened appearance. "We're gonna' find out who's supplying you guys and have them arrested too. Want to start talking and make things easier on yourselves?"
"We didn't-" The young woman tried to start talking but a sharp elbow to her ribs cut her off. "Ow! Fuck..."
"Hey, nuh-uh." Hank glared at the young man who elbowed his friend and reminded him that he was a cop and wasn't in the mood to play any games. "I will add assault to your list of charges on top of obstruction of justice. If she wants to talk, with or without a lawyer, it's her decision. Do not interrupt her again."
"If we tell you what's going on," nearly whispering the young woman tried to find a way out of her situation. "you'll cut us a deal, right?"
"Depends on how valuable anything you have to say is."
"All right, it's like this." Giving her cohorts a nasty glare, the young woman began speaking up while they held their silence. "We're about to flunk out of high school and our folks don't want us around anymore; they kicked us out. Our superintendent said that he'd give us all passing grades AND a full-ride scholarship to any college we want if we make his 'red ice' and sell it after school and give him all the money."
"You gotta' be shittin' me." Such a horrible blackmail scheme seemed too farfetched to be even remotely believable. "Can you give us anything that'll prove this?"
"We got burner phones back at the school. The superintendent leaves them in our lockers for us in the morning just before school starts so we know what to do, where to go and who to sell his shit to." It seemed that the young woman was far smarter than the superintendant was giving her credit for. "They're definitely in our lockers right now because school's out for Christmas. All of his messages and instructions to us are all right there."
"Son of a bitch. All right, you four are going to sit at the precinct in your own cells for the night. We're going to look into everything you're saying and determine who's lying and who's responsible for this whole operation."
"Does... that mean we get some food too?" The scared teenager asked hopefully as she nodded at her friends. "And maybe a bed?"
Hank's gruff demeanor suddenly melted away as he realized that the four high schoolers were actually looking forward to going to the precinct since it meant they'd be warm, fed and safe from the streets for at least one night. "Yeah, you'll be taken care of even if you don't want to talk just yet. Cooperate with us and don't resist arrest, and you'll all be just fine."
"Thanks. You're nicer than the cops at the school." Shivering a little the young woman looked at pitiful as she sounded. "They just treat us like we're garbage because we're not rich or superstar athletes."
"It doesn't matter where you come from in life, how much money you have or how much attention you can bring to your school. You're all still people who deserve to be treated with dignity."
"Lieutenant?" Chris called out as he, Jack, Sarah Lee and Ben all arrived at the scene together. "You back here?"
"Over here, Chris." Looking over his shoulder Hank waved the young officer in his direction. "We got four suspects who need to get warmed up, some good food and a quiet place to relax before their lawyer shows up to talk to 'em."
"Yeah, sure." As soon as he saw the teenagers all fearfully sitting together Chris immediately understood Hank's demeanor and knew that the man was going to go easy on the kids and help them out of a bad situation. "We'll get 'em to the precinct while you, Connor and Ben finish up here. Come on, let's go guys. I think we got some extra hoodies at the precinct you can wear."
With the four teenagers being taken care of and escorted safely out of the dangerous building by Chris, Jack and Sarah Lee, Hank turned his attention toward Ben to bring him up to speed on the unusual situation. "Man, you're not gonna' believe this one..."
"Try me." Writing down a few details of the hotel in his notepad Ben raised his eyebrows and gave Hank a skeptical glance. "Remember when we got report of a gorilla hiding out under the Ambassador Bridge, and we chalked it up to just a couple of teens pulling a prank?"
"Yeah, who knew that rich people could actually buy a giant jungle beast and have it shipped to their own backyard? But right now, we got a serious problem." As he spoke Hank began walking back toward the kitchen area where Connor was still securing the evidence for proper collection and analysis. "Those teens are in some pretty big trouble. Their own school superin-"
A loud snapping sound echoed through the corridor as bright flashes filled the area. Hank and Ben both dropped to their knees and held up their hands in front of the faces as rapid flashing, loud sparking snaps and shattering glass echoed out of the kitchen area without any immediate known cause. The ongoing onslaught of the flickering lights and loud snaps were suddenly accompanied by a loud crashing sound and a fiery rush of heat racing down the corridor right in their direction.
"Fuckin- The bad wiring finally caught this place on fire!" Hank shouted as he pointed down the relatively safer corridor behind Ben and himself. "Get outta' here and call the fire department, I'm gonna' grab Connor and be right behind you!"
"You better move it!" Ben shouted as he quickly turned around to flee from the now burning hotel to get himself to safety. "I don't want this to turn into a search and rescue on top of another drug den turning to ash!"
With his head low and his arm still in front of himself to shield his face Hank ventured into the kitchen area as the flames began to smolder and eat away at the floor and walls around him. Peering through the growing flames and obnoxious white flashes Hank spotted Connor standing near the source of the problem and noticed that Connor was standing upright with an eerily rigid posture, yet his entire body was seizing with rapid muscle spasms.
