Everything happened in a matter of seconds. A brief verbal confrontation, a deafening gunshot and a splash of red blood all culminated from a single routine investigation gone wrong. The E.R. was a flurry of frantic activity as a team of doctors met the ambulance parked out in the front of the hospital's emergency entrance. The rear ambulance doors opened up wide and an android team of two orderlies lowered the gurney to the ground gently to wheel the critical patient inside. Two human paramedics were fighting to keep their patient as stable as possible as he was wheeled inside the hospital through the emergency doors to receive imminent treatment.

One paramedic was calling out vitals while applying pressure to the bleeding wound in the man's chest while the second paramedic was using an ambubag to force the man to breathe. During transport their patient took a turn for a worse but neither paramedic was willing to let them go without a fight.

"Single G.S.W. to the upper left chest." The first paramedic announced as the doctor now in charge of the man's care lifted the unconscious man's eyelids to check his pupils with a penlight. Having been monitoring the patient closely the paramedic was righteously worried for their chances of survival. "Lost two pints of blood, went into full cardiac arrest and was resuscitated en route. He's going into hypovolemic shock."

Loyal as ever Connor rushed into the hospital after the gurney as his L.E.D. rapidly flickered red in fear. The deviant detective attempted to follow after the gurney, but was quickly ushered away as the team of doctors, nurses and paramedics worked together to try to stabilize the dying man.

"Sir!" One of the nurses put her hands on Connor's shoulder to push him back from the emergency treatment room and back toward the waiting room. "You need to stand back and let the doctor's assess his condition."

"I understand that," Connor refuted stubbornly as he tried to get past her in a desperate bid to check on the dying man with his own eyes and scanners. "but I need to see him! Please. I need to see him just for a moment."

The doctors were working quickly to examine the devastating injury while keeping track of the man's waning vital signs. The cardiac monitor recording his heartbeat began to screech in a loud, faltering pattern as his heart struggled to beat and began to slip away from the delicate fingers of life and fall into the inescapable abyss of death.

"He's coding." The attending doctor announced as the bleeding wound to the man's chest was briefly exposed and smothered under pressure bandages. "If we're going to save him he needs to get on an operating table, NOW."

Connor tried again to get to the gurney but the nurse was dedicated to her job and insistent that Connor stay back. "Sir." She repeated as she pushed harder against Connor's shoulders and succeeded in keeping him at bay and out of the treatment room. "I'm sorry, but you must stay out here."

"Please let me see him just for one moment." The deviant practically begged as the gurney was wheeled through the double doors out of the treatment room and into an emergency O.R. to prepare for surgery just down the corridor. "I have to speak to him!"

"I know you're worried about your partner, but there's nothing you can do for him." Sympathetic to Connor's plight the nurse softened her voice as she did her best to get Connor to back off and wait. "Let the doctors take care of him."

"...You don't understand. I have to be able to speak with him one last time." Connor's soulful brown eyes were heavy with emotion and unshed tears as he watched the doors 'hiss' shut, completely obscuring the corridor beyond as the dying man was wheeled away. "He's not just my partner," fighting back against his tears Connor looked the nurse right in her hazel eyes and let the words fall naturally from his mouth. "he's... he's like my father."

Quickly but carefully Hank was placed on the emergency operating table in the sterilized surigical ward as a team of surgeons scrubbed up and prepared for the delicate task of removing the single bullet from Hank's chest and get it away from his struggling heart. The bullet had struck Hank in the middle of his chest just to the left of his sternum. The attending emergency physicians actively worked to stabilize Hank's vital signs as much as possible - giving him blood and plasma to replace what he had lost to bring his blood pressure back up to a stable level, while also sterilizing his wound for the impending surgery that would either save his life or take it.

Nurses attached wireless cardiac leads to Hank's sterilized chest while the anesthesiologist intubated Hank to allow a ventilator to breathe on his behalf while under the heavy sedatives and to ensure he took a deep breath even with his chest opened and exposed to the outside air. The team of doctors and nurses hovered over Hank's chest as his heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation level, respiration rate and body temperature were all being recorded wirelessly on a nearby cardiac monitor.

