DBH: Accident Prone - Becoming Human

by WayWardWonderer

Connor struggles to comprehend his newly found emotions and learns what it means to be human as Hank guides him along his journey of self-discovery as his deviancy evolves him into something more than a machine. Connor isn't indestructible and his impulsive, selfless nature to accomplish his mission will be the death of him, or even Hank, as he learns what it means to be alive.

118. Cooperation

The fall of the massive gang of anti-android bigots, illegal arms dealers and drug dealers had fortunately resulted in a drastic depletion of both violence and 'red ice' flooding the streets. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for numerous aspiring "Drug Kingpins" to compete for the mythical vacated throne and it took even less time for the city to usurp the vain attempts to redistribute drugs with authority figures stepping in. Under Hank's guidance, as an officer with an exemplary track record with successful 'red ice' ring busts, the Central Precinct was given their orders and everyone who wasn't working an important case were assigned a patrol with a partner.

Whether it was random chance or by design, Connor had been partnered up with Gavin for the night and the ever stubborn Sergeant wasn't big on the idea of having to partner up with a deviant for a shift. Temporary or not, he was NOT happy about the arrangement and wasn't shy in expressing it.

"Your partner has a real fuckin' twisted sense of humor." Gavin grumbled as he drove along their designated route with Connor as the passenger. "Why the hell did I get stuck with you?"

"Because Hank is back at the precinct taking charge of the investigation." Connor explained casually as he checked on the plastic bag full of candy in his gray blazer pocket. "Also, Tina is currently ill with the flu. It was actually a logical decision."

"...I didn't mean literally you dumb piece of plastic. I meant why the fuck couldn't I work with Chris or even a rookie? Why did I get stuck with you?"

"As I previously stated, Hank-"

"Nevermind!" Gavin growled as he pulled up along a deserted stretch of sidewalk overlooking a reported hotspot for drug activity and parked the car. Turning off the engine he leaned back in his seat and gave Connor an annoyed stare. "How the fuck can you interrogate suspects when you can't even figure out sarcasm or rhetoric?"

Connor remained silent for the sake of Gavin's poor attitude, his L.E.D. cycling a calm blue, and proceeded to run cybernetic scans over the surrounding buildings to monitor any and all activity behind the thick brick walls, or possibly detect any illegal chemicals being used to create the offensive drug. It was relatively quiet save for the fading traffic in the distance as the evening gave way to night and fewer people were seen walking the cold, snowy streets.

Letting out an annoyed sigh Gavin picked up his cup of lukewarm coffee and begin to sip at it with a grimace. "...Anything out there, 'Tinman'?"

"Negative. There is nothing of interest in our immediate vicinity."

"Great. We'll sit here and babysit the big, scary buildings for an hour then move on to the next area."

"Seems reasonable."

"Shut up."

"Why? I'm agreeing with you."

"And I hate it, so, shut up."

"Very well."

"And stop doing that."

"What?"

"Being so agreeable. It's goddamn annoying. You're like the teacher's pet or something..."

"What is a-"

"Shut. Up."

The corner of Connor's mouth twitched a little while his L.E.D. briefly flickered to yellow, only to cycle back to blue, as he obeyed the request and leaned back in his seat and resumed his scans. There was little activity and little sound in the area as the street activity continued to fade into nothing as the night wore on. As he began filing a cybernetic update with the precinct Connor detected a sudden wave of movement as a group of people entered the building twenty feet down the street through the backdoor.

"Gavin." Connor leaned forward again and nodded at the building of interest. "There are four people now inside the abandoned building."

"Drug dealers?"

"Unknown." The deviant's L.E.D. was steadily cycling yellow as he continued to run the scan. "But this building is supposed to be vacant which means no one should be inside of it under any circumstances."

"Right, send an update to the precinct." Pulling his gun from his holster at his right hip Gavin checked the weapon and reholstered it as he exited the vehicle and stepped out onto the snowy street. "I'm going to get a closer look."

"That is unwise. You shouldn't go alone."

"Good thing I have you here with me. Watch my back."

Unable to protest or change Gavin's mind Connor followed after the less than amenable detective and checked his own weapon before he too returned it to the holster wrapped around his back and concealed under his leather jacket and gray blazer beneath. Creeping up to the small brick building to peer through the cracks between the boards concealing the broken glass windows underneath, the two detectives eyed the group of four huddled around a rectangular metal table with several bags of freshly made 'red ice' in the middle.

"...Fuck." Gavin swore in a whisper as he noted the alarming amount of the dangerous drug. "That's gotta' be at least two grand in drugs right there."

"Two-thousand, six hundred-"

"Stop." Knowing the exact number wasn't anything Gavin cared about. "We can worry about that later."

Connor ran a facial scan on the four faces of the men standing around the table to get a possible identification. Despite the poor lighting of the intentionally dimly lit lamp to avoid detection from anyone on the street outside, the keen eyed deviant had no problem identifying the suspects. "All four have a history of drug abuse. Two have an additional history of illegal arms dealing."

"Did you let the precinct know?"

"Yes. Back-up should arrive within-"

The high pitched squeal of tires screaming through the street behind the two detectives made the duo turn around in time to see a dark red muscle car speeding past the building at a dangerous rate. As the car sped past the duo, the passenger window rolled down and a semi-automatic weapon appeared as it was pointed directly at the two detectives with the intent to do maximum damage.

"Move!"

Shouting with his L.E.D. rapidly spinning red in color Connor reacted quickly as the man opened fire, and he pushed Gavin down to the sidewalk out of the range of fire.

"Son of a bitch!" Swearing loudly as he landed on his chest, Connor's hand still pressing on his shoulder to keep him down, Gavin pulled his weapon from his holster and fired two shots at the speeding car. "We need to get outta' here!"

Without a second of hesitation Connor got back to his feet alongside Gavin and the two detectives raced back to the car parked down the street while keeping low. The bullets continued to spray out over their heads, striking the building, breaking exposed glass in the windows, embedding themselves in the sidewalk and piercing the side of Gavin's personal car as the two detectives made it back to the relative safety of the vehicle.

"Call it in!" Gavin shouted as he kept his head low and turned over the key in the ignition. Another bullet passed through the rear windshield and through the front to embed itself in the dashboard as Gavin pulled the car down the street and sped away from the shooter. "Fuck! Find me a way outta' here!"

Connor quickly calculated a new route, his L.E.D. cycling between red and yellow as he did as he was instructed. "Turn left!"

The shooter continued to fire as the drive pursued the fleeing police vehicle. As Gavin rounded the corner Connor suddenly grabbed onto the wheel and pulled to the right, HARD, turning the car down into a blind alleyway in the shadows off the road that was very difficult to see.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Gavin took control of the wheel back from Connor. "Don't do that!" As his hands tightened around the wheel Gavin felt something warm and sticky against his palm, causing him to glance down at his hand where a dark stain was forming over his skin. "What the fuck is that shit?"

"...My apologies." Connor stated as he swallowed once, a faint trail of Thirium oozing down from the left corner of his mouth. "Turn another right."

"What? Why?" Gavin kept his head low and looked in the mirrors for any sign of the pursuing shooter. "That leads to a dead-end!"

"...A bullet has struck the fuel tank."

"So what?"

"We will run out of fuel in eight seconds. We must flee on foot if we wish to elude our assailants."

"Ah, fuck! Great..."

Sure enough the car began to sputter and slow as the last of its fuel reserves trickled from the damaged tank and stained the street underneath. Moving quickly Gavin threw open his door and ran around the front of the car to duck down behind the front bumper.

"Come on! We need to move!"

Connor was slower at opening his door but obediently exited the vehicle as Gavin ordered. Ducking down and joining Gavin at the front of the car Connor fell to his knees and coughed once. A spattering of blue blood stained the street in front of the car much to Gavin's disgust.

"Fuckin' hell! What's wrong with you!?"

Pulling back the lapels of his jacket Connor showed the bleeding bullet wounds his abdomen. There were two bullets holes on either side of his abdomen and were quickly leaking blue blood at an alarming rate. Connor's own hands were drenched in his blood as he tried and failed to stem the bleeding of his wounds and was losing strength quickly.

"Fuck..." Gavin looked back down at his hand and realized that when Connor grabbed onto the steering wheel he had smeared his own blood onto it in the process. The sapphire stain on his palm was warm, sticky and felt just like human blood. "Son of a bitch. What's with you and getting shot?!"

"Gavin, run." Connor pointed down the street with blue blood dripping from his extended finger. "They'll catch up in-"

"Come on!" As he grabbed onto Connor's arm Gavin hauled the bleeding, weakened deviant back up to his feet and pulled Connor's arm around his shoulders to help him walk. "We need to get out of sight!"

"...Leave me." Connor insisted as he struggled to move at a swift pace. "I will only slow you down."

"Fuck that! Plastic or not I don't leave my partners behind to get gunned down by some asshole drug dealer."