"Connor!? What the fuck's go-"
Getting closer to the deviant revealed that Connor's hand had accidentally come into contact with one of the live, sparking wires near the base of the Bunsen burner and was now in the process of being actively electrocuted. Connor couldn't speak, free himself or even comprehend what was happening to him in that very crucial moment as the uncontrolled surge of electricity swarmed through his body.
"Oh, fuck! Shit, shit, shit!"
Looking around the burning room for something he could use to break the connection between Connor and the live wire led Hank's eyes to one of the many loose wooden boards sticking awkwardly out of the cracked and crumbling walls. The decaying walls were readily feeding the hungry and growing fire causing the kitchen to fill with smoke at swift rate. Ignoring the flames licking at his unprotected hands Hank pried one of the wooden boards free from the wall with an audible 'crack' and proceeded to use the insulated tool to free Connor from the electrical current ravaging his form.
Using some moderate force Hank wedged the board between Connor's left palm and the sparking wire that was burning through his artificial skin right down to the plastimetal beneath. As soon as the connected was severed Connor's body stopped seizing and fell limp to the floor right at Hank's feet. Managing to toss aside the board and catch Connor's head in his palm as the deviant collapsed, Hank reacted with impressive speed as he knelt down on the floor to pull Connor's frighteningly limp body up and over his shoulders into a fireman's carry.
"I got ya', son! We're gettin' outta' here!"
Hank tightened his grip around Connor's leg and arm before he went charging out of the burning room and down the corridor to get back outside. Dark smoke was readily filling every available space inside the hotel making coordination difficult and sight nearly impossible. Relying on his other senses to guide himself Hank followed the sound of Ben's voice shouting into his radio to direct dispatch to the hotel, the cold wind of the winter air blowing in through the opened front doors and his memory of navigating the building all to his advantage.
Running through the opened doorway of the burning hotel and into the cold night air never felt so good to Hank's heated skin. Carrying Connor over to the sidewalk next to the Oldsmobile to get some space from the hotel, Hank gently laid his unconscious and unresponsive partner and friend down to assess his injuries to the best of his abilities. He only learned so much about android first aid, and treating the victim of a severe electrical shock in android form was not covered in his lessons.
"Connor? Son?" Hank called Connor's name as he gave the deviant's chest a small shake. Instinctively he tried to unzip the leather jacket to expose Connor's chest, but the metal teeth of the jacket had been fused together due to the strong electrical current that had snaked through Connor's body for so long. "Fucking hell... Ben? Knife! Now!"
"Got ya' covered." Ben knelt beside Hank and passed him over a pocketknife that he always carried while on the clock. All it took was one look over Connor's body for the seasoned investigator to understand Hank's worries. "Oh, man... I'll tell the fire department to alert their E.F.T. to the situation."
"Tell 'em that they're dealing with a prototype android that received a prolonged electric shock to his left hand." The sharp knife managed to slowly but effectively cut through the leather of the ruined jacket alongside the fused zipper enough for Hank to tear through the compromised material. The man managed to reveal Connor's gray blazer and white dress shirt beneath and then press his palm down on Connor's sternal area to check for a pump beat. "And tell 'em that we have NO way to help him where we are; he's gone into some kind of damned arrest."
"On it."
"Okay, son..." Pulling open the buttons of the dress shirt was easy, getting into the motion of compressing down on Connor's chest was going to be hard. Hank loathed needing to perform first aid on anyone he personally knew and cared about; especially a partner in the field. "You gotta' work with me on this. I know C.P.R. worked for Lucas when he had a close call with the water, so let it work for you after you came into contact with that damn wire."
Moving his arms automatically Hank pushed down on Connor's seized Thirium pump rhythmically to force the crucial biocomponent back into motion manually. Every time Hank pressed down he could feel Connor's chest give slightly and he could even feel the Thirium pump contract under his strong hands to force Thirium to flow through Connor's lines again. There was no way for the man to determine if his efforts were doing any kind of good or not since there was no way for him to gauge Connor's vital signs externally.
"Ambulance is just around the corner." Ben confirmed as he returned to the sidewalk and knelt down beside Connor. Lightly he picked up Connor's electrically burned left hand and winced sympathetically at the sight. "Oh, man. I'm glad he's unconscious right now, I'd hate to see how much a burn like this would hurt him."
"I'd give anything for him to wake up." Hank admitted as he continued to compress Connor's chest. Along with the black burns on Connor's hand, a second faint burn mark could be seen running down the center of Connor's chest where the metal zipper had been laying during the actual shock itself. "Shit... He's still not breathing."
"He will soon." Standing upright Ben waved at the approaching ambulance to direct the E.F.T. directly to their awaiting patient. "Connor's one of the strongest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, he's not going to let something as stupid as this be his grand finale."