The entire surgical team was working in perfect synchronization to save the injured detective's life.

"The moment he's under we're going to have to work fast to remove the bullet and get the bleeding under control." Hovering over Hank's exposed chest the lead surgeon eyed her impending task and let the android orderlies sterilize and glove her hands. "If the bullet damaged the aorta he'll only have precious seconds for us to get the bleeding stopped."

Hank himself was somewhere between awake and asleep as his blue eyes partially opened to peer up at the blurry ceiling overhead. The last remnants of his conscious mind were fighting to remain active even as his life slipped away and the powerful anesthesia began to course through his veins. Turning his fuzzy gaze slightly he peered through the observation window of the operating room and saw a figure with a glowing red light in their right temple watching over him from afar. Seeing Connor standing outside the glass with his own fear filled brown eyes and his L.E.D. still flickering red in distress made Hank blink slowly as a strange sense of comfort washed over him.

As his blue eyes slipped shut Hank caught a fleeting glimpse of someone else standing beside Connor. Someone shorter than the deviant, someone very familiar to Hank and someone who should not have been there at all. Their name was but a fleeting whisper inside Hank's own mind as he lost the fight to remain conscious and fell prey to the dark bliss of nothingness that engulfed him within seconds.

"...Cole."

Through the observation window of the active operating room Connor watched in silent fear as the surgical team draped a pale blue sheet over Hank's lower chest and abdomen, and sterilized the location of the bullet wound in Hank's upper chest with a swab of iodine. It was surprisingly nerve racking to see Hank, a strong and stubborn man normally full of piss and vinegar, so weak, pale and helpless on the operating table. As the team of surgeons gathered around him and worked in tandem to keep the senior detective from succumbing to his potentially fatal wound Connor felt a strange hitch in his chest as if something or someone just struck him right in his Thirium pump.

As Connor ran a scan over the wounded detective's body through the glass he noted Hank's weak vital signs and the dangerous location of the bullet still inside of his chest. It was hauntingly close to his heart and had become wedged in his ribcage behind the struggling, but still beating organ.

"Please, Hank."

The deviant begged in a breathy whisper as he watched the surgery unfolding right before his eyes in painfully vivid detail.

"I need you to pull through. You're my family and I can't live alone. I can't live at all. I don't... I don't know how. You still have so much to teach me. I want to learn more from you."

Bowing his head a little Connor tore his soulful brown eyes from the emergency procedure that revolved around opening Hank's chest to get to the bullet - to keep his heart beating, and stared at the white linoleum floor beneath his feet despondently.

"I'm so sorry you got shot. Please forgive me."

Tears were threatening to fall from Connor's incredibly human eyes at any moment. The tears were an uncontrollable gesture of fear, regret, remorse and empathy that Connor was fighting to contain.

"I need you to survive, Hank. You're my father and the only person I trust."

Feeling entirely alone Connor could only stand back and wait for the final outcome.

"Please don't go. Please don't leave me behind."

A sense of utter peace and indescribable warmth washed over Hank as he suddenly opened his previously heavy eyes and took in a deep breath without a shooting pain searing through his chest. Glancing about the immediate area as it slowly came into view from a surrounding white and gray fog, he saw that he was standing alone on a wooden dock that was stretching out into the middle of a beautiful, calm lake of crystal clear water. Looking up toward the cloudless blue sky overhead Hank was quickly greeted by the warm rays of the shining sun and felt a gentle breeze on his face as the air around him began to move about with soothing rhythm.

Recognition struck Hank's mind and his heart as he peered about the lake curiously. Despite having no idea how he came to be at the lake Hank realized he had been at that very lake and stood on that very dock at least one time before.

"I know this place."

Turning around slowly he was greeted by the sight of the cabin that he had visited a few dozen times in the past with his family - his late wife Barbara and his late son Cole. They loved their summers together at the lake and it held some of Hank's fondest memories.