"It's illogical-"

"Shut up! I'm saving your dumb ass!"

A pained hiss escaped Connor's clenched teeth as his L.E.D. cycled red rapidly and the blood soaked through his white dress shirt in a deep blue tint.

Gavin stopped in the middle of the snowy street and glanced about curiously as he tried to pick a direction. "Where do we go?"

"I don't... I can't think." Too weak to access his G.P.S. Connor didn't know where he and Gavin currently were. "I am... damaged."

"Of course. Just perfect..." Gavin grumbled as he pulled Connor along at his side and ducked down into the shadows between two decrepit rotting houses left abandoned for years. The snow had built up enough to keep the duo concealed from immediate sight and gave them enough cover to avoid any passing eyes as long as they didn't move. "Keep quiet for a second, all right?"

Connor only nodded as he sat down on the cold ground and leaned heavily against the exterior side of the house.

Keeping within the shadows Gavin peered around the corner of the house and saw the pursuing car locate his damaged abandoned vehicle just down the street. The two men inside the red muscle car both opened fire on Gavin's car leaving it absolutely destroyed in a blaze of bullets that pissed Gavin off even more.

"Fuck! That's MY car!"

Ducking back down Gavin peered through the already broken window of the ground floor of the house he was peeking around and saw that it had been long since vacated. Several pieces of broken, moldy furniture were sporadically placed throughout the livingroom and the smell of rotten food left behind in the kitchen filled the air.

"No one's home." The Sergeant confirmed in a low voice. "We can duck down inside to hide."

Connor didn't respond to the statement and was barely moving.

"Hey!" Gavin shoved Connor's shoulder and barked at him loudly. "Come on, we need to get out of the street!"

The deviant practically fell over entirely as his head lolled limply to the side and blue blood dripped from his mouth steadily.

"Fuck..."

Thinking quickly Gavin grabbed onto Connor's arm and hauled him back him to his feet. Propping the deviant up against the side of the house for a moment Gavin wrapped his arm around the deviant's back and began dragging him to the rear of the property to check out the rear windows backdoor of the house. Fortunately it wasn't too far to walk, but Connor was deadweight against Gavin's side making the move more sluggish than it should've been.

"Come the fuck on!"

The Sergeant swore as he sat Connor down on the ground beside the backdoor then tested the doorknob. Locked.

"Damn it."

Putting his shoulder against the door right against the door jam Gavin forced it open after two hard shoves and instinctively withdrew his weapon.

"I'll check it out..."

Visually scanning the disgusting, rotting kitchen for any sign of someone hiding in the shadows Gavin was satisfied no one else was there.

"Okay, you plastic asshole..."

Reholstering his gun Gavin went back outside and hefted Connor up to his feet once more by a firm pull on the deviant's arm.

"It's safe, so get your ass inside."

As he dragged Connor inside the house Gavin closed the door with his foot and slid a neglected kitchen chair over and up against the doorknob at an angle to try to bar it from the inside.

"Fuck... I left my radio AND my phone in the damn car."

Gavin was obviously agitated and was swearing venomously as a result. Hauling Connor through the kitchen Gavin located a hallway and a bedroom on the first floor of the house.

"All right, it's not the best place in the world but at least we're out of firing range."

The bedroom had an old queen sized mattress that was left behind under protective plastic sheeting as if it were to be packed up and moved when the original occupants moved out, but had been left behind in a rush to leave the increasingly dangerous neighborhood. The dresser in the corner of the room had the same protective covering as well and the window was hidden behind a thick, dark curtain so no one could see inside.

"Hold on a second, 'Tinman'."

Gavin placed Connor onto the floor into a kneeling position while he tore away the plastic on the bed and threw it aside. The removed covering revealed a surprisingly clean surface beneath the plastic and was far more sanitary than the other surfaces of the house.

"Okay, lay down and wake the fuck up."

Hefting Connor back up to his feet Gavin carried him over to the bed and laid him down on his back without jostling him too much in the process. Once Connor was laying relatively comfortably on the mattress Gavin pulled open the thick curtains on the nearby window and let in the surrounding light from the streetlamps outside on the sidewalk to dimly illuminate the room.

In the poor yellow lighting Gavin saw the massive stain of blue over Connor's shirt and could see that the deviant was having trouble breathing.

"Shit... Don't breakdown on me now, you plastic asshole."

Carefully Gavin knelt on the edge of the mattress over Connor and put his hand on the deviant's chest to check his heartbeat.

"Hey! Open your damn eyes!"

Connor's eyes rolled back and forth under his eyelids but didn't open.

"Damn it. I said OPEN. YOUR. EYES." Reeling back his right hand he gave Connor a single, firm slap to the side of his face and yelled again. "WAKE UP."

Brought back to reality by the stinging pain in his face Connor's glassy brown eyes opened up slowly but didn't focus on anyone, or anything in particular.

"Hey! Talk to me!"

"...G-Gavin." Connor's voice was stunted by low power and carried an electronic reverb. "Where... are we?

"Safe. This is some shitty, rundown house. It's not great but we're out of sight."

"Are you... injured?"

"What the fuck?" The question made Gavin scoff as he gave the deviant an annoyed stare. "Connor, you were SHOT."

"...I can-"

"Knock it off. You and your whole 'selfless act' can kiss my ass."

"...N-Not an act." Connor wheezed a little as he continued to struggle for breath. "I... I don't want you... hurt."

Gavin was beyond pissed and anxious to get out of the area. "Whatever. Can you reach the precinct or not?"

"I was... in contact before... we fled. Back-up is... in the area."

"How close?"

"...Unknown."

"Oh, come on. At least give me SOME idea!"

"I cannot. Too weak... to send a... response." Connor let out another wheeze followed by a groan of pain as his hands protectively went to his still bleeding abdomen. "...I'm sorry."

Gavin was almost sick at the sight of the blue blood seeping between Connor's fingers and pooling onto the once clean mattress beneath his body. "...How bad are you hurt?"

"The damage is... significant."

"As in... you'll die?"

"Correct."

"Fuck."

"...I triangulated... our area after... we fled the... car. Back-up knows... where to look... for you."

"I said knock it off, they'll find us!" As much as Gavin still disliked Connor it was becoming increasingly obvious that Gavin no longer hated him. "You're not dying."

"...I cannot... help it. I have... eight minutes and... nineteen seconds before I... shutdown."

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Gavin began manically pacing back and forth beside the mattress with his hands running through and pulling on the locks of his hair. Looking down at the bloodied shirt concealing the wounds, looking at Connor's chest as it struggled to rise and fall very rapidly, Gavin knew he had to do something if Connor were going to pull through. "...Fuck!"

Connor's eyes were closing slowly and his breathing was becoming more pained.

"H-Hey! Hey!" Gavin quickly stammered as he grabbed onto Connor's arm and tightened his grip just enough to get the deviant's attention. "Keep awake!"

"...I cannot. My system... is... compromised."

Gavin wrung his already blue blood stained hands together nervously as he looked down at Connor's Thirium stained abdomen with wide eyes. "...Is there something I can do to help you?"

"...I need a... technician."

"Right, I get that. But is there anything I can do to help you until then?"

Connor turned to look up at Gavin and blinked slowly a few times.

"Come on! I'm tryin' to help ya'!"

There was another pause before Connor finally answered. "...The bleeding... needs to be... stemmed."

"Okay, right." Kneeling back down on the edge of the mattress Gavin shrugged off his own leather jacket and dropped it on the foot of the bed next to the deviant's legs. Using slow, careful movement Gavin unbuttoned Connor's shirt over his abdomen and flinched at the wounds beneath. "Fuck."

A single bullet had passed through Connor's right side just above his hip that angled toward his abdomen and traveled clean through the left side. The single bullet had left two wounds that were both bleeding profusely. The artificial skin around the two bullet holes had been damaged so severely that the white plastimetal frame beneath and the wounds were sparking blue as a result. Every time Connor would breathe his entire abdomen would ooze blood, and he had already lost a considerable amount of blood in the time between being shot and having Gavin get him to safety.

"What did the bullet hit?"

Connor closed his eyes and ran a slow but accurate self diagnostic. "My... Thirium pump... regulator."

"Your what?"

"...It controls and... regulates... the heartbeat."

"It controls your heart?"

"Correct."

"And if this isn't repaired, what will happen?"

"My heart... will stop."

"It'll STOP?"

"...Correct."

"As in you'll actually... die?"

Connor nodded weakly and stared blankly at the ceiling above him.

"Okay, okay. So this is serious." Gavin peered out the window and looked for any sign of back-up but he couldn't wait for someone else to show up. Connor couldn't wait. The only way to save the deviant was to act now. "How do I stop the bleeding?"

"Need to..." Connor trailed off a little but Gavin's hand returned to his arm and squeezed tightly enough to bring the deviant back to reality. "You need... to find the... damaged line. Stop the... leak."

"How? How the fuck do I do that?"

