It had been nearly a month since the incident with the infamous serial killer dubbed the 'Lady Killer'. In that time Connor had been put on administrative leave until he was deemed fully competent to return to work by a certified deviant psychiatrist from the Ersatz Acuity Asylum for troubled deviants. Being able to openly confess to his angry outburst and the way he had lashed out at the violent human had been freeing in Connor's mind, and having his personal psychiatrist recognize that his actions were the direct result of a high stress situation mixed with a sense of desperation to contain a dangerous situation, had reassured Connor that he wasn't a dangerous or violent person. Despite the doctor-patient confidentiality clause regarding technical treatment Connor needed to admit to what he had done to his commanding officer and await the consequences of his actions.

Captain Fowler had taken it upon himself to personally handle Connor's disciplinary measures within the precinct to spare his detective his career and reputation. The empathetic and patient Captain had elected to put a mark in Connor's personnel file regarding his temper and willingness to get physical with a suspect when under high stress, and as a result Connor needed to complete one-hundred hours of emotional regulation and management sessions while remaining on desk duty. Afterward Connor was restricted to handling exclusively deviant-related cases until further notice.

Being allowed to return to work without anyone knowing about what he had done save for Connor himself, Hank, Gavin and Captain Fowler had given the ashamed deviant detective a modicum of comfort in knowing that his colleagues didn't see him as a violent or dangerous person. However, feeling as if he was keeping a deeply important and monumental secret from those who shouldn't have to worry about such hidden truths lowered his self-confidence and self-respect. Such concerns made Connor feel relatively unsocial upon his return to work, and the deviant detective elected to go on solo patrol while waiting for a deviant case to come his way.

The deviant detective's prolonged elective absence from the bullpen didn't go unnoticed by his colleagues. While Hank reassured everyone that Connor was going to be okay and just needed to take it slow upon his return to work, those who knew Connor had the distinct feeling that there was far more going on than what was being openly discussed or admitted.

"When's Connor coming back from patrol?" Tina asked with a sincere curiosity as she placed a small take-out container down on the deviant's desk. During Connor's mandatory time away she had taken the liberty of caring for his small bonsai plant and wanted to make sure she wasn't overstepping and boundaries. "I brought him something for lunch."

"He'll be back when a case comes his way." Hank replied without missing a beat as he handled his own reports on his terminal screen. "There aren't any active deviant cases that need his attention, so he's patrolling the streets to ease himself back into his old routine."

"I knew that the 'Lady Killer' case had gotten to him, but I didn't know it was that bad. I would've tried to help him."

"Tina, we ALL were affected by that case." Glancing up Hank gave Tina a kind voice to hear as he sympathized with her outlook. "We humans just had the advantage of having a lifetime's worth of emotional experiences to help us maintain control. He didn't, and still doesn't, have that degree of experience."

"Poor guy. Hopefully a little comfort food will help him feel better after coming back to work."

"Comfort food? For an android?" Too curious to resist Hank peered around his terminal screen to look at the small take-out container sitting on Connor's desk with his name written in neat blue cursive letters atop the lid. "Dare I ask what you made him?"

"I found out that Thirium can have specific flavors added to it, AND that there's something called 'concentrated Thirium' that comes in little malleable, mushy cubes. So I did a little reading about how to properly flavor and even cook Thirium, and decided to try my hand at making Connor one of my personal favorite comfort foods; macaroni and cheese!"

"Android mac n' cheese? Is it still blue?"

"Yeah, but Thirium is a pretty shade of blue, so it doesn't look as gross as it sounds. And it smells just like my own recipe that I had perfected in high school."

"I'll take your word for it." Returning to his work Hank tried to concentrate on his report and stop worrying about Connor. "How about you go take your lunchbreak and head out on patrol, too?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to stop by mama's diner, do you want anything?"

"Just give her my regards, I'm trying to stay on a protein-based diet for the next few weeks."

Tina slipped on her jacket and gave Hank a teasing smile as she tried to tempt him off his diet for a day. "There's lots of protein in chicken... with sweet and spicy sauce sauteed over freshly prepared Yunnan noodles with a slice of hardboiled egg on the side."

"Keep it up and I'll personally make sure that bar that has those loaded nachos you love so much gets a surprise visit from the health inspector and shut down during St. Patrick's Day."

"Now that's just plain mean!" Playfully Tina stuck her tongue out at Hank before she went on her way. "Just for that, I'm never sneaking you extra egg rolls ever again!"

"Yes you will. I get an opinion on who gets raises around here!"

"Well, I won't sneak you as many egg rolls!" Still arguing as she walked Tina made it clear she wasn't great at holding grudges or threats. "For a month..."

Sighing softly Hank just shook his head and lowered his hands from his keyboard. The man was bored without Connor there to talk to in between cases and reports. Even texting with Cole while his son was home with Lucas wasn't very fun without Connor there to join in on the conversation. Things just weren't the same after Connor reached his breaking point and Hank began to blame himself for the emotional breakdown.

In Hank's mind, if he had just been kinder to Connor when they first met all those years ago then Connor wouldn't have developed a bad habit of trying to bury his true feelings and repress his emotions until they reached explosive levels. Being a seasoned detective also gifted Hank with the knowledge and experience to also recognize the signs of high stress and emotional limitations, and yet he chose to just let Connor go off on his own instead of doing the right thing, the fatherly thing, and taking Connor aside to have a personal talk about what it was that he was feeling before it was too late to be of any help.