"I sure as Hell hope you're right about that..."
A massive fireball erupted from the burning kitchen as the flames reached the highly flammable chemicals and ignited the volatile substances. The entire block rocked with the explosion and sent a plume of pitch black smoke into the sky with a massive rush of air. The flames tore through the floors above the kitchen and soon ate through the roof to create a fully compromised structure fire.
While the firefighters worked to contain the fire before it spread to any of the surrounding buildings, the E.F.T. jumped out of the back of the parked ambulance with her satchel slung over her shoulder and a determined look in her eyes. Taking a knee beside Connor on the sidewalk and visually assessing the situation took the young technician only a few seconds to handle. Quickly she opened her satchel and pulled out a small, portable Thirial activity monitor and placed it on the ground before she attached the synched wireless leads to Connor's already exposed chest.
"I'm Lily Banner." Introducing herself quickly Lily set about analyzing Connor's vital signs on the monitor before doing anything else. "I've been interning under Dr. Joel Forrest at the-"
"We know Joel." Hank stated rather tersely as he continued C.P.R. and waited for either Connor to respond or for Lily to take action. "He's a good technician so we know you'll be one too, now prove it!"
Lily hesitated for only a minute before she made her first decision. "Hold compressions."
Hank did as he was told and panted slightly as he looked at the monitor alongside Lily and saw no sign of a pump rhythm. "Shit, resum-"
"No, don't!" Lily warned as she pulled the two Thirial pump stimulators - small paddles that rivaled a human cardiac defibrillator - and placed the paddles down on Connor's chest. One paddle was directly in the center of Connor's chest and the other was at the left side of his chest at the apex of his pump. "Unlike humans, androids don't need any kind of pump rhythm to receive a corrective shock. Think of it as jumpstarting a depleted battery."
Wisely Hank kept his hands back to avoid getting a shock of his own as he watched Lily prepare a controlled charge and urged Ben to put Connor's hand back down to avoid a shock as well. "Come on, son. Let this work..."
"Charge is set. Don't touch him." After the charge reached its designated level Lily pressed the release trigger down on the back of the two paddles and sent the controlled jolt through Connor's pump and watched as the deviant's body had a physical jerking reaction that mirrored the way humans could have violent muscle contractions after being shocked with a defibrillator. "Checking for a change in pump reading."
The trio of first responders peered at the monitor without any care for the burning hotel behind them. The only thing the small group cared about was Connor's ability to respond and recover.
"No change." Lily confirmed with a dour tone. "Upping the charge from two-hundred to three-hundred Joules."
"Come on, Connor." Hank whispered as he tried to not fear the worst. "You have to respond. Wake up!"
"Preparing the second charge." Returning the paddles to Connor's chest Lily primed the charge and prepared to send the second jolt through Connor's stopped pump as soon as the charge reached its desired level. "Everyone keep back... Sending charge!"
Just as he had done the first time, Connor's body reacted physically by having his back arch upward slightly before falling back down on the hard sidewalk beneath him. Mere seconds after his body had laid flat again Connor's head twitched slightly as his system registered a proper pump beat and prompted him to begin ventilating once more. As his chest began to slowly rise and fall with steady, rhythmic breaths everyone around them released their own breaths in response.
"Got a steady beat." A quick visual confirmation on the Thirial activity was all Lily needed before she continued administering aid to Connor. Lightly she picked up his left hand and began wrapping it in sterilized gauze that'd prevent dirt or debris from getting embedded in the damaged artificial skin or the plastimetal frame before his body had the chance to heal. "He'll be transported to the Zeta Facility to have his Thirium pump analyzed and have his burns treated. You can ride along in the ambulance if you wish."
"Yeah, I'll go with him." Hank didn't need to ask as he already knew that Ben would follow in the Oldsmobile so that Hank could take Connor home as soon as possible once the deviant was cleared for discharge. "When will he wake up?"
"Don't know, it's hard to estimate such time frames after such a tremendous shock." The young technician confirmed as she finished with Connor's hand then placed more gauze along the burn running down his chest. Flicking on her penlight Lily proceeded to lift up Connor's eyelids to check his eyes and quickly discovered a new problem. "Damn. Electrical overflow damaged his optical relay units. They've burned out."
"What?" Looking down Hank saw that Connor's eyes were in fact damaged and in need of additional repair. The whites of his eyes were all black and his brown irises were now entirely a bright blue color with no sign of his pupils. "Oh, shit. Is... Is he blind?"
"Temporarily, yes. His eyes can be repaired easily, but for now we need to focus on his pump."
Hank's heart dropped as he realized that Connor had lost one of his crucial senses and had suffered far more damage than he had feared. "Damn it. I'm so sorry, son. You shouldn't have gotten hurt..."