Connor's eyes closed for a moment, his red tinted L.E.D. cycling briefly to yellow as he retracted the artificial skin over his abdomen, and his hand pressed down on the center of the fully exposed plastimetal frame to retract the panel. As the panel slid open a gush of blue blood seeped over the sides of his abdomen and Connor groaned in pain again as a bright blue spark shone through the pooling blood.

"Fuck!" Having virtually no knowledge of android anatomy seeing the blue blood and sparks was very disconcerting. "What the actual fuck?"

"B-Bullet damaged... the line connecting-" Connor paused and took in a few rapid breaths before continuing. "The main line... connecting to the... Thirium pump regulator. Needs to be... mended."

"How do I do that?"

"Tie off... the line."

Gavin looked down at the blue blood and grunted in disgust. "Is it really that simple?"

"...Yes."

"Okay, sure." Nervous but remaining in control Gavin stayed as professional as possible. "Uh, where is it?"

Connor's shaking hand lifted up and pointed down to the line in question just below his Thirium pump regulator near the center of his abdomen. "...There."

Gavin's hand hovered warily over the designated area and he sighed. "Will this hurt you?"

"N-Not as much... as a bullet."

"Yeah, yeah... Right." Holding his breath Gavin used his right index finger and thumb to grab onto the line and picked it up and out of Connor's abdomen. "Ah, man! This is so gross." As he pinched the line off in a firm grip Gavin saw that the line itself wasn't damaged but it had been partially disconnected from the vital biocomponent enough to bleed heavily. "Hold up, 'Tinman'. The line isn't damaged, just loose."

Connor nodded weakly and his hands flexed into tight fists. "Reconnect the... line. The metal... coupling will-"

"I can figure that much out, give me some credit here." Gavin looked at the fully exposed biocomponents with a sense of confusion. "Uh, which one is the pump thing you were talking about?"

With a ghost of an amused grin Connor replied with a breathy sigh. "...The one blinking... red."

"Makes sense." Gavin noted the circular shaped biocomponent intermittently blinking red amongst the other blue biocomponents steadily cycling in the healthier color. "I'll secure it and you don't fucking move."

The deviant remained perfectly still as Gavin set about reconnecting the line.

With an audible 'click' the line reconnected to the biocomponent and Connor let out a pained groan as his L.E.D. cycled yellow and flashed quickly before returning to red. The Thirium pump regulator pulsed red a few times before shifting into a pale blue hue and began to cycle the restored Thirium flow properly.

"...Is that it?" Gavin pulled back his hands and wiped the blood off onto his pant legs in disgust. "Are you good?"

Connor took in a weak breath and nodded. Returning the plastimetal panel over his abdomen with a simple touch the deviant concealed his biocomponents, but he didn't have the strength to regenerate his artificial skin.

"Connor?"

The deviant's eyes rolled up into the back of his head as his breathing suddenly hitched in his chest. His L.E.D. began to cycling at an increasingly slow rate until it was almost solid gray and blank.

"What the fuck is happenin' NOW?"

Putting his hand down on the center of Connor's chest Gavin could feel that the deviant's Thirium pump, his heart, was struggling to beat.

"Fuckin' hell! Not this 'stopped heart' shit!"

Gavin pulled open the rest of the buttons on Connor's shirt to expose the deviant's chest. Reeling back his fist Gavin planted a firm slam down against Connor's chest with enough strength that he caused the deviant's heart to respond with a single forced beat.

Gasping loudly Connor's eyes snapped open and his L.E.D. blinked red rapidly.

"Connor!"

"...I-I'm okay."

"You plastic prick!"

"...Gavin..." Connor wheezed pathetically. "Thank you. You restarted... my heart."

Turning away so Connor couldn't see his face Gavin resumed glancing out the window to look for back-up. "So you're good... now?"

"...Yes. I can... self heal."

"Uh, if I leave you alone for a few minutes are you going to be okay? I need to see if I can spot back-up anywhere in the area."

Again Connor nodded but his breathing remained weak.

"Hey? Why do you still look like shit?"

"...I lost thirty-six percent... of my blood volume."

"Oh."

"My... heartbeat is... irregular. My system... needs to... recalibrate."

"Look, I'm just going to check out the rest of the house and make sure no one else is around. Stay awake and don't make a sound."

Without uttering a word Connor just stayed still on the bed and let his hands rest over his damaged abdomen in a protective grip.

Gavin stepped out of the bedroom and drew his weapon again. Pushing open the nearby doors leading into a far more disgusting laundry room Gavin saw traces of the previous owners but no one else on the ground floor. Tentatively Gavin neared the staircase leading to the second floor and walked up each step with a loud 'groan' from the weakened surface beneath his feet, very slowly and carefully. Gavin tested his weight over the rotten boards lightly before fully stepping down out of fear of the staircase giving away beneath him.

The second floor of the house was just as deserted as the first. Two bedrooms, a bathroom and playroom were left to decay as the previous owners fled the dangerous neighborhood in rush. Checking through each room Gavin found no signs of recent intrusions or occupants, and felt that the house was secured. Glancing through the windows in each room Gavin noted the surrounding property and saw that the red muscle car was slowly circling the block, but soon after bright red and blue flashing lights illuminated the streets.

"It's about damn time."

As the police car encroached on the area the muscle car suddenly sped off, but not before the patrolling police car spotted them and gave chase.

"Great. That's one problem down."

Descending the staircase just as warily Gavin returned to the livingroom and checked through the sparse furnishings left behind. Aside from the couch and a small coffee table there was a liquor cabinet against the far wall. Inside the cabinet were four bottles of alcohol, three of which were entirely empty while the fourth bottle was over half full of whiskey.

"Better than nothing."

Opening the cabinet Gavin took the whiskey, unscrewed the cap, and took a shot of the alcohol straight from the bottle with a firm grimace on his face.

"Shit's so nasty..."

Returning to the bedroom where Connor was resting Gavin looked down at the deviant's eerily pale face courtesy of the low Thirium volume, as well as his slowly blinking red tinted L.E.D. in his right temple. It was a strange mixture of sympathy and indifference. He was looking down at a person and a machine at the same time, and it left Gavin feeling conflicted.

"Hey, 'Tinman', you still awake?"

Connor didn't respond. The deviant had in fact fallen asleep, or more accurately, fell into rest mode to kickstart his self healing program.

"Good."

Grabbing onto his jacket from the foot of the bed Gavin draped it over Connor to hide the exposed plastimetal covered in blue blood. Sitting down on the floor with his back pressed up against the bed Gavin let out another sigh and took another swig of the whiskey.

"At least one of us is relaxed."

Unable to make contact with the precinct because of his lack of phone and radio Gavin was left to sit in silence and listen only to the sound of Connor's wheezing, stilted breaths. Gavin glanced about the abandoned, neglected room and shook his head. The look of the forgotten home, the smell of decay and the sound of the floorboards, walls and ceiling creaking ominous made Gavin feel sick to his stomach.

"Who says you can never go home again?"

Downing a bigger swig of the whiskey Gavin stared off into nothingness and let out a disgusted breath that stunk of cheap whiskey.

"There's even booze here."

"...You shouldn't be drinking."

Gavin spit half of the whiskey back out as Connor's voice caught him by surprise. Coughing and wiping the dripping whiskey on his chin off onto his arm he turned around and glared at the deviant laying on the bed watching him through half-lidded eyes. "What the fuck?" Coughing again Gavin turned around entirely and stared directly at Connor. "How long have you been awake?"

"...Four point nine seconds."

"Fuck."

"Not only are you still on the clock, but your blood sugar is already low. Alcohol will only-"

"How the fuck do you know what my sugar is at?"

"You haven't eaten anything in six and half hours, save for seven point two ounces of unsweetened black coffee. Your hands are beginning to shake as well, which is indicative of an unstable blood sugar level."

"Yeah, you scaring the shit out of me has nothing to do with the shaking..." The Sergeant replied curtly as he clenched his hands into tight fists to keep them still for a moment. "Plastic asshole."

Connor tried to grin but he ended up coughing a few times and tightened his hands over his damaged abdomen.

The gesture didn't escape Gavin's attention. "You okay?"

"I will be."

"How's your pain?"

"...Tolerable."

"Uh-huh." Holding up the whiskey the detective tried to offer a solution. "Would a shot of this shit help?"

"No. It'll only thin my Thirium and make my condition worse."

"What about splashing some of it on those bullet holes?"

Connor contemplated the offer for a moment before agreeing. "It would be an effective sterilization agent."

"All right then." Pulling back his jacket Gavin looked down at the blood stained wounds in Connor's abdomen and sighed. "Hold your breath."

Connor did as he was told and immediately groaned as the alcohol splashed over the wounds and washed away some of the drying blood in a tea color wave.

"Sorry." Gavin stated as he replaced the jacket and indifferently tossed the rest of the whiskey to the corner of the room. The bottle shattered and the whiskey spilled all over the floor in the corner. "Did that fuck anything up?"