Glancing over at the side of his desk Hank looked at the framed photograph that he had taken of Cole, Connor and Lucas hanging out together beside the pool the previous summer. It was one of the rare moments where he saw a happy smile on Connor's face, and he was glad he managed to snap it on his phone when he did. Having his three sons taking care of each other, supporting each other and being so close made Hank feel like he was doing something right by his boys even if he did keep making mistakes every now and then.

"Hope you're going all right by yourself right now, kid. We still have a long way to go before you'll be really okay after everything that's happened between us."

The morning and afternoon patrol in the squad car had been mercifully quiet for Connor as he fell back into his routine of working out in the field. It felt nice to be away from his desk while at the precinct and to be trusted by his commanding officer to be out on his own for a while, even so Connor knew that he was going to be under a microscope for the next few weeks due to his violent outburst. Having therapy sessions with trusted professionals and being able to talk to both Hank and Lucas about his problems had helped Connor forgive himself for what he had done, but he also knew he'd never be able to look at himself the way. No detective or cop should ever take justice into their own hands.

After finishing his patrols and reaching his designated break time, Connor decided to go out to New Jericho Tower and chat with Markus. He needed to know that he was still a trusted figure in the tower. If his own friends or people didn't trust him after what he had done, then Connor knew it'd be best to resign from his role as a leader for the comfort of everyone else involved in New Jericho's affairs.

"You're an integral piece of Jericho and New Jericho's history. We need you here, all of us need you here." Markus confirmed as he and Connor walked along the sandy shores of Belle Isle together. Being out in the sunshine and the steadily warming air had been refreshing and helped Connor feel more at ease. "I'm honored that you trust me enough to tell me what you went through. I can't condone what you did, but I won't condemn you either. Seeing something as grotesque as that would break any person's mind and heart."

"If word gets out that I bludgeoned a human to death-"

"It won't." Discretion was one of Markus's special traits, and he wasn't going to get his friend down. "I won't tell anyone what you've told me today, not even to North or to Carl."

"Thank you." Closing his eyes Connor cybernetically brought up the obituary for Kyle Orpheus and sighed at the details regarding his death after the D.N.R. order was granted. According to the police the infamous serial killer had been attacked in his own home by an unknown assailant or assailants, and the trail had grown cold. "I just loathe that I managed to lose so much self-control and do something as permanent as causing another person's death. I feel just as much guilt now as I did when I killed Ralph."

"You may have reluctantly ended two lives, but you only acted to preserve countless more lives that were endangered because of them. You know better than anyone that self-defense and preventative measures are covered by the law."

"Even so, I can't just pick and choose which laws are enforced upon myself and which laws that I can ignore." Pausing along the lapping waves of the harbor Connor peered out at the dark water and crossed his arms over his chest as the fresh breeze brought with it a slight chill. "That's dangerous. I'M dangerous."

"You're not dangerous. You're the only cop in this city who refuses to carry a gun." Laughing at the unique observation Markus stood alongside Connor and reminded his friend of where they had come from and everything that they had fought against without resorting to brutal violence and carnage. "You didn't even arm yourself when we were hiding in Jericho or going about our private missions in the dark of the night."

"Which is all the more reason that I'm disappointed in my previous actions."

"To be honest, I think if you didn't care so much and feel so guilty over what happened even with no one blaming you, then we'd have to be worried. I'd hate for you to lose your empathy and kindness, my friend. That's what makes you so special compared to the other deviants." Caution regarding all of his allies and friends had given Markus invaluable insight with trusting his gut when it came to judging other people. "You've always cared about the world around you and everyone in it, even before going to Jericho. As long as you don't stop caring then we'll never stop trusting you."

Lowering his arms to his sides Connor took Markus's confidence words to heart. It never occurred to Connor how much his past actions and direct influence could preserve his future as a potential leader, detective and overall protector of his people.

"Is there anything I can do to help you through this ordeal?"

"Actually," turning his gaze Connor managed to give Markus a faint but detectable smile of utter gratitude and appreciation. "you just did."

Markus began to smile too as he heard the warmth in Connor's reply. It'd take some time but Markus was certain that his friend would be able to recover from his ordeal and continue to live his life without the weight of guilt crushing down on his heart. "Glad to hear it."

"I don't have to stop living my life due to a few setbacks. I just have to learn from my mistakes, adapt and keeping moving forward."

"So, what's next?" Continuing around the harbor Markus glanced up at the tower and focused his gaze on the window to his personal quarters knowing that North was in there and going about her own tasks within their sanctuary. "Are you going to finish your shift and then head for home?"

"I'll finish my shift and then finish furnishing my house this evening. I think I'm ready to officially move in."

"Really? While you're going through something so emotionally upsetting?"

"Yes. I was worried at first about being lonely or just being alone after what I had endured, but I know that I can't keep hiding away from the world behind my family and friends when things get rough." It had been a long time coming for Connor to leave Hank's house and start living independently. "I've managed to buy my own house, restore it, pay off all of the bills and taxes for the property, and still have enough money in my savings to continue to pay for my bills without needing to worry about being financially overwhelmed. I'm ready to become a more independent deviant."

Nearly five years of living in a new timeline had given Connor a new perspective and appreciation for life. In the first three years of that new life, he had been treated as a subservient, lesser being just because his blood was blue and not red. In the two years that followed Connor gained recognition as a person, earned respect for his actions and his decisions, became an official detective, became a leader to his people, and had found himself a family with the man who was responsible for Connor altering the timeline to begin with along with two little brothers who looked up to him and loved him.