The calmness of the house had been expected and had been truly appreciated by Cole and Lucas as the two youngest of the unusual family finished preparing the house for their early Christmas celebration. It didn't take long for Cole to make sure every window in the house was illuminated with colorful string lights, and Lucas had managed to perfectly wrap the remaining gifts to be placed under the tree after Cole went to bed to try to keep some of the magic of Christmas alive in the young boy's mind. Once everything had been prepared and all of the night's necessities had been taken care of, Lucas set about his first attempt at baking without Hank or Connor to guide him, and he then placed the warm chocolate chip cookies and Thirium-based cookies down on the countertop to cool.
Cole had been enthusiastic and encouraging the entire time Lucas tried to bake and had confirmed with Lucas that his cookies looked great. The taste however, was not the best. It was hard to be honest, but Cole let Lucas know that his first effort to bake wasn't exactly a winning recipe and that he should try again.
As the two tried to figure out where Lucas had gone wrong with his baking Lucas received an unexpected text message from Hank regarding Connor's injuries. The deviant managed to remain calm as he let Cole know that they needed to go to the Zeta Facility for an emergency visit. Only during the drive via autonomous van did Lucas explain to Cole what had happened and told the young man that he didn't need to be afraid of anything that he might see, and that everyone was optimistic that Connor would make a full recovery before anyone realized what was going on.
Cautiously Lucas led Cole into the Zeta Facility right up to the receptionist desk to ask about Connor. Once Barry escorted them to the correct recovery room Lucas kept his hand on Cole's shoulder as they caught a glimpse of Connor laying in the soft bed with the Thirial activity monitor recording his vital signs and a layer of white gauze wrapped around his eyes. The injured deviant was wearing a pair of mint green scrubs as he laid beneath a soft white blanket on the bed. Hank was sitting beside the bed with his hand resting on Connor's left forearm just above his bandaged, burned hand.
"He can't feel anything." Lucas whispered as he felt Cole's shoulder tense up with fear under his palm. "He's sleeping right now and isn't in any pain."
Hank turned to look at the two worried brothers and reached out his arm to give Cole a half-hug. "Abby said Connor will wake up in an hour or so."
"What happened to him?" Cole just knew that Connor had been injured on a case, but he didn't know what led to the injuries. "Did a bad guy attack him?"
"No, son. Connor accidentally got too close to an exposed electrical wire, and he got a nasty shock."
Lucas lightly pressed his fingertips to Connor's right temple to access his brother's memories and learned all of the details of the incident up until the very second Connor received the shock. His memories failed to record during the shock itself and wouldn't reinitiate until after he regained consciousness. "...He had been placing the explosive chemicals further away from the heated Bunsen burner when one of the wires feeding power into the burner had slipped free of its poor soldering. The wire touched his hand, and he couldn't react in time to protect himself without dropping the chemicals in the process."
"He let himself get shocked so that the building wouldn't explode while people were still inside the place." Such a revelation made Hank's guilt worse as he tightened his grip around the deviant's forearm. "I'm sorry, son. I shouldn't have left you to chronicle the evidence by yourself."
"It's not your fault, Hank." Lucas retracted his hand and gave the Lieutenant a reassuring voice to listen to after enduring such a hectic night. "You couldn't have possibly known that this would've happened. Even Connor couldn't preconstruct such an outcome."
"As his partner in the field and as his fath-" Stopping quickly Hank sighed, coughed thanks to the lingering smoke in his lungs, and tried again. "I'm supposed to always be watching his back; no excuses."
Abby had entered the recovery room to check on Connor and overheard the comment. She knew how much Hank cared about everyone in the precinct and how he had come to adore the two deviants almost as much as he did his own son. It hurt her to hear the guilt thick in the Lieutenant's words and she wanted to do everything she could as a healer to help everyone feel better and have a Merry Christmas.
"All of his tests have returned with positive signs." Speaking up casually Abby walked over to the recovery bed and used her audioscope to listen to the unconscious deviant's pump beat for herself. "He's stable. His eyesight will return before dawn, too. He's lucky, he has very beautiful eyes and it'd be a shame to have to try and replace them since we'd undoubtedly end up with a different shade of brown."
"I like the change to my own eye color." Lucas stated casually as he pressed his fingertips along his cheek just under his eyes. "The green is much nicer compared to the gray that they had used to be."
"Green really is a nicer color compared to gray." Agreeing to the observation with a smile Abby draped her audioscope casually around her neck as she motioned to the color of Connor's scrub top. "But I'm a bit biased in that department. I like earthy tones, part of the reason I love looking into Gavin's hazel eyes."
A tired sigh drew everyone's attention back to Connor as the deviant's bandaged left hand twitched slightly. As Connor regained consciousness and finally came back online he realized that his left hand was numb and that his vision had been obstructed. "...H-Hank?"
"Right here, son." Tightening his grip slightly Hank let Connor know that he wasn't alone. "Me, Cole, Lucas and Abby are all right here with you."
"I c-can't feel-" Using his right hand instead Connor examined his eyes and felt the gauze wrapped around his eyes to keep them shield. "I can't see!"