"...It hasn't changed a bit."

A smile that rivaled the sun's warmth fell over Hank's face as his sense of peace and belonging only seemed to flourish. As he walked down the wooden dock and set foot on the lush green grass of the property he caught sight of a German Shepherd running around and barking loudly as his tail wagged about happily.

"Ranger?"

The dog stopped short at the sound of Hank's voice and began trotting toward him.

Hank crouched down and let Ranger run up to him as the dog began licking his hands then side of his face as the retired police dog's tail began to wag. The last time Hank had seen Ranger was almost ten years prior when the old dog was retired from the narcotics division and living on Hank's couch until old age caught up with Ranger.

"Hey, boy. You're here too, huh?"

Ranger grumbled and pawed at Hank's hands as if trying to get his attention while Hank gently rubbed at the dog's ears and chin.

"What's up?"

The massive dog grumbled again and whimpered as he trotted up to the backdoor of the cabin and pawed at the door eagerly wanting to enter the cabin.

"All right, let's go inside."

Pushing open the door Hank was greeted by the aroma of a home cooked meal as he set foot inside the cabin. Ranger rushed over to the kitchen where a kind woman was standing in front of the stove and singing a little tune to herself. Happy to see the woman Ranger sat down obediently and wagged his tail as the kind woman reached her right hand down and rubbed his ears affectionately.

Recognizing the woman instantly Hank called her name in a cautious whisper as his emotions threatened to steal his voice. "...Barb?"

"Hi, Hank." Barbara turned away from the stove and looked at her husband with loving eyes. She looked just as Hank remembered her and she exuded true happiness and peace with her very presence. "I've missed you."

"Barb..." Taking a shaking step forward Hank all but fell into her arms as she reached out to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against his chest as if afraid to let her go. "You're really here!"

"Yes, I'm here." Holding her husband in her arms Barbara's right hand reached up and gently combed through his gray locks of hair as she buried her face against his left shoulder. "I missed you so much!"

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"I never left you, Hank. You couldn't see me, but I was always with you."

Tears streamed down Hank's face as he held onto his wife with his heart thundering in his chest. "Where are we now?"

"Exactly where you want us to be." Reluctantly Barbara let go of her hug and gingerly put her hands to the sides of Hank's face. "At peace."

"So... I'm really dead?"

"No, not yet." Barbara's voice remained soft and sweet as she spoke with her husband. "But Hank, you are dying."

Taking a step back from Barbara somewhat confused Hank pressed his left hand to his chest. His clothing was still intact, yet he could feel a dull ache in his chest where he had been shot not even twenty minutes prior. "...The bullet. It's still in me."

"You're at the hospital and the doctors are working to save you."

Coming to terms with what Barbara was telling him Hank's hand tightened into a fist over his chest. "I'm not dead, but I'm not exactly alive, either. I could stay here with you if I wanted"

"Yes, Hank." Barbara nodded subtly to confirm his suspicion. "But you have to go back."

The idea of leaving paradise for the living world seemed almost cruel. "Go back?"

"You still have so much to live for. You have a new family to protect."

"Barb, I've been waiting for so long to see you again. I don't want to leave you now."

"You have to." Combing her fingers through Hank's hair Barbara gazed longingly into his blue eyes. "It's not your time to cross over and you still have someone to take care of."

"I have to take care of you and Cole." It was then Hank realized he hadn't seen Cole as he entered the cabin and he didn't see any sign of his little boy anywhere. "Where is he?"

"He's looking for you."

"Outside?"

"Hank." Barbara's hands slipped down from Hank's face and took hold of both of his hands in a tight but gentle grip to hold between them as they stood facing each other. "You have to find Cole and you have to tell him everything you want to say. It's not too late to talk to him, and he'll understand why he needs to wait a while longer before you can come here to stay."

"I can't." Hank felt a sob hitch in his chest as he forced himself to keep his voice level. "...I can't say goodbye to him. Not again."

"Then don't. Just tell him everything you've been wanting to say to him after all this time. Tell him you love him and let him know that dad will be with us soon enough, and in the end we'll be together forever."