The timing seemed right for Connor to become his own person while keeping everything else in his life safe and intact.

It was officially time for Connor to claim his life for himself to actually begin living and stop just existing in the lives of the people around him.

The final few hours at the Central Precinct were uneventful until a damaged deviant staggered in seeking some assistance. Hank had taken the lead and escorted the deviant to an interview room and let Connor know he had a case waiting for him when he finished his evening patrol. While they waited for Connor to arrive and take charge on the case, Hank asked for Joel to patch up the deviant's wounds and have them documented before they even began a proper interview. The wounded deviant had severe scrapes and bruises all over his body, a broken arm and a dislocated knee. According to the damaged deviant he had been crossing the street when a driver intentionally sped through the intersection and hit him, but he didn't know why it happened or who had done it.

Once Connor arrived the interview got properly underway. The deviant detective proceeded to ask all of the relevant questions and write down all of the details in meticulous detail without any sign of lingering emotional disturbance or mental burnout. By all account it seemed as if Connor had made a miraculous full recovery from his traumatic experience and had put the incident behind him.

"Did you see the driver's face when they sped toward you?" Connor asked as he studied his victim's body language closely. Jordan, as he had soon learned, was sporting numerous painful bruises along his face and neck confirming that he had hit the hood and windshield of the car when he was struck. "Even if it was for a split-second the details could prove to be invaluable during the investigation."

"I-I-I think so." Stuttering a little, Jordan struggled to speak clearly as his entire body twitched slightly where he sat. The 'MC-400' had suffered serious damage after being hit by the speeding vehicle, but he was still willing to speak to the police before having his damage mended. "I c-caught a glimpse of the d-driver's face."

"Connect with me." Extending his hand Connor invited Jordan to take hold and share the memory of the assault with him to ensure that he could get a look at the driver's face and attempt to identify them. "Only upload the memories you wish to share; I will not activate any type of probe and delve deeper into your memories without your consent."

As his own hand trembled Jordan took hold of Connor's hand and connected with the deviant detective. It took him only milliseconds to upload his memory of the entire accident and allow Connor to review the footage and have a still image taken from the memory uploaded into the precinct's criminal database. The face of the man, red with rage and his eyes wide with hate-filled focus on the deviant in the crosswalk, gave an immediate hit in the precinct's database and confirmed the man to be one with a history of violence aimed at androids in the past.

"Thank you." Keeping hold of Jordan's hand Connor rose to his feet and helped Jordan to stand upright for a moment. "Our technician has stabilized your damage and documented your wounds for our case. We'll have an officer escort you to a facility of your choosing for treatment, or have you escorted out to New Jericho. Which do you prefer?"

"F-Facilities are f-f-fine by me."

"Very well. Lean on me and I'll help you walk."

Carefully Connor helped Jordan to exit the interview room and pass him over to Tina so that she could take the deviant to his chosen facility for treatment. There weren't any traces of doubt or fear on Connor's face as he handled his first deviant case without immediate supervision without a single mistake.

Leaning against the nearby wall Hank watched Connor with his arms casually crossed over his chest. Seeing Connor acting entirely normal without any sign of trauma gave Hank hope that his middle son would be able to recover from his traumatic experience after all. With any luck all of his fears for Connor's future weren't warranted after all.

"Make any progress?" Hank asked as he stepped away from the wall and met Connor in the middle of the bullpen. "That poor guy was pretty busted up."

"Yes. I was able to upload his memories and get a clear image of the person who ran him down." Holding up his palm Connor gave Hank a holographic image to see and then scowl at. "You recognize him, don't you?"

"Unfortunately, I do." It pained Hank whenever he needed to bring up an internal investigation on a fellow officer, but he couldn't overlook the evidence. "Gerard Calder. He's a cop who's overdue for retirement for his shitty attitude and numerous complaints against him for police brutality."

Lowering his hand Connor gave Hank a knowing look of righteous disappointment. "It seems he has a habit of racially profiling suspects and openly discriminating against androids."

"Yup. I'll let Fowler know so he can bring in Calder and drill him for answers, then throw his sorry ass behind bars for a few months."

"Why can't I speak with Calder?" There was a flash of hurt across Connor's soulful gaze as he worried that Hank was afraid that he'd mess up the investigation and the subsequent interrogation. "I've already taken the witness's statement, collected evidence and identified the suspect. I won't make an error."

"I know you won't, you're a great detective. I just don't want you dealing with an obnoxious bigot like Calder." Nodding toward the private office Hank gave Connor a sly and mischievous grin as he lowered his voice. "Let someone like Jeffrey - a strong, confident black man in charge of his own precinct - be the one to talk to a dirty cop and bust them for all their bigotry instead. Ten bucks says Jeffrey could make Calder shit his pants with just one hard glare. Wanna' watch?"

The coy grin was enough to push down Connor's guard and make him smile ever so slightly in return. There was no sign of deception in Hank's comments or his body language, and with that Connor was willing to believe Hank when he said that he wanted Captain Fowler to handle the remainder of the case simply because it'd make a corrupt cop squirm.

"Come on." Leading the way to the private office Hank looked like a little kid who just got told he could have any toy in the store. "I can't wait to tell Jeffrey that we can finally get that asshole fired at long last!"