"We know. You were electrocuted, but you're going to be all right." Doing his best Hank remained calm and composed as he told Connor an upsetting truth. "Do you remember any of what happened tonight after we arrived at the hotel? Do you remember busting the 'red ice' ring?"
Shaking his head slightly Connor confirmed his memories were incomplete. "...No."
Lucas spoke up again as he put his hand on Connor's shoulder while Cole reached out to grab onto his hand gently. "The severity of the shock compromised your memorybank. The memories that were recorded before the shock haven't been uploaded into your memorybank yet, they are lingering in your temporary files and will be uploaded later. You will remember everything leading up to the shock itself."
"When... can I leave?" Connor was on the verge of a panic attack and his elevating vital signs on the monitor betrayed his attempts to keep his composure. "I want to leave. I want to go home!"
"Soon!" Abby promised as she gently put both hands on the sides of Connor's face to help him feel grounded. As a technician she understood how important it was to help deviants feel seen, understood and heard whenever their emotions began to spike. "I just want you to sit here for one hour so we can make sure your system doesn't need any tweaks, then you're free to go home and anywhere else you want. It's going to be all right, Connor. YOU'RE going to be all right."
"I need to be able to see." Grabbing onto Abby's hand with only his right hand since his left hand was still numb, Connor began to shake a little where he sat. "I don't want to be blind. I need- If I can't see, then I can't be a detective anymore. I won't be able to protect anyone!"
"Shh, shh, shh..." Doing her best Abby soothed Connor's worries while his family continued to support him even when he couldn't see them. "First of all, you'd be able to protect anyone and everyone even if you lost all your senses and had your hands tied behind your back. Secondly, you WILL see again. You need to be patient with your body as it recalibrates and heals. And third, even if you were to somehow permanently lose your sight, I know that you'd still find a way to keep doing what you're doing; ocular relay units be damned. You're too stubborn to give up on anything or anyone."
Hank agreed entirely and wrapped his strong arm around Connor's shoulders to ensure that the deviant knew he wasn't alone and was being supported. "She's right. I guarantee you that before dawn you'll be able to see everything just fine."
"Yeah!" Cole chimed in with a hopeful voice as he tried to help Connor feel better. "You're gonna' love all the extra lights I hung up! And you gotta' see the cookies that Lucas baked. They don't taste that good, but he at least tried!"
Abby couldn't help but laugh as she appreciated Cole's sweet honesty. "Can't be any worse than Gavin's attempts at baking me a birthday cake. I had no idea that a cake could actually taste like sadness, but it's the thought that counts and I ate every crumb before asking for him to just order me a cheesecake for next year."
"Rest for now." Hank encouraged as he watched Connor's vital signs slowly calm down and his stress levels on the monitor lower to a far safer number. "We're going to stay right here with you, then take you home where you can just sleep and wake up to your vision being fully restored in time to enjoy Christmas. That's my promise to you as your friend and guardian."
For the first time in years the chance to celebrate a Christmas morning with his family felt unusually tense and delicate for Hank. The worries that Hank had been able to hide from Connor throughout the night had also managed to keep the Lieutenant wide awake and unable to sleep. Quietly the concerned man had spent the night patrolling the house to ensure that nothing else could go wrong and so that he could frequently check on Connor as he slept deeply in his own bedroom. Every half hour Hank would creep into Connor's room and lightly press his palm down over the center of Connor's chest to make sure his pump was still beating despite Lucas already being an active presence in the house who was capable of monitoring Connor's vital signs in real time.
Just before the sun began to rise Hank received a text message from Captain Fowler confirming that the four arrested teenagers had been telling the truth about their superintendent and the scam the horrid man had been running. The teenagers were all going to be pardoned for their crimes since the group were all minors being blackmailed into the illegal activity at the expense of their own education, and their superintendent had been arrested earlier that same morning. The four teens were also being placed in safe, secure foster homes to ensure they had shelter and would be able to finish high school without any fear of retaliation for their confessions.
"Well, at least there's some good news after everything that went down last night. Wish it'd extend to Connor." Pressing his palm in his hand Hank leaned forward and lamented everything that had happened between Connor and himself. "After everything I did to him and he never once complained... I should just keep the paperwork hidden. I'm an arrogant fool to think Connor or Lucas would like such a 'gift' from me."
"Dad?" Cole stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked at his dad sitting on the couch with his phone in his hand as he read over the text messages. It seemed he couldn't sleep very well either and had gotten up early as a result. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep." Patting the couch cushion beside him Hank invited Cole to join him as he tossed his phone onto the coffee table before him. "Merry Christmas, by the way."
"Merry Christmas." Sitting down beside his dad Cole looked at the overflowing Christmas tree with only mild interest before turning to his dad. "Is Connor going to be okay?"
"He should be, yeah."