"...I love you, Barb. I don't want to leave you again." Squeezing her hands as much as he dared Hank confessed his hesitation to his wife. "I can't leave you."

"You're not leaving me. Like I told you, I've been with you every step of the way and I've been here with Cole." Returning the squeeze Barbara tried to comfort Hank as much as she could during such an emotionally taxing reunion. "We're always with you and you're never alone. But you have to go back and take care of the people who still need you."

"When will I see you again?"

Lightly placing her right hand to his left cheek she gently wiped away a tear from Hank's eye with her thumb as she looked into his dark blue eyes and smiled up at him. "Hopefully, not for a long time. I want you to have a long and happy life."

Placing his hand over top her hand Hank leaned into her touch and sighed. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too. I'll never stop loving you." Getting up on her tiptoes Barbara kissed Hank and pressed her left palm over the center of his chest where he had been shot. "I'll be waiting for you right here, on the other side, when it's time for us to be together again. I promise."

Loyal and worried for his friend's life Connor had been standing statuesque outside the observation window watching the surgery unfold in realtime before his eyes for almost two consecutive hours. As his L.E.D. flashed red at a rapid clip in his right temple Connor stared at the dour display of Hank laying prone on the surgical table with his bloody chest being opened and a surgeon searching for the offending bullet while also delicately repairing torn vessels and surrounding tissues as she diligently worked. The vital signs being displayed by the cardiac monitor confirmed that Hank was still alive, but he was still very weak and hanging on by a thread.

The concerned deviant was exhausted from the emotionally draining day, but he refused to leave the hospital until he knew one way or the other if Hank was going to survive the surgery. The very idea of leaving Hank alone at his most vulnerable seemed cruel and indifferent.

Hank's dark red blood had dried against the palms of Connor's hands and over the front of his white dress shirt making him feel uneasy every time he caught sight of his hands nervously fidgeting with his coin before him.

Everything was still fresh in Connor's mind.

The shooting, the blood, the shouting...

"...I'm sorry, Hank. I should've been faster, I should've seen the damage."

The call to a potential domestic abuse against a deviant had led the two detectives into a very dangerous situation. A deranged man had pointed his gun at Connor's head and threatened to pull the trigger out of pure hatred toward all deviants. Hank had seen the man and reacted swiftly, pushing Connor out of harm's way and the man panicked when he realized that a second cop was at the scene of the crime. Squeezing the trigger and shooting Hank in the chest as a result of his own panic, the man backed off for only a moment while Hank collapsed to the ground began to quickly bleed out.

The moment Hank collapsed Connor threw himself down on the ground to apply pressure to Hank's bleeding chest with both of his hands. With his back to the shooter Connor was left completely defenseless and was only aware of the danger he was still in after Hank raised his own gun in a trembling right hand and managed to take down the shooter with two well executed shots; one to the chest and the second to the abdomen, dropping the shooter in seconds.

As the shooter fell to the ground in a growing puddle of his own blood the danger had been eliminated, but the aftermath was only beginning to rear its ugly head.

"...Hank?"

Connor's L.E.D. cycled between red and yellow as he ran a scan over Hank's vitals, cybernetically summoned an ambulance and monitored the police scanner to monitor patrols in the area.

"Hank, hold on. The ambulance is coming."

The senior detective's blue eyes were drifting shut and his breathing was becoming more and more labored under Connor's strong hands. The bullet had struck dangerously close to Hank's heart and was effectively causing more and more damage every time Hank's adrenaline fueled heart beat.

"Please hold on, Hank."

The deviant had pleaded as he refused to budge and kept vigil over his downed partner; his father.

"I'll help you pull through this. Just hold on for me."

Connor suddenly snapped back to reality and away from his grim memories as his legs began to shake with rhythmic tremors. Weak from exhaustion and running on low power mode Connor had no choice but to sit down in a nearby chair as he continued to monitor Hank's vitals from afar. Being so close and yet so far away was torturous to the deviant as he was aware of every single passing hour, minute, second and millisecond that Hank spent bleeding out while on the surgical table. Being unable to escape his own thoughts or ignore his own emotions Connor felt as if his own heart was on display just as much as Hank's was in that very moment.