Through his gritted teeth Connor answered as he took in deep, slow, calming breaths. "N-No. It's okay."

"How many times are ya' going to get shot before you finally agree to wear Kevlar? It's getting ridiculous how many times you've taken a bullet and I'm beginning to think you're a literal bullet-magnet."

"...I dislike Kevlar." Connor replied as he tucked his arm under his head to get slightly more comfortable. "It slows me down."

"Not as a much as a bunch of lead in your gut and massive blood loss."

"Fair point."

"So, I saw patrol go by a few minutes ago in pursuit of the shooters." Changing the subject Gavin asked about their current predicament. "Can you talk to anyone at the precinct again?"

Closing his eyes Connor's red L.E.D. flashed to yellow briefly before returning to red. "...Yes. I've informed them of our current location."

"How do you know where we are? You were pretty out of it when I carried you in here."

"My G.P.S. has recorded our immediate location and I was able to relay the information upon reactivation."

"Oh." Sighing with mild relief Gavin put his hands on his hips and gave the deviant a wary stare. "How the fuck did you get shot anyway?"

"When I threw myself to the sidewalk I was unable to duck down quick enough and the bullet struck me unexpectedly."

"You got hit, but I didn't? I guess androids aren't as fast as they look."

"Not always, no." Looking around the room curiously Connor tried to prop himself up on his elbows only to have the sharp pain in his abdomen stop him short. Taking a few breaths Connor closed his eyes and ran another self diagnostic. "You've successfully reconnected the line. All of the internal hemorrhaging has ceased."

"I damn sure hope so, I'm not doing that again. Having to help the Lieutenant when we got stuck in the bombed building was bad enough."

Giving Gavin a wary glance Connor let out a slow breath and asked a rather unusual question. "...What did you mean when you said 'Who says you can never go home again'?"

Paling a little Gavin gave Connor an annoyed glare. "When I what?"

"As I woke up I heard you talking to yourself. You said-"

Looking away from Connor and out the window Gavin brushed off the question bitterly. "Don't worry about it."

"I didn't mean to pry. I apologize."

Gavin was silent for a moment and saw that Connor's L.E.D. was still red. "Lay back down. Don't move around so much."

"I'm not moving."

"Lay down anyway! I don't want you smearing blood all over my jacket."

"...Sorry." Laying flat back down on the mattress Connor let out a weak sigh and closed his eyes. His red tinted L.E.D. flickered to yellow again and his eyes opened and he gave the Sergeant an update. "Gavin, there is a patrol checking out the ruins of your car."

"Finally!" The slight improvement to their situation made Gavin's gray-hazel eyes light up for a moment. "Stay put, 'Tinman'. I'll be right back..."

As instructed Connor remained on the mattress as Gavin departed from the room and then through the backdoor of the house once more. Rolling slightly onto his side Connor put his arm beneath himself and propped himself somewhat upright on his hip and looked down at Gavin's jacket as the garment slipped down from his abdomen and came to a rest on his lap.

Steadily Connor worked to rebutton his shirt with one hand and the deviant was promptly scolded by Gavin as the Sergeant quickly returned to the room. "For fuck sake, I said don't move."

"I need to move if I am to leave the house to return to the precinct."

"Precinct? Shouldn't you go to a facility?"

"No. My wounds are not life threatening, I can easily be aided by Joel in the precinct dispensary."

"Joel?"

Connor gave Gavin a curious glance as he answered the question. "...The precinct's on-call technician."

"Oh. That guy."

Casually Connor offered Gavin back his jacket as he shifted his weight so he could stand up from the bed on his shaking legs. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Yeah, well, you threw my ass out of the line of fire," Gavin replied as he slipped his jacket back on over his arms and up to his shoulders. "so now we're even."

"Is it wise to keep score?"

"Do you ever shut up and stop asking dumb questions?"

"I'd apologize again, but I feel the effort is unnecessary since you consistently brush off my words."

"Did you just... talk back to me?"

Straightening his black tie Connor gave the Sergeant a cheesy half grin as he walked with a partial limp through the doorway of the bedroom and outside to where the patrol car was waiting for him and Gavin alongside the street. The two detectives didn't say another word as they met Chris outside and sat down in the backseat of the car side by side to return to the precinct at long last.

Gavin leaned forward in his seat and let out a pained sigh as he pressed the palms of his hands to his face. One nasty headache was setting in and he didn't have the necessary caffeine or patience to keep it at bay.

Within seconds Connor took notice of the Sergeant's discomfort and spoke to him in a low voice. "You require glucose."

"No shit. But I can't do anything about it until we're back at the precinct."

Remaining quiet Connor reached into his leather jacket's right pocket and presented Gavin with a small plastic bag of hard candy.

Gavin looked at the offered item then gave Connor a very confused stare. "What the hell do you have candy for?"

"Because I'm well aware that stake-outs can last for numerous, lengthy hours and when I was informed I'd be partnered up with you I took the time to collect a small, properly calculated amount of candy that would prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low in the event our stakeout lasted for an uncommonly long period of time."

"...Why?"

"I don't understand the question." Connor was perplexed by Gavin's seemingly disapproving reaction. "Diabetes is a serious medical condition and should be treated as such."

"No, I mean why do you care?"

"I understand you dislike androids for a very personal reason and I respect that I cannot undo the cause of your disdain, but that doesn't mean I wish to see harm befall you because of our lack of mutual cooperation."

"Uh-huh..." Extending his hand palm up Gavin accepted the candy and took out a piece to eat with an unspoken, and unseen gratitude. "Thanks. I guess."

"You're welcome."

It didn't take too long to drive back to the precinct considering the urgency in getting the two detectives back and ready to file a report. Chris of course took his leave of the vehicle to allow the detectives a moment to collect their thoughts and rest for a moment.

As Connor put his hand on the door handle to exit the vehicle first Gavin's voice stopped him short. "...Do you really want to know what I meant back there?"

"Pardon?" Turning to look at Gavin the deviant's L.E.D. flickered yellow more rapidly. "To what are you referring?"

"What I said about never being able to go home again, all that shit."

"...Only if you want to discuss it."

"That house back there..." Gavin paused for a moment to put another piece of candy in his mouth. "That was what it was like for me growing up. Surrounded by neglect and indifference."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Genuinely sympathetic to what Gavin had endured as a child Connor tried to stop the discussion before it started. "If I had known I wouldn't have asked such a personal question."

"Don't worry about it. Just get in there and get patched up before your partner rips my head off because you got shot shielding me from a bullet."

"I did not shield-"

"There's now way in Hell I was faster than an android when it came to dodging a bullet. I know you saved my ass tonight, so... yeah." Aware of what could've happened to him that night Gavin sighed and decided to go inside to file his report. "Thanks again."

Hovering his hand over the door handle Connor gave the stubborn a Sergeant a somewhat humble stare. "...You don't have to thank me."

"Well, I haven't exactly been the nicest guy to ya' either. So, let me at least say that and then we can pretend this never happened."

"Very well. I'll head up to the dispensary."

"Good." Opening up his own door Gavin stepped out of the vehicle and marched ahead of the deviant back to the precinct. "I'm not carrying your plastic ass anywhere else tonight."

---

Laying back on the exam table of the dispensary Connor patiently waited for Joel to finish reshaping and soldering the bullet holes in the plastimetal frame of his abdominal panels, while also cybernetically filing his report for Captain Fowler to review later that night. Thanks to the technician's skill and patience Connor's pain receptors had been temporarily switched off which made his ability to breathe much easier, and made it easier to lay still during the final moments of said repairs. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it had initially looked once the Thirium was wiped away from the exposed plastimetal frame and surrounding damaged skin.

After receiving replacement Thirium Connor would be cleared for active duty and would be able to finish the rest of his shift.

"It's a good thing Gavin was able to reconnect that line." Joel stated as he finished with the final touches on the plastimetal. The deviant's artificial skin was still pale and was unable to fully regenerate over his abdomen, but would also heal soon enough. "You'll need about three pints of Thirium to replenish what you lost."

"That won't be a problem." Connor responded honestly. "I have a full stock back at the house."

"Well, I'm giving you one pint right here, right now." Handing the deviant the pouch of fresh blue blood Joel motioned for the deviant to sit up on the exam table to drink it. "Hank's been waiting for an update."

"I will speak to him in person." Rebuttoning his dirty shirt Connor took the offered blue blood and began to slowly drink it. "Thank you for your help."

"No problem. By the way," giving the deviant a curious stare Joel gave him another interesting piece of information to consider. "if Gavin hadn't restarted your heart when he did then you and I wouldn't be talking right now."

That little detail made Connor stop drinking his Thirium as his L.E.D. flashed from yellow to red for a beat. "...I would've suffered irreversible shutdown?"

"No. You would've suffered permanent memory corruption due to your system being overwhelmed with errors."

The revelation was as humbling as it was alarming. "...I'll be sure to thank him again."