After packing up the last of his personal belongings in a few clean cardboard boxes, Connor secured the box flaps shut and stacked them all neatly against the far wall of his bedroom to be taken out to his own house in the morning. It didn't take him long to pack his few things into the simple boxes considering Connor was a bit of a minimalist like many of the other deviants in the world. The only thing that really stood out as unique among the generic cardboard containers was his guitar case propped up against the box stack. Once morning arrived Connor would pack up his night clothes, change into his day clothes, and proceed to transport his personal items to his house to be placed where they belonged.

Heading downstairs Connor decided to make the most of his last night in the house by making a special dinner for everyone to enjoy and then find a game or two to play with his family to show them how much he loves and respects them for everything they've done to help him and help Lucas. It was a small gesture, yet one that'd have a massive impact in the most positive way. At least that's how Connor hoped it'd play out.

"Too bad you're moving out." Hank managed to state between bites of his massive steak quesadilla with garden fresh salsa on top. "I think you've officially created my new favorite meal."

"Really?" There was very suspicion that Hank was just paying Connor a compliment as the deviant served another fresh quesadilla to Cole right from the warm skillet in his grip. Extra jalapeno slices were practically falling out of the quesadilla since Cole couldn't seem to get enough spice in his life. "I find that exceedingly difficult to believe since you're a very talented cook in your own right."

"I'm serious!" Nearly drooling Hank had to speak around his next bite since he couldn't stop himself from eating. "Not sure where you found this recipe, but it's a keeper!"

"I didn't find it, I created it."

"You need to share with me before you go." Finishing his current bite Hank stopped stuffing his face and looked to Cole sitting across from his at the table. "Right, Cole? This is great!"

"Yeah, sure." Cole was eating his dinner as well, but he wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Hank was. "It's not like he's going to be here for dinner anymore anyway."

Connor felt a momentary pang of guilt as he heard the genuine sadness in Cole's words as the young man picked indifferently at his plate with his fork. "I will stop by to visit very frequently. I may be moving into my own home, but you'll always be my family."

"You'll visit for a while, then you'll forget about us."

"Never." Sitting down at the table Connor looked down at his own specially prepared meal of flavored Thirium and made sure he could look Cole in the eyes as he spoke to his youngest brother. "I'll never forget about my father or either of my brothers. Not after everything we've been through together."

Looking up Cole gave Connor a hopeful glance and straightened his posture in his seat. "Will you still come to my band concerts and watch me play sports?"

"Absolutely." As he spoke Connor suddenly felt a dull ache form in his head and his stomach rolled a little. "I'll do everything I can to be around whenever you need me or just want me to be there for you for any reason."

"Okay. 'Cuz the science fair is coming up, and I'll need some help with my experiment."

"I'll be there to help you."

Hank was relieved that Connor was making sure Cole felt acknowledged during the big move and that their family wasn't going to fall apart. "How's your Thirium? I know Tina made you some stuff yesterday, but I have no idea how it tastes."

"It's all right." Curiously without an appetite Connor only tasted a small portion of his own meal and felt his stomach protest the added Thirium. "It's difficult for me to rate flavors or how some meals taste since I'm still learning what I like and dislike. Also, my Thirium reserve is full which means I have no reason to consume Thirium on a daily basis."

The backdoors slid open as Lucas and Bruno arrived for dinner as well, and they allowed Sumo back inside the house alongside them. Lucas was happy to see his family sitting down to dinner together during Connor's final night in the house. "We would've been here sooner, but we needed to find a missing 'YK' android. They're fine, just scared after getting lost downtown."

"Good to hear. Sit down." Hank motioned for Lucas to pull up a chair and join them at the table. "Test your brother's cooking with flavored Thirium, give him an honest opinion on it."

As Lucas took his seat he looked over at Connor and noticed that he hadn't touched his own meal. That seemed a little odd since Connor went through so much trouble to prepare dinner for everyone. "Are you all right, Connor? You haven't eaten much of your Thirium."

"Full reserve. I just wished to taste it." Looking down at Bruno as the loyal K-9 unit wagged his tail hopefully Connor decided to give the android dog a small sample of his meal so that it wouldn't go to waste. "Here you go, Bruno. Just a small amount."

Bruno's ears perked right up, and his tail wagged even harder as the Thirium-based food was placed on the floor for him to gobble up. 'Thank you, Connor!'

Sumo whined jealously until Hank gave him a piece of non-Thirium quesadilla to try since it wasn't fair that Bruno got a special treat while he didn't. "There ya' go, boy. You better not make me regret letting you have a couple of bites of this later tonight. You like to sleep on my bed these nights..."

Casually Connor reached over and scratched Sumo's rump as the large dog wagged his tail and greedily ate up the quesadilla offering. "I'm going to miss having a dog to come home to."

"You can always adopt one." Helping himself to his next quesadilla Hank gave Connor a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Don't think you'll find a Saint Bernard pup the same way I did, but you should find someone you can give a good home to."

"I'm also going to miss having family around all the time."

Cole gave Connor an almost arrogant sneer as he pointed out the obvious to his deviant big brother. "You could just stay here then."

"I could, but it's time for me to live on my own for a while." As he spoke Connor's headache started to worsen slightly and destroy any traces of his linger appetite. He didn't want his family to worry and as such he ignored his strange feelings and chalked up his odd symptoms to stress about the move. "I need the experience of living by myself."

"What for?"

"To appreciate my ability to live free and independent. I imagine you'll begin to feel the same when you're a little older."