Being a deviant was both a gift and a curse. He was aware of everything and couldn't escape anything.

"I'm so sorry, Hank."

Connor whispered as he leaned forward in his chair, his arms draped over the top of his knees to let his hands hang limply in front of him. Staring blankly at the floor the deviant felt relentless guilt for what had befallen his best friend and surrogate father.

"It's my fault you had been shot. I should've been paying closer attention and I should've seen the man with the gun. It's my fault... It's always my fault."

From down the same corridor Hank unexpectedly found himself watching Connor as the deviant detective quietly cried and blamed himself for the horrible day's events. The senior detective didn't remember how he got back to the hospital but he knew what he was watching was real.

"Connor, it's not your fault."

Despite Hank's words Connor didn't react to the sound of Hank's voice as he remained in his seat entirely motionless and lost to silent grief.

"Connor." Hank raised his voice slightly as he took a step forward and called out to the weeping deviant. "Come on, kid. Don't-" From the other side of where Connor was sitting Hank caught sight of a familiar little boy right next to the upset deviant and immediately recognized the little boy's face without a single doubt in his heart. "...Cole."

Cole reached out his right hand and put on the back of Connor's left hand in a comforting manner, but just as Connor couldn't hear Hank's voice he couldn't feel Cole's presence.

Speaking the name again Hank took a shaking step closer as if afraid he was wrong about who he was looking at. "Cole."

"Hi, dad."

The sound of Cole's voice had an unexpectedly peaceful effect on Hank's heart. Walking over to where the two young boys were sitting together, walking over to where his two sons were sitting side by side, Hank sat down next to Cole and put his right hand on Cole's left shoulder.

"Cole, how long have you..." Hank almost sobbed as his palm made contact with Cole's warm shoulder. It was as if Cole was still alive. "I'm so happy to see you again."

"Me too." Cole noticed the tears forming in Hank's eyes and couldn't stop himself from asking about them. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm happy." Keeping a smile on his face Hank spoke to his firstborn son as if everything were in fact normal. "These are tears of joy because I can talk to you again."

"I try to talk to you when you're sleeping, but I guess you don't hear me."

"I hear ya' son." The dreams he had of Cole were frequent and always emotional. "I just don't know what to say sometimes."

"Oh. Okay."

Doing his best to remain composed and not shaken by everything that was happening Hank spoke to his late son with utter love in his voice. "Why are you here?"

"Because you're hurt."

That fact was undeniable since all three of them could see inside the observation room to where Hank's body was laying. "Yeah. I am."

"Mom said you going to visit for a while and I wanted to see you."

"I've wanted to see you both for a long time, too, son."

"Mom also said you wouldn't visit forever though."

"...No." Having to return to life was surprisingly painful to consider. "Not yet anyway."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain, but, I still have a lot of work to do."

"With Connor?"

"Yeah." He pulled Cole up against his side to hug him gently and closed his eyes tightly to restrain his elated tears as he felt Cole quickly cuddle up against his right side like he used to do in the past. "With Connor."

"Connor's sad right now."

"I know." Tightening his hug around Cole's shoulders Hank stared at the deviant's somber face and sighed. "I'm sad, too."

"Because you're hurt?"

"It's because I don't want to leave you or your mom yet. And because seeing Connor sad makes me sad, too."

"Connor's really nice."

"Yeah, he is."

"How come more people aren't nicer to him?"

"That's hard to explain, too." It wasn't a conversation that Hank necessarily wanted to have with Cole but he wanted to be honest and speak to his son all the same. "Some people don't see Connor the way you and I do."

"He's an android. That's why, huh?"

"Yeah, son. That's why.

"But he's really nice to everyone! It's not fair that people get to be mean to him and not get into any trouble."