"Then why aren't you going to give Connor and Lucas their big gift? You told me you were going to ad-"
"I know what I told you over the summer, but I didn't think about how this would be viewed from their perspective." Speaking softly Hank looked at his young son and decided to try to explain things to him in a logical, respectful manner. He owed his son only an open and honest relationship with each other. "You remember how it was when Connor first showed up, right?"
"Yeah. He saved me from getting hurt by that speeding truck."
"That's right. And... I didn't really appreciate that or return the incredible gesture to Connor in any way. You were right, son." As he addressed the elephant in the room Hank didn't notice that there was a presence lingering on the bottom of the staircase watching over their conversation in the livingroom. "You always said I was being mean to Connor all those years, and you were right. I was being mean to him, and I had no reason or right to behave that way."
"Why were you mean to Connor all the time?" Cole was intrigued by Hank's behavior and knew that his dad wanted to get something off his chest. "Was it because you didn't like androids?"
"No, I wish it was something as simple as that, but no. You see, I had a problem with Connor only because he saved you - twice - when I couldn't do it. I'm your dad and I love you more than anything in this world, and I couldn't do anything to save you when you needed my help." The shame was evident in Hank's voice and in his eyes as he opened up to Cole about his past attitude. "I felt like I was failing as your dad to do everything in my power to protect you, whereas Connor was able to just appear out of nowhere and handle everything without even breaking a sweat."
"You were jealous of him?"
"Yeah, I was jealous." Hank sounded utterly embarrassed and ashamed of himself for his past attitude and behavior. A part of the man felt more like a high schooler who was intimidated by the 'new kid' being able to make friends with his best friend than a father in that minute. "It had been just you and me for so long after we lost your mom, and I didn't like the idea of you being shared with anyone else. And the really horrible part is, Connor had always stepped up to be a guardian and family to you whenever I couldn't be there, and I never once thanked him or acknowledged that you're going to befriend people everywhere you go in life. I was stupid to be intimidated and threatened by you liking Connor and wanting to hang out with him. I don't ever want to be pushed out of your life and I want you to stay in my life forever."
"Connor and Lucas are cool, but they're my brothers, not my dad!" Cole stated with such confidence that no one would've guessed that he was only in the fifth grade and still learning about the world around him. "Don't be worried about me not wanting to be around you or anything. I'm not going anywhere."
"Keep reminding me of that." Hooking his strong arm around Cole's shoulders Hank pulled his son up against his side to enjoy a half-hug while they waited for Connor and Lucas to join them downstairs. "Hopefully in time Connor and Lucas will feel the same about wanting to spend time with me."
"How come you're so worried about them not liking your gift?"
"Because over the past couple of years I've grown to really care about them as much as I care about you. If they don't want their gift then it'd make me feel bad even though I know they wouldn't make me feel that way on purpose." As Hank held Cole at his side he looked at the glowing Christmas tree and thought about everything he could've lost had Connor not shown up in his life when he did. "I learned so much about Connor and everything he did to ensure that you and I would be safe just after the Revolution, and it was only then did I realize how much I had grown to care about him over the years."
Curious about the claim Cole looked up at his dad as he too remained unaware of a presence on the staircase watching them. "What did you learn?"
"That's something I'll tell you about when you're a little older." Explaining that Connor traveled through time and space just to save Hank's life, only to end up saving Cole's life in the process, would be far too complex for the man to do. As Cole grew up that he'd be able to understand things a little easier, and Hank knew his son would also be able to see the memories that Connor had shared with him with a true appreciation. "Just know that I owe Connor more than I can ever give back to him, but that doesn't mean I'll stop trying. Hell, that's why I took care of some other business while handling the legalities of their gift."
"What does that mean?"
"It's like this... Do you know what a will is?"
"Yeah, that's the thing that tells other people what do with a person's stuff after they die."
"Right. My personal will contains information about what to do for you in case I... Well, in case something bad happens to me and I can't stay here as your dad and take care of you." Hank didn't even want to think about death and being separated from his son. "Jeffrey and Maria are still your godparents, which means if something does happen to me that they'll look out for you, but I also included a clause that states Connor and Lucas are your older brothers and have the rights to see you, visit you and even argue for custody over you if they wanted to take on that responsibility."
"You mean you'd want Connor and Lucas to keep being my brothers, and even act as my dad, if you can't be my dad anymore, right?"
"That's right. Is that okay with you?"
"I don't want anyone else to be my dad, but if I had to pick a new dad, I'd pick Connor and have Lucas as a close second choice."
Hank chuckled a little as he thought about how Cole would turn out with Connor or Lucas acting as his father instead of himself. "At least I know you'd be well taken care of in the event something went very, very wrong. But let's not focus on that right now. Let's focus on Christmas, hm?"