Hank didn't even want to think about Cole moving out and cleared his throat casually. "Or not! Hey, why don't we go and chill in the livingroom? There's a game on tonight since March Madness is underway."

"Yeah!" Cole loved that idea and quickly slid off his chair to head to the livingroom with his plate in his hands. "Are the Gears playing?"

"Yup. Gears versus the Bulls." Leading the way into the livingroom Hank made sure his son was excited for the game and ready to enjoy their evening as a whole family before the night was over. "Wanna' place a bet?"

"Only if I can bet on the Gears winning!"

"Not a chance." Taking his spot on the couch Hank turned on the television and made sure there was plenty of room for his sons to join him. "They're MY team!"

Lucas opted to finish eating in the kitchen and noticed that Connor hadn't budged from his seat. The way Connor was sitting perfectly still and just staring blankly at the kitchen table before himself drew in Lucas's full attention since it seemed as if his brother was in a trance.

"Connor?" When he didn't get a response or reaction from Connor sitting across from him Lucas called out to him a second time. "Connor. Are you all right?"

Blinking slowly Connor came back to reality and gave Lucas a puzzled glance. "Hm? Did you ask me something?"

"I asked if you're feeling all right, but I think you just answered." Rounding the table Lucas reached out to connect with his brother's system but Connor ducked under his hand and avoided the physical contact. "Please cooperate. You're not behaving normally."

"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind as of late." Pushing Lucas's hand back Connor decided it was time to go to the livingroom and watch the game. "Everything is going to be different tomorrow, and I'm unsure of what to expect beyond a simple change of address and having far more space than I'll know what to do with."

"Before summer I'll be ready to move into my house as well and allow my office to be just that, an office. We'll be neighbors soon enough." Looking down Lucas noticed Bruno staring up at him excitedly with Sumo right next to him. "I imagine Bruno is excited to just be able to live his life as a typical dog and have a yard to roam around in all day long as opposed to being cooped up in my office. "

"That'll assuredly make Bruno very happy." Connor made sure Sumo and Bruno followed Lucas and himself into the livingroom so that they were all together. "Until that day comes, we should just enjoy the game and worry about moving tomorrow."

The warm and rainy spring day was a little disconcerting as Connor finished moving into his house for the first day of his full independent life, but it didn't dissuade the deviant from continuing his self-appointed task. It had taken only three trips between Hank's house and his house to transport all of his belongings to his new house, which made the moving process relatively easy. Only after all of the boxes were brought over did Connor begin the slow and steady process of unpacking everything and finding a place for it to go. Connor had preconstructed everything regarding his new house in advance before he even began the move, and he had no problem getting everything put away properly.

Sitting down on the large couch in the middle of the livingroom Connor glanced about the space and felt like he still needed to get a few special things to make his house feel more like a home. A television wasn't necessary, but it'd make the environment feel more inviting and friendly. A coffee table, some wall decorations and even a bookcase against the far wall would help bring the space some character as well.

"I'll finish ordering my new furniture and invite everyone over to visit in a few weeks."

Roaming his house Connor preconstructed the layout of the other rooms and made cybernetic orders accordingly. He wanted to have more to his home than the basic necessities for a deviant. Being able to make his house truly his own and have nice new things just because he wanted them would be a great first step to truly finding his own voice in the world.

"The bedroom doesn't need anything more than the bed and nightstand. However, another bookcase could... It could..."

Trailing off from his own thoughts Connor pressed his hand to his aching head and took in a deep breath. It seemed the stress of the move wasn't the only thing affecting his body and mind.

"Damn it. I can't afford to suffer from a new error, I just returned to work."

Putting his hand to the wall Connor guided himself over to his bed and laid down on his back to get some rest. The simple motion of laying flat was enough to make his head spin and stomach twist. It felt as if Connor had been strapped to a roller coaster and sent for a loop for nearly an hour.

"Perhaps if I rest my system with recalibrate properly and eliminate this error."

The quiet of the house was interrupted only by the natural rhythmic pattering of raindrops pelting the windows, the roof and the sides of his house. It provided the perfect ambience and white noise for Connor to drift off to sleep to as he did his best to adapt to living alone and recovering without needing anyone else's help.

"I have to work again tomorrow. With any luck I'll be able to resume my routine without any further difficulties, I have to be able to function on my own."

The warm rain continued on as March clearly did everything in its power to live up to its reputation of coming in like a lion and going out a like a lamb. As the city was bathed in the refreshing rain and cleansed of the previous winter life seemed to blossom all around Detroit. Budding tree leaves, growing flowers and revived grass were giving off a fresh earth scent that seemed to permeate ever molecule in the air and cover the usually acrid stench of car exhaust and factory smoke. A few plumes of newly grown pollen had already begun plaguing the sinuses of those who were unfortunately affected by hay fever, but other than some sneezes and squeaky shoe soles echoing in many buildings, it seemed just like any other springtime in Detroit.

A false alarm at a Digital Sentience had prompted both Connor and Hank out to investigate for a few hours, only to return to the precinct emptyhanded. There was no case to be handled or any crime scene to be investigated. Hank didn't mind having no additional cases to work on since he had a few reports to file, whereas Connor was feeling somewhat disappointed since it meant he couldn't actively help anyone. Such strangely opposing reactions prompted an opposing decision on what to do with their now opened time.

"I'm gonna' handle these reports and finally get them filed before the end of the week." Hank announced as he picked up his mug and sipped slowly at his coffee. "I need to catch up before a new wave of bullshit comes our way."