"I know I would!"

---

With the night's reports properly filed and the shooters now in custody, both Gavin and Connor were dismissed for the rest of the night. Hank of course insisted on leaving early as well and accompanied the recovering deviant detective back home to rest properly. Despite Connor's insistence that he was perfectly fine and that the bullet hadn't caused any serious damage to his system, Hank was still being protective over the deviant he had taken in as his son. It was impossible to convince Hank otherwise since Connor did have an alarming string of serious injuries as of late, and all of said injuries had taken place in a very small window of time.

During the drive home Hank continuously looked over at Connor beside him to make sure the deviant didn't pass out or suffer from any other nasty problems due to being shot and hiding in a filthy house. Connor's prototyping made Hank especially worried for the deviant's overall health.

"You're sure that bullet didn't do anything more serious?" Hank asked as Connor walked back down the hallway from his bedroom now dressed in his clean night clothes. "You don't need to go to a facility or anything, right?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I've run a total of three self diagnostics; one since the initial shooting, a second after the unorthodox assistance I received while taking shelter at the house and the third during the drive back home from the precinct."

"I still can't believe Gavin was actually willing to do what he did and help you." The gruff senior detective replied with a completely incredulous tone as he went into the kitchen to grab some leftovers from the refrigerator. He needed a good meal before he retired to the livingroom for the night. "But I'm glad he did it."

"As am I." Connor pressed his hand over the clean black t-shirt he was now wearing over top of his repaired abdomen. Shortly after returning home his L.E.D. began cycling in a calm blue once more signifying his improved condition. "I presume all of the suspected drug dealers had been isolated and identified after Gavin and I were shot at."

"Yup. Once the shots started everyone else in the area gave away their position in one dumb way or another. We got 'em all rounded up."

"At least some good came of tonight."

"So Gavin got off without a scratch, huh?"

"Yes." Sumo had walked over to Connor and proceeded to press his chin down on the deviant's knee in search of attention. Connor of course began rubbing his ears gently in response. "Aside from suffering mildly low blood sugar Gavin was unaffected on a physical level."

"Blood sugar? Is that why I saw you pocketing some candy on you way out of the precinct?"

"Correct."

"Good thing you thought ahead. Otherwise this night could've been pretty shitty for both of you."

"I was unfortunate enough to get shot while Gavin was unharmed. However, he did lose his car and I am certain that will affect his mood in a negative way for the next three weeks or so."

"Yeah? Well cars can be replaced a Hell of a lot easier than a good detective."

"Are you referring to me or Gavin?"

"Well, you're being a smartass so I think it's safe to say you're going to be just fine."

"I will require additional Thirium, but once my self healing program initiates during my upcoming rest mode I will make a one-hundred percent recovery."

"Cool. I wish I could heal that easily."

Connor was quiet for only a moment as he pet Sumo's ears affectionately. "Do you know about Gavin's childhood?"

"Not really. Why?"

"...I suspect he had a very unfortunate and openly traumatic experience that resulted in his current disdain toward androids and authority figures."

"Did he say something to you while you were holed up in that house?"

"In a somewhat cryptic manner, yes." Giving the concept an intriguing thought Connor gave Hank the sparse details he could confirm. "He said that the decaying ruins of the house reminded him of his own childhood to some degree."

"Growing up in a shit-hole will definitely screw someone up." Hank had dealt with far too many kids who escaped abusive homes to not see how much it could effect a person's mind while growing up. "Especially if their parents weren't much better."

"That makes sense." Letting out a somewhat tired sigh Connor leaned back against the soft cushions of the couch to try to rest a little. "May I ask why we were partnered together tonight?"

"Fowler made the call, not me. I guess he thought he'd give Gavin the chance to prove he can work with androids without being a total asshole."

"That seemed like a risk, but I suppose everything turned out all right. I hope Gavin will see this as a relatively positive experience and help change his attitude toward androids for the better."

"Don't you worry about Gavin." Hank urged as he finished eating his late dinner and placed the now empty plate on the floor for Sumo to lick clean. The dog made his way over to the plate with his tail wagging slowly and inspected the offered plate. "Why don't you get some sleep and kickstart your healing program? You did good tonight, son. I'm glad you both made it out okay."

"As am I." Standing up from the couch Connor picked up the plate from the floor and ran his hand along Sumo's back. "You know that is unhealthy for Sumo's current diet."

"It's fine, kid." Shaking his head at Connor's cautious demeanor he watched as the deviant walked into the kitchen to properly clean up the dish. "Just make sure he gets in and out without any accidents."

"You should also refrain from such greasy meals." The deviant called out as he placed the plate down in the kitchen sink. "Your cholesterol-"

"Connor?"

"...Yes?"

"Stop worrying about what I'm eating." The senior detective begged in a patient tone of voice. "I already cut out the booze, so let me have grease every so often."

"Yes, of course." Backing off for the sake of peace Connor let the matter drop. "I will refrain from being so analytical about your diet in the future."

"Only when you're off the clock." Hank cautioned with a playfully scolding finger. "The precinct can't afford to have our detectives slacking off or me passed out behind my desk from eating too much 'bad food'."

"Do you require anything else tonight?" Connor asked as he finished washing off the dishes in the sink and dried off his hands. "You seem fatigued and suffering from a mild headache."

"No, I'm fine. You go get some rest and enjoy your day off tomorrow."

Returning to the livingroom Connor gave Hank a faint grin as he patted the side of his leg and called Sumo over to where he was standing. The loyal dog happily obliged with the request and put his head under Connor's hand for some attention. "Goodnight, Hank. I'll see you in the morning."

"Right, son." As Sumo slowly plodded after the deviant down the hallway Hank smirked to himself and crossed his arms over his chest as he slumped back heavily into the recliner. "I swear that damn kid is too empathetic for his own good sometimes."

---

Grumbling and swearing once as he slammed his left palm down over the blaring alarm clock beside his bed, Gavin turned off the intrusive sound and pressed his right palm to the side of his tired and oily face while letting out a deep and still very much sleepy yawn. It was four minutes past six in the morning and the Sergeant had a long eighteen hour shift ahead of himself. A shift that he was not looking forward to enduring as he had been assigned to work with Connor for the day during Tina's temporary absence all thanks to the flu. It was bad enough that his best friend was out sick, but being expected to work alongside someone he was only just getting comfortable around was a real chore.

Sitting up in his bed Gavin rubbed his hand through his messy hair and checked the stubble along his chin. He could go another day without shaving and he didn't mind looking especially rugged while on the clock.

"Fuckin' annoying alarm..."

Standing up from his bed Gavin stretched out his back and felt his fluffy Main coon cat, Lucky, rubbing around his right ankle. Reaching his right hand down he scratched her ears and greeted her in a calm voice.

"At least you can wake me up without shoutin' in my damn ear."

The cat proceeded to trot out of the bedroom through the partially opened door as she made her way to the kitchen to await her breakfast.

"Sure, whatever."

Muttering to himself as he made his way to the kitchen Gavin turned on the coffee maker and pulled the cat food out of the cupboard beside the sink. Pouring a handful of the food into Lucky's empty bowl Gavin was acknowledged with happy purring and that in turn helped soften his mood.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

Heading back down the hallway to get to the bathroom he yawned again and turned on his shower to warm it up a little and proceeded to put a washcloth under the warm tap in his sink to wash off his face. From over the sound of the dual running taps Gavin heard a strange muffled crying sound coming from the landing outside his apartment door. Lowering the warm washcloth from his face Gavin turned off the sink and made his way to his door to peer through the peephole and onto the landing.

His elderly neighbor and widow, Mrs. Janet Thorn, was standing just outside her own door with something bundled up in a white pillow case and heavy tears in her eyes. As she wept in the middle of the landing Gavin's instincts as a first responder compelled him to check on the kindly old woman next door.

Unlocking his own door Gavin stepped out onto the landing quietly and lightly put his left hand to her right shoulder without startling her. "Mrs. Thorn? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Gavin!" Crying loudly Janet held the pillow case to her chest and let her tears roll down her face and onto the white fabric. "This morning I found Patches under my bed. He... He's gone. He was so old..."

"O-Oh." Realizing that the pillow case was holding her beloved elderly cat Gavin now understand her emotional distress. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I want to give him a proper burial." She wept again as she held her deceased pet in her arms and against her heart. "But I don't know where to take him. My son said he'll be here this evening to take me out of the city." Wiping away her tears Janet told Gavin her heartbreaking story as she didn't know what else to do in that moment. "And... And I can't just leave him like this all day."

"Y-Yeah, you're right. Uh, give me a minute and I'll help you."

"You'll what?"

"I, uh, I know a nice place where you can place Patches and give him a nice send off. Just let me make a phone call and grab my car keys, all right?"