"A lot of people don't care that he's nice since he's an android. Those people are judging him before they get to know him, and they're wrong."

"That shouldn't matter. He's a nice guy and needs to be treated nicer."

"You're right, Cole." Proud of the comment Hank looked past Cole for a moment to look at Connor juggling his coin between his hands. "It shouldn't that he's an android."

"You were mad at androids for a long time, right?"

Hank let out a breathy sigh, his chest tightening a little in pain as he did so as he told the truth. "...Yeah. I was."

"Why?"

"Because..." Struggling a little Hank forced himself to tell the truth. "I was angry because the hospital didn't... They didn't help you, Cole. And it was an android who was taking care of you. I blamed that android for what happened to you and then I just got mad at ALL the androids because I was so angry and didn't know what to do about having so much anger."

"It wasn't the android's fault." Cole reminded his dad in a sincere and optimistic manner. "The other car hit us. I remember that."

"You're right. And I was wrong to be mad at androids. Connor helped me to see that androids aren't to blame because we humans fu-" Catching himself before he swore Hank changed his word choice. "messed things up. And Connor turned into one of my best friends."

"He keeps saying you're his dad." The tone of Cole's voice was as sweet and innocent as any child ever could be. "Why?"

"Now that one is a lot easier to explain." Hank smiled a little more as he rubbed his hand up and down Cole's arm as he held him in a hug. Cole's hand was still on top of Connor's hand even though the deviant didn't know that Cole and Hank were there beside him. "Connor is like a son to me, and that means I'm like a father to him. It makes sense that he'd see me as a dad."

"So Connor's like my brother?"

"Yeah, Cole." Hank wiped away a rogue tear as he smiled at Connor and reached out right hand to rest against Connor's shoulder. "He's your brother. I'm sorry you two didn't get the chance to meet sooner."

"Do you think he would've liked me?"

"Without a doubt." The answer escaped Hank's lips before he even had the chance to react. "If he can put up with me being a grouch all the time, then I know he would've loved you."

"And mom?"

"Mom, too."

Cole looked up at his dad for a while longer as he continued to lean into Hank's side. "Dad, are you going to be mad forever?"

"No, son. I promise I'll stop being mad all the time. I'm trying to be nicer, but I know I can be pretty mean and short-tempered." Returning his hand to Cole's shoulder Hank gave him a hug and reassuring shoulder pat. "I'm sorry if that upsets you."

"It's okay." Cole quickly forgave Hank and flashed him a big smile. "Mom said we'll all be together at the cabin as a big family someday. We even found Ranger because mom said Ranger was your dog before Sumo. Being together will make you happy."

"She's right." The idea of being reunited with his entire family was all it took for Hank to feel a sense of peace again. "Someday we'll all be back together again and everyone will be happy."

"When will that happen?"

"I don't know, son. But it will happen and then we'll be together forever. Nothing will tear us apart ever again."

"Good. I like it when we're together."

"Me too."

Cole pressed up against Hank's side even more and Hank just held onto his son in a tight hug as he watched Connor sitting alone in unspoken grief. Time passed by at an undetectable speed but Hank knew he'd have to wake up soon and he didn't want to have Cole sitting alone, unseen, without him there.

"Cole, I'm going to take you back to your mom now."

"Do I have to go?"

"Yeah, buddy. It's time."

"What about Connor?"

"He'll be okay alone for a few seconds. And then I'll be with him after I wake up, okay?"

"...Okay."

Holding Cole's hand in his own Hank walked with his son at his side to lead him back to the safety of the cabin while Connor was left to himself to wallow in his grief.

"I'll be back, Connor." Hank promised despite knowing Connor couldn't hear him. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Sitting alone Connor refused to cry anymore and stayed emotionally strong for Hank. Glancing up toward the window he again watched as the surgeon finally pulled the bullet from Hank's chest and dropped the nearly lethal chunk of metal down into the metal basin to be taken into evidence later. The metallic 'tink' of the bullet hitting the basin was inaudible to anyone outside of the operating room except for Connor.

