Diligent and focused as ever Connor stared at the screen of his terminal at a total loss for a lead or even a basic theory to head his most recent case in the appropriate direction. An unusual string of meticulous robberies aimed at numerous electronics stores throughout the city was indicative of illegal deviant behavior. However, there wasn't any security footage to confirm the robberies as reported, there were no witnesses to the crime, no reported deviants being seen in the area of the crimes or even any underground black marketeering of stolen goods in the android community being confirmed by any deviants residing within the city.

While Connor anxiously danced his coin over the knuckles of his right hand Hank watched him with an unspoken worry in his blue eyes. Hank knew that Connor could obsess over little details and set aside his own needs until his work was accomplished, and that nasty little habit of working himself into the ground needed to stop.

Sighing to himself Hank looked at his empty coffee mug then back up at Connor with a stern glance. "Connor, take a break." Hank ordered rather than suggested as he stared at his own terminal screen with an unblinking gaze. "I'll cover for you."

"I'm okay."

"You've been sitting there for almost seven hours without moving." The firm tone of Hank's voice carried authority but not aggression. "Get up. Take a walk around the block. Then come back."

"I'd rather-"

"I know you'd rather keep working, but you need to take a minute to clear your mind. Go." Quickly Hank reached his hand out and grabbed onto Connor's coin with a quick snatch and held onto the coin for the time being. "Ten minutes. Go now."

"I don't-"

"Connor. GO."

Against his will Connor's L.E.D. fluttered from blue to yellow with irritation, but he obeyed Hank's order and rose from his desk with a begrudgingly halting pace. Rarely one to show any annoyance toward his fellow officers, let alone Hank himself, Connor's aggravation was evident to everyone who saw the stressing deviant cross the bullpen and make his way toward the from receptionist area of the precinct.

Letting out a deep sigh Hank leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his bearded chin as paternal concern set in. "...Finally."

How does one explain to an android who had been initially programmed to succeed at any cost that it was okay to make mistakes and that it was okay to work at a slow pace? How does one explain to someone who was built specifically to succeed that it was okay to NOT be perfect? Very few humans understood that reality, an android was less likely to understand it, and Hank knew for a fact that it could be a false reality that could prove itself detrimental to Connor.

Resuming his work on his own terminal screen Hank noted the time on the small digital clock and began counting down aloud to himself as the ten minute long window closed, reaching the final few seconds. "Five... four... three... two..."

Connor returned to the bullpen anxiously and sat back down behind his desk to resume his investigation with a hasty gait guiding his steps.

"One."

Unsurprisingly Connor overheard Hank and his brow furrowed with confusion as he looked to the senior detective inquisitively. "'One'? One what?"

"Nothing." Hank dismissed the question easily as he cleared his throat. "Feel better?"

"No. I feel the same, just ten minutes and eight seconds slower in my progress."

"Remember what I said about the dangers of obsessing?"

"This isn't an obsession." The stubborn deviant defended with a bitter retort as his soulful brown eyes rapidly scanned over every detail, every image on his terminal screen for any previously unseen clues. "This is dedication."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, kid."

Six more long and uneventful hours passed before it was the end of the two detectives' shifts, and Connor had failed to make any notable progress in his time consuming and very curious case. Determined to solve the mysterious thefts throughout the city as soon as possible, Connor adamantly refused to budge from his chair even when Hank insisted that he go home for the night. Hank decided to give Connor one more hour before he'd drag the deviant back home to get some decent rest in his own bed and away from work. If anything, he'd put Connor over his shoulder and carry him out of the precinct himself it came right down to it.

Sitting down on the corner of Connor's desk somewhat casually Hank waited until the hour was up, watching the time change over on his phone's display screen, before he reached his hand over to Connor's terminal screen and turned the display off. "Okay, that's enough."

"But I haven't-"

"Connor. Home."

Bitterly Connor squared his jaw as he tried to reach for the power button on his screen only to have Hank grab his hand and hold it back.

"Connor..." Hank put authority in his voice but didn't yell at the deviant. "Home. Now."

As a form of stubborn rebellion Connor's yellow L.E.D. flashed rapidly as he cybernetically powered the terminal screen back on.

"Damn it, Connor." Going one step further Hank reached with his free hand and pulled the physical plug connecting the terminal's screen to the modem to power it off once more. "I said to go home."