"Oh, thank you dear! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Just go get what you need for Patches and I'll make sure he gets a proper burial." Returning to his apartment Gavin walked into his bedroom, pulled his phone from the charger on the nightstand beside the offensive alarm clock and called the precinct to speak with Captain Fowler. It didn't take long for the commanding officer to recognize Gavin's name and number and respond. "Hey, Cap'."

'You better not be calling off, Reed.' Captain Fowler warned in a gruff voice. 'You have to work with Connor until Tina's back from sick leave. No exceptions.'

"Yeah, yeah... I know. Look, I'm going to clock-in a little late this morning."

'You better have a damn good reason. You're already on thin ice thanks to your loud mouth and inability to "play well with others".'

"My neighbor is having a problem. Her son won't be around until this evening, so I'm going to help her out instead."

'Is this a real neighbor or-'

"YES, she's real. Janet Thornton." Snapping a little Gavin pressed his left index finger and thumb to the bridge of his scarred nose and sighed. "She's the old lady next door who took care of me when I got food poisoning last winter."

'All right, but you have two hours MAX to help her and get to your desk. If you're late you're staying at the precinct and working three hours, no overtime pay.'

"Ah, fuck. All right, fine. I can do that."

'Good. Now let Connor know.'

"Me? Why can't you-"

'Because he's YOUR PARTNER today, so fuckin' talk to him.'

"Fine, fine... Whatever. I'll tell him."

'All right then. See you in two hours, MAX.'

"Yeah, I hear ya'..."

Obeying the order Gavin ended the call and then sent a text message to Connor with the deviant's private number telling him that he'd be late, and made sure to keep his trademark charm present in every word: 'I got shit I need to do before I clock-in. Don't bitch to Fowler about this.'

Skipping his shower for the time being Gavin changed into some casual day clothes, put on deodorant and returned to the bathroom to begrudgingly turn off the hot and inviting water as the shower would have to wait. Placing his wallet and phone into his pockets, Gavin took in a deep breath to steady himself as he looked over at Lucky, who was sitting on the couch in the small livingroom happily washing her paw and purring, after enjoying her breakfast.

"I'll be back later, Lucky."

Slipping on shoes Gavin set about his good deed and tried to keep a close eye on the time as he left.

"You better still be here when I get back."

---

Escorting Janet to hailed autonomous car parked in his currently empty assigned place outside of the apartment complex, Gavin took the pillowcase holding Patches from her arms and gently placed him down on the backseat as if he were still alive. Keeping his own emotions in check Gavin input G.P.S. coordinates to the cab and showed Janet to a relatively remote location just outside the city. Meanwhile he listened to all of the stories Janet had to tell regarding Patches and of how much she loved her furry companion for every one of the seventeen years that he had been in her life. Having anyone in your life for so long was going to be a painful loss, no matter who they were.

Hearing her speak about her pet as if he were a member of the family made Gavin think about all the pets he had lost in the past after he escaped his abusive parents and started living on his own. Every single one of the pets he had taken in over the past had been strays on the street just needing a warm home and someone to feed them. Two dogs, six cats and a handful of wounded pigeons had been his companions over the years, and he remembered every single one of them vividly.

"Patches was just tiny runt who had been abandoned by his mother." Janet stated as she used a tissue to dry her tears. "He was so small and so weak, but I couldn't just walk away. I took him in and fed him from a bottle every day for six weeks and soon enough he was just as strong as any other kitten his age."

The story was sweet and it had a way of getting through the many walls that Gavin had put up around his heart to protect himself from further emotional pain.

"He was with me after my husband passed away and made it a little easier to adjust to being alone."

"...It sounds like Patches was a real best friend."

"Oh, yes. He was always around and never skittish around strangers." Janet gushed with raw emotion. "My son and my daughter loved him, and my grandchildren adored him."

"And it sounds like Patches had a best friend in you, too."

Wrapping her left hand around Gavin's right hand Janet nodded as she continued to weep and mourn for her lost pet.

"He lived to be seventeen years old, that's impressive." Squeezing her hand in a supportive manner Gavin made sure the cab pulled off the main road onto a small dirt road that seemingly led out into the middle of nowhere. "It means you really loved him. The longest I've ever had an animal live was sixteen years, and she was a calico. Beautiful cat. I called her Duchess."

"That's a wonderful name."

"Yeah, better than 'Lucky', that's for sure."

"Why do you say that, dear?"

"Duchess a stray wandering around a jewelry shop downtown and I picked her up while on patrol. Lucky showed up outside the apartment as I was moving in, and she was such a tiny pathetic looking ball of fluff that I couldn't leave her outside even though I really didn't have the time or money to dedicate to a new kitten. So, she was lucky I took her in and didn't just drop her off at the humane society."

"I'm so glad you took her in. I know you had a hard break-up when you moved in next door."

"Yeah, but... Having that little kitten around helped make things easier. Maybe I'll even try dating again soon."

Reaching the end of the dirt trail Gavin parked the cab a few yards away from a tiny natural pond and instructed the cab to idle. Giving Janet's hand a final squeeze Gavin opened his door and popped open the trunk where he retrieved a small shovel that was kept in all public vehicles in case of snow or ice emergencies - it was next to an emergency blanket and flashlight, and proceeded to walk toward a small clearing near the pond.

"I found this place sixteen years ago. When Duchess died I knew I didn't want to just toss her away or let someone else take care of her, so I looked for a quiet place to take her." Nodding at a small patch of grass next to a dormant burning bush Gavin pointed to where Duchess was laid to rest. "I put that white stone over her grave so I know exactly where she is."

Janet carried Patches out of the backseat and stood next to Gavin as he pointed out the small marker.

"This is where I brought all of my pets after they passed away. Each one has their own unique place and a stone to make sure they're never forgotten."

"It's so beautiful." Janet wept again as she looked about the small clearing that had become the rest place for so many beloved pets. "I think Patches will like it out here."

"Yeah, and I know my guys would want to have a new friend to keep them company." Locating a opened patch of land near the other small graves Gavin dipped his shovel into the fresh earth and began to dig away into the still frozen ground to create a deep resting place for Patches. "We'll make sure Patches knows he won't be alone."

---

With barely an hour left to get to work Gavin returned to his apartment and made sure Janet would be okay by herself for a few hours until her son arrived to visit her as he had promised. Rushing into the bathroom Gavin stripped off his dirty clothes, climbed into the shower and rinsed off the sweat and dirt that clung to him from digging the grave and managed to brush his teeth before he rushed into his bedroom to put on his work clothes. Grateful that he had already decided to not shave just yet, Gavin did everything he could to get ready and get everything he needed in order to go to work without being late or getting a verbal reprimand for arriving unprepared.

Slipping his shoes back on as he rushed down the hallway Gavin pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. It'd be a close call...

"Shit!"

Swearing at his tight time frame Gavin hustled into the kitchen to grab a few cold toaster pastries to eat while on the go and gave Lucky a few scratches behind her ears.

"All right, yeah, I'll get you some extra food since I won't be back until late tonight."

Pouring more food into a larger bowl Gavin put the bowl on the floor and made sure Lucky still had water as he checked his phone again and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the display blank. There were no missed calls or unread messages.

"Good. No one's trying to fuckin' bug me..."

Putting the artificially cherry flavored pastry in his mouth Gavin opened his apartment door, locked it and rushed back down the landing to get to the parking lot to finally take his leave of the apartment and begin his shift.

The smell of fresh earth was still inside the cab thanks to his shoes and trailing dirt back inside the vehicle after he helped Janet lay Patches to rest. Rolling down the window Gavin aired out of the vehicle during the ride to the precinct, and did his best to ignore his mounting headache courtesy of him missing out on his morning coffee in order to help Janet out.

"That plastic prick better not say or do anything to piss me off today..."

Finishing off his pastry Gavin idled at a red light and did his best to wait out the turn signal without sweating about his time limit to get clocked in coming to an end.

"I'm not in the mood for another suspension."

---

With just four minutes to spare Gavin clocked-in at his desk and breathed a massive sigh of relief upon making it in without being late. Making sure Captain Fowler noticed his arrival Gavin went into the breakroom to get his coveted coffee and sip at it slowly to ebb away his headache before it got to be too much to handle. Sensing that someone was watching him he turned around with his steaming mug of coffee in his hand and was greeted by the sight of Connor and his blue tinted L.E.D. standing just inside the doorway of the breakroom. It was clear the deviant had been waiting for him to arrive so they could to set about their patrol.

The way Connor had seemingly come back from the dead after being shot was almost irritating. It was frustrating that Connor could shrug off bullet wounds while Tina needed a full week to recover from the flu.

"Good morning, Detective Reed."

"Sure. Yeah."

"Are you ready for our patrol?"

"Are you fuckin' serious? I just got here." Giving the deviant an annoyed glare Gavin took another sip of his coffee and walked past Connor, his left shoulder bashing into Connor's right shoulder as he rudely got around him, and marched toward Captain Fowler's office. Knocking on the door twice Gavin pulled the door open and walked over to his commanding officer's desk and took a deep breath to keep himself from shouting. "Cap', look I-"

Holding up a 'shushing' hand Captain Fowler stopped Gavin before he even had the chance to begin. "Save it."