"I suppose I'll sift through cold deviant cases and attempt to... To..." Dropping his face into his palms Connor sighed and swore at how his headache had returned along with some confusion. "Shit. Not again."

Keeping his eyes on his terminal screen Hank didn't see Connor's pained reaction. "Not what again?"

"Nothing." Lifting up his head Connor closed his eyes as he began to feel dizzy again despite sitting still. "...Mild error."

"Need to go up and visit with Joel?"

"No. I need to-" A painful clenching sensation in his stomach accompanied by an alert regarding his emergency expulsion program stole Connor's immediate attention and require immediate action. "O-One moment..."

At that comment Hank looked up and watched as Connor awkwardly stumbled away from his desk using the walls to support himself, then made a graceless dash to the nearest restroom to disappear behind the door. Slipping on his feet Connor nearly slid across the linoleum floor as he rushed into the first vacant stall and dropped to his knees just as his expulsion program kicked on. Throwing-up in a painful, uncomfortable retch, Connor watched as an unsettling amount of his own Thirium escaped his lips and poured into the toilet bowl being clutched in his strong but shaking hands.

The violent expulsion had resulted in Connor's artificial stomach twisting into a tight knot and made his head pound with a sensation he didn't know was even possible to feel. Falling to his hip on the floor Connor breathed in deeply to ease his pain and engaged a self-diagnostic. It seemed as if there was nothing actually wrong with his system and that there was no error to be found, but Connor knew better than to take anything at face value. Running the self-diagnostic over and over again, Connor refused to accept 'no error detected' as a plausible outcome.

"-nor? Connor?"

Opening his eyes Connor looked over and realized that Hank was kneeling on the floor beside him inside the stall and had his strong hand on Connor's shoulder to help the deviant feel safe and grounded. Captain Fowler had also entered the restroom and was standing behind Hank looking genuinely worried for the suddenly and violently ill detective.

"Son? Look at me." Snapping his fingers twice Hank managed to get Connor to blink and finally lock eyes with him. "What's going on?"

"...I am unsure. Why do you ask?"

"You were staring off into space for almost five minutes and didn't respond when I called your name." In a very paternal manner Hank pressed his palm to Connor's forehead to check for a fever. "Are you overheating?"

"N-No." Another twinge in his stomach prompted Connor to cover his mouth as he refused to throw-up a second time. "Headache. Nausea. Dizziness."

"I'm taking you up to see Joel."

"I'll be-"

"Fine, I know you will." Taking hold of Connor's forearms Hank pulled the deviant up to his feet and then planted both hands on Connor's shoulders to hold him steady where he stood. "For now, you need to see a technician and make sure nothing serious is going on."

Too tired to argue Connor took two steps forward and then stumbled before Hank and Captain Fowler grabbed his arms to steady him. "I...I can't feel my legs." Glancing about the suddenly stricken deviant realized he couldn't even feel the strong hands on his arms holding him up. "I can't feel anything."

"Yeah, you're definitely seeing Joel." Pulling Connor's arm around his shoulders Hank began leading Connor out of the restroom to carry him across the bullpen and toward the elevator. "We'll figure this out and let ya' get back to work."

Accompanying his two detectives out the restroom, Captain Fowler put his hands to his hips and called out to Hank in a casual tone. "I'll make sure none of the other deviants in the precinct are acting a little off. I'd hate to think we have an android-flu or something taking down our deviant officers like us humans were taken down last winter."

"Come on, son." Keeping his steps smooth and slow Hank escorted Connor across the bullpen and into the elevator. He could feel Connor's body growing heavier as fatigue and numbness stole his strength away. "Stick with me, we're almost there."

"T-Trying."

"When did you first start to feel sick?"

"...Two nights ago." There was no point in lying or trying to deny that he was unwell, even his system didn't register anything wrong. Watching Hank press the call button for the elevator seemed almost like it was happening in slow motion. "Started at dinner."

"I thought something was up with you. Why didn't you say anything?"

"D-Didn't want to ruin the evening."

"Getting sick isn't your fault." Speaking like a truly understanding and supportive father, Hank helped Connor into the elevator and continued to support him at his side as the car began its ascent. "But not telling anyone you need a little help every now and then isn't cool."

Falling limp Connor began to lose consciousness despite his best efforts to remain alert. "...S-Sorry."

"Hey, hey! Don't do that." Tightening his grip on Connor's arm Hank pulled the sick deviant through the opened elevator doors and toward the dispensary just a short walk down the corridor. "Keep awake. Eyes open!"

Connor didn't have the chance to reply before everything went dark and his world faded away. He couldn't see anything, hear anything or even feel anything as his system seemingly began to fail on its own without any cause or remedy in sight. Strangely enough, just as quickly as Connor lost consciousness everything began to reboot at a normal rhythm.

...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Connor Henry Anderson"

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: NONE

ASSOCIATION(S): Detroit Central Precinct; New Jericho - Detroit MI, United States of America

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]

-CHECKING AI ENGINE... OK]

-MEMORY STATUS... OK]

READY...

-SYSTEM READY... OK]

Opening his blurry eyes revealed a familiar sight. The dispensary came into view with Hank and Joel hovering over Connor with marked worry in their faces. Connor was laying over one of the exam tables with the wireless leads from a Thirial activity monitor attached to his chest and a thin plastic tube snaking down his throat to force Thirium back into his stomach while unconscious. As he lifted his head Connor felt the head of the table angle upward to support him and keep him from suffering any additional dizzy spells as he recovered.