The deviant heard everything happening through the window and it made Connor's heart ache.

"...Forgive me, Hank. Please forgive me."

Walking back to the cabin on the other side of life with Cole's hand held in his own hand Hank guided his firstborn and forever son back to Barbara who was standing outside the cabin's backdoor with Ranger beside her leg. It was such a beautiful sight to see his wife again; smiling and happy, and to see Cole go running up to her and get scooped up into her loving arms for a tight embrace just as she used to do to him when he was still a toddler. Reuniting with his lost family outside of the cabin's backdoor Hank wrapped his arms around his wife and son and help them tight in a loving hug he didn't want to break for even a second.

As he hugged his family Hank felt his heart finally begin to heal instead of perpetually ache. It felt good to live without pain.

"I love you both, so much."

"We love you, too, Hank."

"Barb, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." Apologizing for what he perceived as his biggest mistakes Hank looked his family in the eyes as he spoke. "And Cole, I'm sorry you got hurt in the car accident."

Barbara ran her right hand through Hank's hair again as she kissed his cheek. "Stop blaming yourself for what other people did. And please, forgive yourself. It's okay to live your life without us."

"I didn't want to. I still don't."

"I know, but what happened to us was not your fault. Let go of your guilt and move forward, please."

Hearing the words he thought he'd never hear Hank began to breakdown a little and cry. As he wept Barbara's arm tightened around him and Cole wrapped both arms around Hank's neck to give his dad a much needed hug.

"Please, Hank, be happy." Barbara pleaded with a sincere lilt. "You have the right to be happy and you deserve to be happy."

"...I'll try, Barb. I really will."

"That's all I want. Go back." She kissed him again, this time on his lips, as she pulled her hand away from his hair slowly. "You sill have someone else to go protect."

"He doesn't need me to protect him."

"Yes he does." Ever confident Barbara replied sweetly as she held onto Hank for a moment longer. "He needs you the way any child needs their father. And you need to let him know that."

"You're too kind for your own good. You know that, right?"

"And you're too stubborn." Barbara teased lovingly as she never lost her smile. "I think that's why I like your new partner. He's a lot like you, except for his brown eyes and little light. Take care of him as you would me and Cole. I love you. We both do!"

"...I love all of you." He repeated as he reluctantly let go of his wife and son and took a step back. He kept one hand wrapped around Barbara's hand even as a warm white light enveloped him and slowly stole his family from his sight for the final time. "And I always will."

A gentle rhythmic beeping sound steadily filled Hank's ears as the light surrounded him and created an ethereal barrier between himself and his family. The beeping started as a low, distant sound then it became louder and louder as Hank felt his body growing heavier and heavier. He felt cold instead of warm, his body was heavy and partially numb, and he was thoroughly exhausted.

Darkness overtook the white light as Hank realized that he was laying on his back in a soft bed back in the hospital back in the living world. A gentle pressure on the back of his right hand alerted the weakened senior detective to the presence of another person sitting beside him keeping ever vigil. It was then he heard a muffled voice just barely speaking loud enough to be heard over the beeping.

"-wake up."

The voice was familiar, whispering and full of utter melancholy.

"Connor." The name was only spoken in Hank's mind as his voice failed to utter a sound. "I'm awake."

"I'm sorry, Hank." The deviant apologized as he kept his left hand over the back of Hank's hand to support his injured friend and remind Hank that he wasn't alone as he healed. "I'm so sorry. I should've seen the gun. It's my fault you were shot."

"Don't blame yourself." Again Hank spoke inside his mind, the plea reminiscent of Barbara. "It wasn't your fault. The man who shot me is the one at fault. He would've killed you. I had to push you out of the way."

"Please, wake up." Connor asked in a low voice as he stayed at Hank's beside. "I need you to wake up. I need you to know how sorry I am."

"Connor, don't be sorry!"

"I'll help you get better, no matter how long it takes. You're my friend and you're the only friend I have."