"You don't even-"

"You're working with Connor. End of story."

"That freak is not just annoying, but he's a goddamn morning person! Partnering me up with him is torture!"

"Reed? Go."

"What if I stayed late and worked that unpaid overtime?"

"No. Now, go on patrol and do NOT bother me again."

"Fucking... fine!" Leaving the office in a huff Gavin noticed that Connor was still waiting for him beside the breakroom, and he could feel Hank's glare as the senior detective watched him swallow his pride and accept his current assignment. "All right, 'Tinman'. I'm driving."

Nodding once Connor followed after Gavin as the two set about their morning patrol together despite their temporary partnership being rather unorthodox and uncomfortable at times. "Of course. It's your call today."

"Yeah, whatever... It's all about me."

---

Almost like a karmic reward for Gavin's good deed earlier that morning, the beginning of the patrol went off uneventfully well up until noon when Gavin decided to take his lunchbreak. As opposed to Hank, who would stop at either the 'Chicken Feed' or any other greasy fast food stop just to get something quick and cheap to eat, Gavin located a particular diner across the street from an recently renovated automotive garage and made his way to a booth in the back of the small restaurant to enjoy his lunch in moderate peace. It was one of his favorite places in town and he liked to keep it a secret to avoid running into coworkers off the clock.

The diner was the very place that he and had gone after Lucas gave him some unexpected help when his old car broke down on him during the previous spring. The notion that one car was scrapped after Lucas helped him, and his other car was totaled after Connor saved him, was as ironic as it was frustrating.

"Don't sit there." Gavin muttered as he waited for his lunch to be prepared and brought out to him. With his back to the wall of the diner and Connor sitting across from him at the other side of the booth, Gavin glared at the deviant with great annoyance. "I don't want to look at your face while I'm tryin' to eat."

"My apologies. I'll go and wait in the car."

"What? No!" The last thing he wanted was Connor sitting alone in the squad car and noting every little flaw the vehicle would need to have cleaned or repaired. "Just scoot down that way so you're next to the window and not directly in front of me."

"Very well." Moving away as directed Connor neatly folded his hands together and rested them atop the table as he closed his eyes and decided to use the free time to run a self diagnostic and check in with Hank at the precinct. "I'll file our morning report."

Enjoying the silence Gavin pulled his own phone from his pocket and made sure Janet didn't text him or leave a voice message, and as before his phone's display screen was entirely blank. Slipping the phone back into his pocket Gavin watched as the waitress approached the booth with a tray in her hand and a smile on her face. "Hey, Robin."

"Hey, Gavin." Placing a bowl of hot tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich down on the table, Robin smiled warmly at the Sergeant and didn't seem at all put off by his usually abrasive demeanor. "Got your usual order ready just as you like."

"Thanks. Tell Gladys I appreciate her going the extra mile to make me the soup."

"I'll tell her, but don't worry about it. She loves being able to make that family recipe." Noticing Connor sitting quietly in the booth she nodded in his direction and gave Gavin an odd look. "What about him?"

"He's an android. He doesn't need soup."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll bring him a Thirium based cookie Gladys baked this morning."

"Seriously?"

"She loves to bake!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever..."

"I'll check on you two in a few minutes. Enjoy!"

Picking up the spoon beside the white bowl on the small serving tray, Gavin dipped it into the warm red broth and stirred it once as he then dipped the corner of his grilled cheese sandwich into the soup and took a bite. "You know," speaking around the food in his mouth Gavin gave Connor a somewhat curious stare where he sat. "you don't have to be silent the whole time I eat."

"I'm aware." Opening his eyes Connor looked over at Gavin and instinctively scanned over the meal and found it to be far healthier in comparison to Hank's usual meals. Chronicling the meal; calories, ingredients and overall design Connor decided he'd try to make it for Hank at a later date. "From my personal experience with Hank I'm also aware that most humans would rather just enjoy their meals and not talk."

"It's more like we don't want to talk with our mouths full of food. It's rude."

"...But you're doing that just now."

"Shut up." Stirring his soup again Gavin watched as Robin returned with what look like a chocolate chip cookie on a small white napkin and placed it down on the table beside Connor. "There, eat that and don't talk again until it's gone."

Connor looked at the cookie for a moment and then up at Robin. "Thank you, but I didn't order anything."

"I know, hon'. It's on the house."

"...'On the house'?"

Gavin scoffed a little and shook his head with irritation. "She means it's free."

"O-Oh." Now understanding what was going on Connor found his manners and addressed Robin accordingly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Robin beamed proudly at the deviant's innocent reaction. "Our chef has been experimenting with Thirium-based food for androids, so let her know if that recipe tastes okay."

"I will. Thank you again." As Robin took her leave of the booth Connor picked up the cookie and scanned it quickly. The cookie was entirely Thirium-based, yet it still had the sandy brown coloration of a standard chocolate chip cookie. The chips however were dark blue to avoid confusion and ensure androids didn't accidentally eat human food and humans didn't accidentally eat android food. "That was very generous of them."

"That's why I like coming here. The staff is nice."

Agreeing with the comment Connor took a small bite of the cookie, his blue L.E.D. cycling yellow briefly as he took in the sweet taste and allowed his processors to analyze the treat to ensure it was safe for his consumption. Not only was the cookie entirely edible but it tasted better than anything Connor had ever tasted before.

Gavin saw that Connor's eyes seemed to light up and his yellow L.E.D. was now pulsing in blue quickly. "Well?"

"...Well what?"

"Is that cookie any good?"

"Yes." Taking another bite Connor found the taste to be incredibly satisfying and much better than pure liquid Thirium alone. "This is good."

"Hey!" Pointing his spoon at Connor in an accusatory manner Gavin called the deviant out on his current behavior. "Don't talk with your mouth full!"

"...Sorry." Blushing a pale blue Connor's L.E.D. momentarily flashed to yellow before settling back on blue as he finished off his treat. "I hope I didn't offend you."

"You're so fuckin' weird."

"That's not my intention."

"It never is."

With the cookie now finished off Connor also noted the treat as something he'd like to continue to consume from time to time and decided he'd like to try other Thirium-based foods in the future. "May I ask you a question?"

"Might as well, you clearly got something on your mind anyway."

"When you texted me this morning you stated you were going to be late but did not specify why."

"...Yeeeeah?"

"And during our patrol I noted fresh dirt on your shoes-"

"Hold up." Dropping his spoon into the half empty bowl of tomato soup Gavin gave Connor a stern glare and lowered his voice. "Let me make this perfectly clear: I was only JOKING when I said I wanted to kill the bitch that is my ex-girlfriend. I didn't actually do it!"

"Yes, I'm aware."

"How's that?"

"There was no blood on your person nor did I detect any solvents that would've been used to destroy evidence on your clothing or skin."

Staring blankly at Connor for a moment Gavin tried to figure out if Connor was joking or not. "...You seriously checked for that?"

"Yes. Don't take it personally, I scan every vehicle I enter and everyone's attire."

"Sure, whatever." Muttering under his breath as he picked his spoon back up Gavin continued to glare at Connor. "...Fuckin' freak."

"My question is," continuing on with a surprising calmness in his voice Connor returned his attention to the curious reading his scanner picked up on while he was in the car with Gavin during patrol. "why did I detect the fur of a Burmese cat when I know for a fact you have a Main coon cat? Did you adopt-"

"No."

"I don't understand then."

"It's PERSONAL. Drop it."

"Oh. I'm sorry for intruding on your private matter."

"You should be."

Sensing that Gavin didn't want to discuss the subject any further and was growing tense Connor decided to resume his silence and wait for Gavin to finish his meal.

"...Don't worry about it." Looking down at the remaining crumbs of his sandwich and the small puddle of soup at the bottom of the bowl, Gavin tried to ignore the dreary memory and not think about all the pets he had lost over the years. "Just let me finish my lunch and don't bring it up again."

"Understood. I will respect your privacy."

---

The rest of the day went on relatively smoothly save for just one idiot teenager who tried to mug an old man in broad daylight and did so right in front of the patrolling police officers as they rounded the block. Quickly giving chase after the fleeing teenager Gavin found himself stumbling through an alleyway with Connor right beside him as they pursued the thief and tried to arrest him for his easily proven crime. The slick snow and icy ground was making the foot chase annoyingly difficult as the two detectives would occasionally slip and risk losing their balance as they attempted to keep up with the swift teenager trying to elude arrest.

"Stop!" Gavin shouted as he neared the teenager and made a move to grab onto his shoulder. "Detroit police!"

Just as his fingertips brushed against the teen's hoodie Gavin's right ankle gave out as he slipped on something he didn't see and lost his balance. Landing hard on his right side Gavin let out a pained 'oof' as Connor continued the chase and disappeared down the dark alleyway out of sight.