"How're you feeling, kid?" Hank asked as he watched Joel carefully extract the tube from Connor's throat so that the deviant could speak clearly. "You were out for nearly twenty minutes this time."

"...I-I feel confused." Swallowing once Connor rid his throat of the lingering irritation courtesy of the tube down his throat. "H-Head still hurts."

Joel proceeded to check the reading on the Thirial activity monitor then place the earbuds of his audioscope into place to take a direct listen to Connor's chest. "Are you still feeling dizzy or nauseated?"

"A little."

"Okay. Thirium pump is beating nice and strong." The laidback technician noted as he moved the metal bell back and forth across Connor's chest. "Vents sound clear. Does your throat hurt?"

"It..." Trailing off again Connor began to stare into nothingness even as Joel carefully lowered his jaw to shine a light into his mouth and then down his throat.

"Connor, wake up." Joel tried to get a response after he finished visually examining Connor's throat. "Come on, we need you to snap out of it."

Hank snapped his fingers in front of Connor's perpetually staring eyes again, but Connor didn't notice it. "This is so weird. What's wrong with him?"

"That's the really weird part, the diagnostic came back completely normal for him."

"Is there another test you can run to figure this out?" The moment Connor blinked his eyes again Hank put his hand to the deviant's shoulder to support him. "This is NOT normal for him or any other deviant."

"There is another test, but I can't perform it here. He'll need to go to a facility for that."

"Ah, shit. I was worried about that." Already knowing what was going to happen, Hank patted Connor's shoulder sympathetically and watched him regain his bearings and come back to reality. "Sorry, son. You're going to be down for the next day or two again."

"This isn't right." Connor lamented as he peeled off the leads from his chest and attempted to rebutton his shirt. His fingers were uncoordinated and awkward due to some lingering numbness in his extremities. "I shouldn't be experiencing this type of glitch or error."

"You're right."

"I shouldn't be dismissed from my role as a detective."

"You're not, you're just taking another sick day or two. And let's face it, you have racked up enough overtime and sick days to spend the next six months off without needing to worry!" Handing over the deviant's gray blazer Hank helped Connor to slip his hands through the sleeves to slip the garment back on. "And if you can get this error diagnosed at a facility then there's no reason to go. I don't want to see you suffer."

The atmosphere of the Zeta Facility was as professional as ever, and yet Connor couldn't help but fear setting foot in any place that was designated as a treatment or repair institution thanks to CyberLife permanently skewing his perception of technicians. Even with Abby being in charge of his care, running the tests and being his actual friend, Connor couldn't stop dreading the very idea of being in a facility for any reason. There would forever be a haunting memory of being manipulated by CyberLife and their deceptive software even after an entirely new lifetime of experiences had allowed Connor to avoid reliving such traumatic events for a second time after manipulating events to a more befitting narrative in his mind.

As he sat on the exam table with a diagnostic cable attached to his right temple Connor fidgeted nervously with his coin and waited for Abby to finish running the more direct diagnostic on his system. The cable to his temple was far less invasive compared to having a cable inserted into the port on the back of his neck, but even so it felt like a massive invasion of privacy for any deviant to undergo.

"Almost done." Abby promised as she watched Connor's nervous behavior from the corner of her eye. "How's your head?"

Quiet for a moment Connor actually had to think about the question before answering. "...Still hurts."

The delayed answer didn't elude the technician's attention. Standing before Connor with her penlight clicked on Abby began shining the light in Connor's eyes just as the deviant zoned out and dropped his coin with an audible clatter onto the floor.

Hank quickly scooped up the coin and put it into his own pocket for safekeeping until Connor returned to reality. "Why does he keep doing that?"

"It's part of the error." Abby confirmed as she carefully guided Connor back to lay flat over the exam table. "His system isn't registering an error even though he's clearly experiencing one. My hunch is that the error is actually contained within his self-diagnostic program itself."

"Wait, you're saying this self-check thing can't actually check-in on itself?"

"Yup."

"What a dumb flaw." Helping to lay Connor down, Hank stared at the spaced-out deviant and sighed sympathetically. "Good job, CyberLife."

"Diagnostic should be done soon."

"Hear that?" Hank asked as Abby returned to her terminal to check the read-out for herself. "We'll figure this out soon."

"Let's see... Yeah, just what I thought." With her diagnosis confirmed Abby set about typing up a few key commands and implementing a type of malware removal to clean Connor's system manually. "Okay. So, Connor came into cybernetic contact with another android whose system was undergoing massive repairs that required a critical amount of system energy. When his system connected to the second system that was being overworked and stressed out, Connor's system reacted to the high levels of stress and energy and began activating Connor's own self-healing program at the same overdrive level."

Hank glanced over at the technician and gave her a shrug of his shoulders. "I have no idea what you just said."

"Simply put, Connor's system went berserk because he connected to another android's system that was already going berserk. It was like a physically contagious bout of hysteria that caused Connor's self-healing program to be constantly active despite there being no need."

"And how did that make him sick?"

"His Thirium flow was increased drastically as a means of repairing damaged biocomponents," speaking while working Abby was able to handle her patient's care with a flawless speed and accuracy. "and that caused his Thirium pressure to increase, hence the headaches and dizziness. When that Thirium couldn't be used to repair anything, it collected in his stomach and his system expelled it since it was no longer needed. After he lost so much blood, he began to feel numb, just as any anemic human would feel."