Annoyed more with himself than with Hank at that moment Connor reluctantly nodded and stood up from his chair.

As soon as the deviant was standing Hank let his hand go and pointed to the front doors of the precinct. "Go."

"I'm going." Connor muttered as he turned away from his desk and walked across the bullpen once more with Hank now right behind him. As he passed through the front receptionist area and then through the doors of the precinct, Connor noticed that Hank was holding out his confiscated quarter for him to take back as the senior detective easily caught up to him. "...Thanks."

"You'll figure it out." Hank encouraged as he dropped the coin in Connor's palm as they entered the parking garage together. He watched as Connor pocketed his coin rather than fuss with it, which was an unusual reaction considering he often danced the quarter about while thinking. "Be patient with yourself."

"I should have solved this case within the first hour." The deviant lamented as he pulled open the passenger side car door and took his seat with an irritated huff. "I don't understand why I can't solve this case."

"Relax, kid." The senior detective took his own place behind the steering wheel and put the keys in the ignition. After turning over the engine Hank pulled the car out of the garage easily and onto the street then turned to head for home. "Remember how long it took us to crack the deviant case when we first started working together? Remember how long it took for you to find Jericho?"

"Yes. I remember. I have an eidetic memory and remember everything I've ever experienced, witnessed-"

"Anyway..." Hank interjected quickly to keep the deviant from obsessing on anything else and raising his stress levels. "Just take it easy, you'll figure this out sooner than you realize."

"...And what if I can't?"

"What if you can't do what? Solve the case?"

"Yes."

"Then you work on another case or something." Noticing that Connor's yellow L.E.D. was now red Hank sensed that there was something more than just an unsolved case weighing down Connor's thoughts. "Where's this coming from? It's not like you to doubt yourself, Connor."

"It's just... Nothing. It's nothing."

"No, it's not 'nothing'. Tell me, kid." Idling at a red light Hank waited for the deviant to open up a little. "I don't pass judgment, you know that."

Sighing lowly Connor answered the question with dull somber voice that perfectly reflected his mood. "...Sometimes I feel as though my deviancy has hindered my ability to function as a detective."

"Since when?" Hank almost laughed at the revelation as he pulled through the intersection and turned at the next street to head for home. "You've NEVER had to struggle with being a deviant AND a detective before."

"I don't know. I can't explain it. It's just a very unsettling feeling that I have." Looking down at his hands as they rested palm up on his knees Connor sighed and flexed his fingers slowly into fists then relaxed them again. "Ever since I deviated and severed my cybernetic connection to CyberLife and then severed my connections to my former handler, I've lost my ability to preconstruct and adapt as quickly as I had when I was still a machine. I've been steadily becoming clumsier over time, hence my recent damage and mistakes. It's as if becoming a deviant has hindered my skills as a detective and I'm only going to continue to deteriorate over time."

"You're just stressed out." Watching Connor from the corner of his eye Hank could see the same cold stare that had affected so many other detectives and officers during his career. Hell, Hank himself had even caught a glimpse of the same look in his own eyes a few times when he's looked in the mirror. "Every cop in this city has been stumped by at least one case during their time on the force. It happens all the time, it's not that big of a deal."

"It's even happened to you?"

"Especially to me." Hank returned his full focus on the road ahead of him as he offered Connor some invaluable wisdom. "Do you have any idea how long it took for me to bring down that massive 'red ice' ring? Do you have any idea how many hours of sleep I lost because I couldn't get that damn case out of my head? How close I came to stressing myself into actual sickness because I couldn't let it go?"

"...Sick?" Connor's eyes suddenly went wide with fear. "A difficult case can make you sick?"

"Well, yeah. When humans don't eat right, drink enough fluids, get enough sleep... It doesn't take much for humans to drop from weakness. You know that."

"I never considered-"

"Stop considering and stop thinking." Putting his hand on the radio Hank powered it on and turned up the volume as a classic metal song from the 1980's began blaring through the speakers. Hoping the music would stop Connor's current train of thought Hank did his best to help Connor to finally shift from being on the clock to being off the clock. "Find a way to distract yourself. Take my word for it; you NEED a distraction or you will drive yourself crazy."

Gazing with a sense of loss out his side window toward the various buildings and people along the sidewalk, Connor decided to take Hank's advice to heart and stop thinking for a moment. "...Very well. I will attempt to do so."