"Yeah, okay. I'll go and- Oh!" Cole had turned around to look over the back of the couch and noticed that Connor and Lucas were standing at the bottom of the staircase with an emotional intrigue in their eyes and posture. Sumo and Bruno right beside them wagging their tails as if knowing that the two deviants needed a little company. "Nevermind! They're already here!"
"Oh, hey..." Hank turned around as well and offered the two brothers a kind smile. "Merry Christmas! How do you feel, Connor?"
Moving slowly with Lucas's help Connor managed to find his way to the recliner and sit down as he pressed his unbandaged fingertips against the white gauze still wrapped around his damaged eyes. "I am... healing."
"Can you see?" The sight of the bandages over Connor's eyes and his left hand still had an aching effect on Hank's mind. "I mean, if you don't want to test just yet I don't blame you. I'm just curious."
"I don't know." Moving his fingertips up to the bandages secured behind his head Connor peeled up the medical adhesive holding the bandages in place and began to slowly unwrap the gauze from around his head to reveal his eyes. "But I will soon find out."
Lucas took the bandages from Connor's hand and began to remove the gauze in his brother's stead. "I'll help you. Keep your eyes closed for now."
Hank and Cole scooted closer on the couch toward Connor as the gauze was steadily removed. Even Sumo and Bruno were staring up at Connor as they sat together in the middle of the livingroom floor to watch everything unfold in real time.
"The livingroom is illuminated only by the Christmas tree." Lucas confirmed as he removed the bandages and looked at Connor's face. His brother's eyelids were closed as he had instructed, and there was no way for him to see if Connor's eyes were still blackened or not. "Slowly open your eyes. If the light is still too intense then close your eyes again and we'll try this later after we rebandage them and let them rest for a while longer."
Cautiously Connor held his bandaged hand up over his eyes to help shield them from any lights and cracked his eyelids open. What he had initially seen was pure blackness, but slowly it faded into a lightening gray hue as small dots of light began to break through the gray wall. As the dots expanded in size color began to bleed into the light and help Connor recognize shapes and silhouettes in the livingroom all around him. Lowering his hand Connor glanced about the livingroom and took in the details returning to his vision as he took in the wondrous sight around him.
"I... I can see." A wave of relief passed over the entire house as Connor confirmed he was healing. The blackness in his eyes had returned to white, his soulful brown irises had reclaimed their original color and his pupils were now fully functional. "I'm all right, I can see."
"Yeah!" Cole jumped up and gave Connor a hug while Lucas discreetly looked as if the entire weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "I knew you'd be okay!"
Connor happily reciprocated the hug while Hank wiped away a tear of joy from under his eye then rhythmically drummed his hands atop his knees.
"I'll take that as the best gift any of us could've hoped for this year." Hank announced as he tried to casually get to the tree and grab a gift that had been addressed to both Connor and Lucas to remove it from sight. The timing just didn't seem right to offer the gift. "Let's take a few minutes to wake up before we start open-"
"Don't do that." Immediately Connor knew what Hank was trying to do and stopped the man from needlessly taking away a gift out of a poor reaction. "Please, Hank. We heard what you were telling Cole, and we can confirm that we'd never be disappointed in anything you ever tried to offer us. Don't be afraid of our reaction."
"He's right." Chiming in Lucas made it clear that neither he or Connor were going to say or do anything negative. "We'll appreciate anything you give to us."
Hank was quiet for a minute as he looked down at the carefully wrapped rectangular gift in his hands then looked up at Connor as the deviant rose to his feet and stood with Lucas right at his side. Taking in a small breath Hank did his best to not shake as he looked to the two deviants hopefully. "...How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know that you're trying very hard to make amends for how you behaved in the past." Connor stated as he kept his arm around Cole while everyone gave Hank their full attention. "I admit that I've been arguably overly sensitive to everything that you say and do, but I know you've been trying to improve your behavior and demeanor toward Lucas and myself. When you raised your voice at me last night, I-"
"Don't! Don't apologize or anything, I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"Even so, I shouldn't have reacted in such a strong manner. I know you were just trying to prevent me from suffering from hypothermia or an illness, and I know that you had such a potent reaction to me sitting in the cold because it was an instinctive reaction." Looking down at Cole still beside him Connor knew that Hank's reaction had been paternal and not violent in any capacity. "I know you would've had the same reaction toward anyone who had been sitting in the cold winter air without a proper jacket."
Cole let out a loud huff as he walked over to his dad and took the gift from his hands. "Stop stalling!" Passing the gift over to Lucas to unwrap Cole stood beside his dad and watched as Lucas and Connor examined their gift together. "Come on, open it! I've been waiting forever for you guys to get your gift!"
Moving slowly and deliberately Lucas peeled up the colorful red and green plaid paper to reveal a manilla envelope contained beneath. Pulling envelope from the paper, Lucas opened up the flap and discovered several legal documents tucked inside. The documents had already been filled out save for two crucial signatures at the bottom of the document that prevented it from being filed properly. A quick glance regarding the details by the two deviants confirmed that the documents were official adoption forms that Hank had already filled out himself and had paid to have filed as soon as they were finally signed.