"And this?" Hank was waving his hand in front of Connor's face to try to get a reaction. "Why does he keep spacing out?"

"His self-healing program is attempting to reengage and begin the cycle all over again, and that means Connor's other functions were deemed unnecessary."

"Didn't realize his focus was its own function."

"Android brains are very fascinating. When a human zones out it's because we're bored." Unclipping the cable from Connor's temple Abby watched her patient closely and waited for him to respond to the malware correction. "When an android zones out it's because their processors are just overwhelmed."

"When can he go back to work?"

"In two days. His system never registered his lost Thirium or elevated Thirium pressure, so it's important he gets his Thirium replenished and rests."

"That I'll make sure he does."

Connor's eyes suddenly blinked as everything came into focus. Sitting upright on the table Connor flexed his hands and felt the motion again. "I am feeling better."

"Good. Then that means my work is done!" Abby teased as she placed a pouch of Thirium down into Connor's palm to keep. "Go home, drink some Thirium and take a nice long nap. Those are you friend technician's orders, don't disobey them or I'll start monitoring your core temperature in a less dignified manner."

Without flinching Connor accepted the Thirium and studied for a moment before passing it back to Abby. "I have Thirium already. At home."

"That's right," Hank grinned as he kept his hand on Connor's upper back while the deviant slid off the exam table. "you still have all that flavored Thirium you haven't been able to try just yet. I bet now that you're feeling better you're feeling starved!"

"I'm unsure what it means to be 'starved', but I am requiring a hefty amount of Thirium to restore what I've lost."

"Close enough! Thanks for your help, Abby." Watching Connor as he made his way to the door Hank gave her an approving nod. "I'll take care of him from here."

"You better." Casually Abby returned the Thirium pouch to the far supply cabinet and gave Connor an amused smirk. "Someone's gotta' take care of him."

The spring rain continued to fall over Detroit in a heavy deluge even as the afternoon turned to evening. The fresh smell had given the city a sense of renewal that everyone desperately needed, and with that renewal came a feeling of calmness that hadn't been experienced for decades. Every neighborhood just looked and felt cleaner than it had in years, and even the people seemed to be in better spirits despite it being a rainy day. The budding flowers and thriving trees filled the city with color that had been long dormant during the gray and white winter months, and with that color came a rejuvenation of all life and activity in a productive and constructive manner.

Sitting together at the table in the newly furnished kitchen, Connor discovered that his Thirium-based cooking really was great and that he loved Mexican styled food as much as Hank and Cole did. Happy to make a repeat of his previous dinner Connor served up warm quesadillas to Hank, Cole, Lucas and even Bruno and Sumo as the two dogs got a special treat for visiting Connor's house.

"I gotta' hand it to ya, kid." Hank admired all of Connor and Lucas's hard work on restoring the house and giving it new life even while he ate his dinner with a ravenous agenda. "You two did great! I never would've guessed that this place was ever abandoned."

"Yeah!" Cole agreed as he bite into his own dinner and casually slipped an extra piece of steak to Sumo beneath the table. "This place is cool!"

"Appreciate ya' inviting us over for dinner too. Now I know why you were so confident in moving in here."

"I enjoy having my own place." Connor explained between bites of his own meal. The usually always polite deviant was beginning to lose his manners as he occasionally spoke with his mouth partially full. "It gives me a sense of privacy and accomplishment I've never felt before."

"Be proud of yourself, son. You've done so much for so many other people already, you deserve to do something nice for yourself for a change. And Lucas," Hank turned to the second deviant brother and watched him devouring his own meal in record time. "when you move into your place Cole and I expect to be given the same treatment. A nice homecooked meal, and the chance to watch a game on a massive screen television."

"I'll do my best." Lucas promised as he finished his dinner and made sure Bruno had his own fill. "I've already begun planning the layout of my house and know what furniture I'm going to buy."

"Dad?" Cole looked over at Hank eagerly and pointed to the television screen in the livingroom. "The game's about to start!"

"Right, right. Connor, what're the rules?" Hank asked politely as he wiped off his mouth with a napkin and motioned to his plate. "Food allowed in the livingroom or not?"

"Yes, it's allowed. I trust that if you make a mess that you'll clean it up."

"Yup. That's what guests are supposed to do when in another person's home."

Hearing Hank calling Connor's house a 'home' and respecting him entirely gave Connor a renewed confidence in himself. It seemed that no matter how many mistakes he made he'd always find a way to do something right by the people around him, and in return they'd always do right by him.

"I'll make some popcorn." Picking up his plate and the other empty plates from the table Connor made it clear that despite living in a deviant neighborhood that all humans were welcome to visit, and that he personally wanted his father and youngest brother to visit him as often as possible. Having a kitchen full of fresh groceries alongside Thirium was a sign of his diplomatic nature and promises. "I bought jalapeno flavored cheese topping too."

"Awesome!" Cole seemed to finally understand that Connor wasn't leaving his family, he was just living a little further away than usual. "We should have game night here all the time!"

"I'd like that."

As he prepared the popcorn Connor froze for a moment and realized he wasn't just being polite, he really would like his family to stop by his house and visit even if it was just to watch a game on television. Smiling to himself he placed the popcorn bag in the microwave and looked out into his livingroom where his father, brothers and two loyal dogs were sitting on the couch together waiting for Connor himself to join them. It just seemed like the perfect family unit and something that Connor wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"I really would..."

-next chapter-