"An attempt is the best way to start, son." Relieved to have Connor's cooperation Hank focused on getting the car home and getting the deviant to relax for the rest of the night. "You just need to learn to separate your work life from your personal life, that's all."

Once home Hank took a quick shower and made himself a light dinner before retiring to the couch in the livingroom to watch an old movie. The effort was accompanied with the hope of stealing Connor's attention from the case that had him stumped for just a little while, but it seemed to have little to no effect on the deviant's focus. Staring at Connor's L.E.D. as it rhythmically cycled from blue to yellow every ten minutes while Connor's hand constantly rubbed Sumo's ears, Hank ran his own hand through his freshly washed, shaggy gray locks and clamped his opposite hand down on Connor's shoulder as soon as he saw the L.E.D. flash to yellow for the twelfth time that evening.

Connor knew that Hank had been watching him and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the older man's strong hand grab his shoulder. Keeping his hand on Sumo's ears the deviant tried and failed to feign innocence as he gave Hank his attention.

"What's on your mind-"

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" Connor's L.E.D. conveniently transitioned back from yellow to its stable blue color as he replied. His hand never left Sumo's head as the dog sat loyally on the floor next to Connor's leg. "I'm just sitting here watching the movie."

"You're running your self diagnostic program like an Olympian-hopeful runs sprints. Knock it off, you're fine!"

Blushing a pale blue Connor's shoulders slumped and his hand finally stopped rubbing Sumo's ears. "...I'm sorry."

Hank hated seeing the kicked puppy look whenever Connor felt like he screwed up. Despite seemingly going out of his way to remind Hank that he's a deviant; the glowing blue L.E.D. in his temple, the nearly perfect phonetic communication, a flawless sense of timing and impeccable appearance, there were still times that Connor seemed more like a kid struggling to find their confidence as they become an adult rather than a machine trying to understand life.

"Don't apologize, kid. Just stop worrying yourself over something you can't control."

"But I should-"

"Connor, stop. You need to get some rest." Pulling his hand from Connor's shoulder Hank rose from the couch with the intent of going to bed himself. "After you get some sleep you'll feel a lot better and you'll crack the case during your next shift."

"...Okay." Relenting to the request Connor seemingly stopped mentally going over the details of the case and resumed petting Sumo's ears lightly. "I'll take care of Sumo for the night and then enter rest mode."

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

"Yes, of course." Watching as Hank walked around the back of the couch Connor observed Hank's fatigued movement as he entered his bedroom to get some sleep during the night quiet night. "...I will see you tomorrow morning."

Despite being worried for Connor's health, if not for his sanity, Hank was sleeping peacefully until something roused him from his deep slumber just after three in the morning. Running his hand over his tired face Hank swung his legs over the edge of his bed, stood up slowly and stumbled out of his dark bedroom to walk down the hallway toward Connor's bedroom door as if obeying some long dormant paternal instinct. Pushing the door open Hank noted the empty bed, save for Sumo passed out near the foot of the bed, and angrily swore internally as he turned his attention to the closed bathroom door on the opposite side of the hallway across from Connor's room.

There was an orange glow from the light inside the room pouring out from under the door giving the deviant away. It was the only room in the house with a lock on the door as well which meant it could provide some kind of private haven if wanted.

"Damn it, Connor."

Not bothering to knock Hank pushed open the still unlocked bathroom door with every intent to reprimand the deviant for not getting any rest, but his angry fire burned out quickly. The senior detective wasn't expecting to see Connor sitting on the edge of the bathtub with his L.E.D. glowing red, his shirt unbuttoned, and a single wireless sensor pad attached to the center of his chest over his Thirium pump. The sensor pad was connected to a long cable that was plugged into Hank's phone that Connor was clutching in his hand as his soulful brown eyes stared at the small display screen with pure focus.

"...Connor?" Hank's tone was immediately soft before he had the chance to get harsh as he entered the bathroom. As a means of showing he wasn't mad, just worried, Hank put his hand on the back of Connor's neck to get his attention. Keeping his tone level he spoke to Connor calmly to figure our what was happening. "What's wrong?"

Lowering the phone Connor sighed and just stared blankly ahead at the opened doorway. "...Unknown."