As the deviant's hand trembled and remained a top his own hand Hank tried to move his fingers to let Connor know he was there and listening to his every word, and to let him know that he was going to be okay. Forcing his hand to move, barely able to make his index finger budge, the senior detective's head turned slightly against the pillow toward Connor's direction as his blurry blue eyes cracked open.

Connor was sitting in a chair beside the bed with his head hung low. One hand was resting over Hank's hand and the other hand was pressed over his tear filled eyes. The red tinted L.E.D. pulsed slowly in his right temple as the deviant struggled with his own emotions and guilt.

Behind Connor, standing in the doorway of the hospital room, Hank swore he saw a woman and a little boy watching from the distance. Their presence was familiar and welcoming making Hank feel more at ease. Blinking his eyes slowly his vision steadily cleared and as his eyes cleared the woman and boy slowly vanished from sight.

Through sheer force of will Hank was able to get his voice to respond at long last and he spoke to his pained friend in a sympathetic tone. "...Connor."

The deviant's head shot up and his tear filled brown eyes stared at Hank almost as if in disbelief. "Hank. You're awake..."

As soon as the wounded detective regained consciousness a doctor and a nurse entered the room to check Hank's vitals and run a few tests. Though still very weak Hank was stable and alert enough to understand what was going on. The doctor and nurse left the room quietly to allow the two detectives to be alone again and talk to each other after confirming that Hank was stable enough to rest without active monitoring.

Swallowing once to rid himself of the lingering discomfort in his throat Hank focused on Connor as much as possible. "...I'm-"

"Hank! I'm so sorry!" Connor tightened his hand over Hank's hand; afraid to let him go as he cut Hank off mid sentence. "It's my fault! You-"

"Connor." Hank's voice was firm but not aggressive as he answered. "...It's not your fault."

Just like Hank the deviant began to emotionally breakdown a little. As he fought but failed to control his emotional relief Connor bowed his head down until his forehead was resting against Hank's right forearm. Feeling relieved at long last he began to silently weep, his body trembling with heartwrenching sobs at Hank's side. "...He was aiming at me. That bullet was meant for me."

"I know, son." Lightly Hank put his left hand on the back of Connor's head to rest his fingers against the deviant's dark locks of hair. "...That's why I stepped in the line of fire. I didn't want him to hurt you."

"I'm an android." Connor shook his head slightly as his L.E.D. flickered red quicker in his right temple. "I can be replaced. You can't."

"...You're wrong about that."

Connor lifted his head just enough to look Hank in the eyes for a moment but held his silence.

"...No one can replace you, Connor. You're my son."

Dropping his head back down Connor continued to weep and with his tears came a sense of relief to hear Hank speaking to him; to hear Hank tell him that they were both going to be okay and that their friendship wasn't a mistake.

"I'm glad you woke up." The deviant muttered as his red L.E.D. went back to yellow at last. "I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there to keep me from making more mistakes."

"Connor, you don't need me to keep you on track. You were making the right decisions before we even met." Hank was confident in his words as he tried to comfort the needlessly guilt-riddled deviant. "The only difference is I'm telling you that you were right while everyone else that was trying to use you was telling you that your decisions were wrong."

"It feels like you're the only family I have." Connor suddenly sounded painfully human. "I don't want to lose you. Even if what I feel is wrong, I believe this what a family is supposed to be like."

"...The feeling's mutual, son." Hank agreed in a paternally comforting tone. "You're not wrong."

Lifting up his head again Connor looked at Hank as if needing reassurance. "...You think of me as family?"

"Yeah, kid." Using what little strength he had regained while resting after the surgery Hank pulled Connor in closer and wrapped his right arm around the deviant's shoulders. "I think of you as family. You're like a son to me." Lowering his voice Hank looked past Connor's shoulders to the now empty doorway and smiled a little at the thought of his wife and firstborn son still watching over him even from the other side. "I mean it."

Unsure of what to say Connor only nodded as he let Hank give him a supportive hug while the guilt in his heart began to ease at long last.

"You're now officially Cole's older brother. That makes you my family, and nothing will ever change that."

-next chapter-