"You want to adopt us?" Connor stared at the documents with a sense of familiarity he hadn't felt since the original timeline. In that timeline Connor had begun to view himself as Hank's family - a son - and it seemed in the second timeline that Hank's mind had gone in the same direction. "You want to take Lucas and I in as your... sons?"
"That's what the documents say." The man beamed as he put his hand on Cole's shoulder and watched the way the two deviant brothers were effectively stunned into utter confusion by the surprise. "You're already family to Cole and myself, so why not make it official? You two can have all the legal documents you need to prove that you have a family, and no one can say otherwise."
Lucas was struggling to find his voice as he read over the details in the document, and he quickly noticed something very interesting that Hank had filled out on Connor and Lucas's behalves. "You gave us middle names... Lucas Caleb Anderson, and Connor Henry Anderson. Why did you pick those names?"
"'Caleb' was a name that Barb liked, and that's what she wanted to name our possible second son. That didn't happen." As he spoke Hank fought to keep his voice level and keep his emotions in check. "And as for 'Henry', I just thought it'd be more meaningful if Connor had a middle name that reflected our desire to have a bigger family, so I went the classic 'son named after the father' route, just as I had done with Cole and our own middle names. Do you like it?"
"I do. 'Lucas Caleb' does seem to flow together nicely. As does 'Connor Henry'."
"Yeah, I almost went with 'Bryan' since you two just kinda' look like a Bryan. Don't ask." Holding up his hand Hank declined to explain how humans had the ability to look at other people and determine what kind of names they somehow look like. "But I think this was better, especially since it means you two have your own unique middle names and not the same middle name with slightly different spellings."
"So..." Eagerly Cole waited for Connor and Lucas to accept their gift and make everything official before anything else happened. "Do you guys like it? Do you want to be Andersons like me and dad?"
Connor closed his eyes as he felt a swelling of pain in his heart suddenly release as relief and confidence came flooding in. It was as if in that single moment everything that Connor had risked, every struggle he had endured, all of the changes he had embraced, all of the insults, the threats and the sacrifices he had taken had finally paid off. There was no longer any doubts that Connor had made the right decision to alter events to save Hank's life. The deviant detective spared not one, not two, but three innocent lives from certain death by protecting Cole, Hank and now Lucas from events that they alone couldn't have survived on their own.
That sense of being a part of Hank's family in the original timeline hadn't been misplaced or mistaken by Connor; it was real. The only difference was Hank living long enough to make everything official and take Connor in as his son, then do the same for Lucas.
Speaking up with a small crack in his voice Connor gave Cole a nod as he answered the all too important question at last. "It'd be my greatest honor to be Connor Henry Anderson, and I know that Lucas feels the same. Do you have a pen?"
Hank managed to withhold an emotional sigh as he reached over to the stockings hanging along the fireplace mantle and pull a shiny black pen from both Connor and Lucas's stockings for the deviants to use. "Better than that. I have two!"
Quickly Connor and Lucas accepted the pens and noticed that their new names had been engraved in gold paint alongside the pens to confirm how much Hank and Cole wanted them to be a part of the family. Signing their names at the same time on the two blank lines, Connor and Lucas happily wrote out their full names for the very first time and proudly finished filling out the adoption certificates.
"Welcome to the family, sons." Hank announced as he looked at the documents and knew that he needed to get them filed first thing in the morning. Everything was falling into place, and everyone was where they belonged. "It's been a long time coming, but now it's official."
Lucas looked over at Connor and saw that his brother was trying to not cry as he held the monogrammed pen in his hands. "Are you okay?"
"...Yes, I'm okay." Taking in a steadying breath Connor gave Lucas a timid smile before turning to look at Hank and Cole again. "It's just... I've wanted this for so long; to be a part of a family. Now that it's happened, I'm worried that I'll soon awaken and discover that this had only been a cruel dream, or a simulation created by CyberLife."
"You're not dreaming." Hank promised as he crossed the livingroom and stood before the newly adopted deviant. "And this is no simulation. This is reality, and that means you're now my son. No one will be able to take that away from you or be able to take you away from us. We're your family, and you're home where you've always belonged."
Connor didn't resist as Hank wrapped his arms around his shoulders to give him a hug. For the first time in far too long Connor felt like the embrace came from a place of love rather than sympathy, and that made the deviant lean into the hug as much as he could out of fear never feeling such a hug ever again.
"Merry Christmas, son." Reaching over Hank pulled in Lucas and then did the same for Cole so that he could easily hug all of his sons on that brisk Christmas morning. Even Sumo and Bruno got in on the hug by leaning against the family's legs while wagging their tails and admiring the affectionate sight. "Merry Christmas to ALL of my sons. This is one Christmas morning I know that none of us will ever forget!"
-next chapter-