Hank craned his neck to look at the screen of his phone in Connor's hand and noticed that Connor had powered up the unique app that had been programmed into the phone to monitor the deviant's vital signs in the event of an emergency. The sensor pad provided an internal view of Connor's heart beating in his chest without having to tear open his plastimetal frame to view it, and yet any sight of Connor's heartbeat; digital or physical, was still a strange sight to behold.

Sounding broken Connor gave Hank a slight shake of his head and let his usually perfect posture slump down sadly. "I don't know what's going on with me."

"What the hell are you doing with that app?"

"...My self diagnostic showed no anomalies, but I wanted to be certain that I'm not ill."

The answer made Hank feel guilty as he slipped his other hand over Connor's forehead under the deviant's rogue lock of dark hair and pressed down gently. Moving his first hand away from the back of Connor's neck he picked up the deviant's wrist to count his pulse to help confirm the stable readings being displayed on the phone. "You're not overheating and your pulse is normal. You're fine."

"Yes." Connor confirmed as Hank pulled his hands away. "It seems I'm fully operating at optimum efficiency after all."

"See? You're not sick, you're just overthinking things."

"I'm sorry." Connor apologized as he turned off the app on the phone and he pulled the sensor pad from his chest. Handing the sensor pad back to Hank with a timid gesture Connor stood up from the bathtub and bowed his head in shame. "...I'll go to bed now. I apologize for disturbing your sleep."

"Connor, wait." Hank lightly grabbed onto Connor's shoulder to keep the deviant from walking out of the bathroom and held him back. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Glancing back at Hank from over his shoulder with a curious stare Connor's L.E.D. cycled from red to yellow in confusion. "For what?"

"I know what it's like to get so fixated on something that nothing else seems to matter. I shouldn't have told you to stop like you could just 'snap out of it' or something. It's not easy, I know, but you do need to rest." Speaking like a true father figure Hank did his best to help Connor realize the importance of resting without making the deviant feel guilty for obsessing so much. "I don't want to see you work yourself so hard you collapse."

"I don't want to collapse, either."

"Well, at least we can agree on something right now."

Connor gave Hank a slight grin as he lifted his head up and stood tall once more. "Perhaps if we work on the case together we can make some progress."

"Yeah, of course."

"I just wish I knew why the deviants are stealing electronic devices to begin with. If I could at least uncover their motivation I could uncover their identities."

Hank's blue eyes flashed with a sense of discovery as he shook Connor's shoulder lightly. "...Maybe the reason you can't identify the deviants is because there are NO deviants involved."

"But the security footage and the lack of fingerprints-" Connor's own eyes went wide as he realized what Hank was suggesting. "...Humans can alter security cameras and recorded footage just as easily as any deviant, and if a human were to wear gloves over their hands they'd conceal their fingerprints to mimic that of deviant hands. The deviant suspects can't be properly identified because humans have framed them."

"Bingo."

"Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Because you were following PLANTED clues; false evidence." Giving Connor a reassuring nod of the head Hank emphasized the importance of Connor doing everything right while the real criminals had done everything wrong. "See? I told you that you're fine. You were on the right trail and all you needed to do was look at from a different perspective to find the right suspects."

"Yes, you were correct." Admitting that Hank was right about everything Connor's confidence seemed to return and his L.E.D. cycled back to blue at long last as he finally began to relax. "Tomorrow we can finally make some real progress on the stalled investigation."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Hank dropped his hand from Connor's shoulder to cross his arms skeptically over his chest. "You're not going to insist on rushing off to the precinct or calling whoever is in the bullpen to follow up on the lead?"

"No. The thefts aren't resulting in any casualties, we can wait until morning. There's no point in obsessing over it, right?"

"That's right." Proud of the deviant's answer Hank gave Connor a grin and motioned toward the opened doorway. "I'm glad to hear you finally say that."

"I'll go rest now." Stepping out of the bathroom Connor gave Hank one final appreciative nod. "Thanks for your help tonight."

"No problem. Now, go get some sleep and stop thinking until dawn." Clutching his phone tightly in his hand Hank made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the deviant's mental and emotional health from that night onward. "All right?"

"That's a fair and easily doable request."

"Glad to hear it. Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, Hank. I'll see you in the morning." Stepping out of the bathroom with a calm motion Connor gave Hank a peaceful thought before disappearing into his bedroom for the night. "We have a case waiting to be cracked and I want to close it as soon as possible."

-next chapter-