"Fuck!"

Swearing loudly Gavin pushed himself up into a sitting position and rolled up the cuff of his right pant leg to examine his wounded and traitorous ankle. He didn't hear or feel anything break, but the joint was already swelling up and bruised. Wrapping both hands around his ankle Gavin glanced about the alley and tried to find the source of his fall.

"What the fuck did I slip on? Ice or garbage?"

There was a small puddle of some pale blue liquid on the ground and it had a somewhat noxious smell. Dipping his right fingertips into the puddle Gavin smelled the liquid and recognized it pretty quickly.

"Antifreeze. What the fuck's antifreeze doing-"

A few feet from the puddle he noticed an overturned bowl that had been left out to feed a stray animal and he soon realized that someone had used the antifreeze to poison the stray animals in the alley.

"...Ah, fuck! Sadistic son of a bitch!"

Checking out the alleyway again Gavin spotted a large cardboard box next to a dumpster and stretched out his arm to lift up the flap of the box to peer inside. There was a small dog laying on its side and it was clearly dead.

"Fuck!"

On the other side of the dumpster he noted an overturned garbage can laying on its side that had a long furry tail hanging out of it and quickly felt sick.

"That's two so far..." As he slumped back against the brick wall of the alleyway behind him Gavin saw Connor returning to where he was sitting but Connor didn't have the suspect with him. "Where's the kid?"

"I subdued him two blocks from here and he was picked up by patrol."

"Oh."

"Your ankle is severely sprained." The deviant noted as he biometrically scanned over Gavin's affected leg and saw the painful inflammation to the muscles and joint with his superior android vision. "Allow me to take you to the emergency room for treatment."

"It's fine, I'll just put ice on it." Struggling to get to his feet Gavin motioned to the dog in the cardboard box beside Connor and then to the puddle of antifreeze that he had slipped in. "See if you can find some fingerprints and figure out who the sick fuck is that's poisoning animals in the neighborhood."

"...Poison?" Kneeling down Connor saw the deceased dog and his L.E.D. flashed to red. "How?"

"Antifreeze."

Connor focused on the puddle and he too pressed his fingertips into the liquid and pressed them to his tongue to confirm that the puddle was indeed antifreeze. "Who would do this?"

"Some demented asshole who-" As he regained his balance Gavin heard a subtle 'squeaking' sound and traced it to the garbage can where the second animal had been found. Awkwardly kneeling back down Gavin moved aside an old newspaper to reveal the poor second animal, a black cat, and saw that there were two tiny black and white kittens huddled in the back of the garbage car near their deceased mother's head. "Oh, no..."

Honing in on the sound Connor scanned the kittens and his red L.E.D. turned yellow. "They are approximately twenty-four days old. Too young to be without their mother."

"Yeah, well, their mother isn't going to be able to take care of them anymore. Come here little guys." Reaching into the garbage can Gavin picked up the kittens one at a time and held them in his arms against his warm chest. The tiny bundles of fluff were shivering and still squeaking for food. "...Fuck. They're hungry and trembling."

"What can we do?"

"First off..." Forcing himself to stand upright again, his weight dominantly on his left leg, Gavin motioned for Connor to follow him out of the alley and back to the car parked on the street three blocks away. "You're going to tell the precinct you're taking me to the E.R. to have my ankle tended to."

"But you didn't want-"

"AND SECOND," cutting Connor off aggressively Gavin limped down the alleyway with the two kittens being held protectively in his arms. "you're REALLY going to drive me to a pet supply store over on Eighth Street. I know where we can get these little guys some kitten formula and a couple of bottles to feed from."

"You're going to take care of them yourself?"

"Not me personally, I don't have the time permitted to take care two tiny kittens like they need." Knowing exactly what to do Gavin sounded confident despite purposely not telling Connor about his plan. "But I know someone who can..."

---

Without uttering a single complaint about his ankle and sore side Gavin held a small cardboard box in his arms and knocked on Janet's closed door. The two kittens were nestled down inside the box against the emergency blanket Gavin took from the trunk of the squad car and were napping peacefully after he and Connor offered the duo some of the formula he had purchased barely an hour before. As the door to the apartment opened Gavin straightened up his posture and steeled himself against the residual tears still glistening in Janet's eyes.

If there was anything that made Gavin feel weak it was animals in pain and little old ladies dealing with heartache. The fact that he was dealing with both at the same time left him virtually broken.

"Oh." Janet wasn't expecting to see Gavin again, but was grateful for his visit all the same. "Hello, Gavin."

"Hi, uh, I hope I'm not intruding."

"No. I'm just... Well, I was getting ready to toss Patches old toys out."

"Well, you might want to hold off on doing that."

"Why's that, dear?"

Holding out the box for Janet to peer inside of, Gavin felt himself smirk a little as Janet's sorrow melted upon seeing the twin kittens. "I found these little guys while on patrol today. They don't have a mother and well, I don't have the time to raise them properly. Since you managed to give Patches such a great long life I was hoping you'd..."

"Oh! The poor things!" Slowly reaching out to take the box from Gavin's hands Janet's pain seemed to finally lessen as a new wave of love washed over her heart. "They're so small, maybe just a little over three weeks old."

"Yeah, that's what my partner thought. We, uh," picking up a plastic shopping bag that held the recently purchased bottles and formula from the nearby landing, Gavin let Janet see the supplies he had already bought for the kittens. "we gave them some formula an hour ago and got them warmed up."

"Gavin, I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll treat them as good as you treated Patches and I think that'll cover it."

"Oh, of course. Come inside for a moment, dear." Janet stepped back into her apartment and gently placed the box down on her couch without jostling the kittens in the process. "It's so fortunate you found them."

"Yeah..." Hiding his limp to keep Janet from worrying about him Gavin placed the bag of supplies down on the nearby countertop to be used later. "Fortunate."

"These two are going to need a bath, some more formula and a warm bed to nap in." Nodding at the large fluffy pillow that had once been Patches bed Janet seemed completely renewed and ready to love another animal in need of her care. "I'll wash the pillow and get them cleaned up after their nap. I know Patches would like that two little kittens in need would be sleeping in his bed."

"Sounds good. Uh, I need to get back on patrol so if you need anything you can text me and I'll pick it up for you."

"Thank you so much. Tell your partner I said 'thank you', too."

"Yeah, I will. Take care of them, they've been through a lot."

"Do you know their genders?"

"One of each." Gavin answered as he slowly made his way back to the apartment door to take his leave. "The one with the solid white paws in a girl and the one with the white chin and belly is a boy."

"Then they need appropriate names. How about... Duke and Duchess?"

Hearing the familiar name made Gavin grin a little as realized his decision to give the kittens to Janet was the best possible option he could've made on that day. "I think that's perfect. It suits them."

---

Pressing a large ice pack around his sore and still swollen ankle as he sat in the passenger seat next to Connor while the deviant drove back to the precinct, Gavin felt an odd sense of pride as he thought about Janet taking care of the kittens after losing her own pet that very morning. It wasn't often he could cheer someone up and rescue two kittens in need of a loving home in the same day. As he leaned back in his seat Gavin adjusted his sprained and ankle and noticed from the corner of his eye that Connor was staring at him and making him feel quite awkward.

"Stop staring at me! Jeez..."

"Sorry."

"What now?"

"You're happy."

"We just saved two kittens, of course I'm happy."

"I didn't realize how much you liked animals."

"Animals aren't fucking up the planet. That's what us humans keep doing." Giving Connor a sharp glare he raised a finger and pointed it right at the deviant's face as the car pulled into the parking garage next to the precinct. "Don't read too much into that!"

"I won't."

"Good."

"...I know I said I wouldn't ask about your personal business," Connor stated as he pulled into Gavin's assigned parking place and put the vehicle into park before turning off the engine. "but it seems-"

"Look, my neighbor's cat died this morning. I helped her bury him and that's why I needed a few extra hours before my shift." Opening his door Gavin unfastened his seatbelt and stood up slowly from the car while still being mindful of his sprained ankle. "Her cat lived seventeen years and she had raised him as a runt who was abandoned by the mother."

"That's where you took the kittens." Connor accurately deduced as he joined Gavin outside the car. "To your neighbor."

"Fuckin' duh! Did you seriously think I just dropped them off at my apartment and hoped for the best?"

"No, I was unsure of what you did at all."

"Well, now you know."

"Yes, and I won't say a word."

"Good."

Following after Gavin as they made their way back to the precinct Connor refrained from helping Gavin to walk with his sprained ankle and silently scanned the injury without getting too close to Gavin's personal space.

While the deviant hadn't exactly made friends with Gavin that day Connor did find that he had a new respect for the abrasive Sergeant and realized that he was more like Hank than he realized. Two gruff detectives harboring hearts of gold and just wanting to do the right thing without someone making a big deal about the whole thing.

The humility was very befitting of Gavin's guarded personality and the fact that he was looking out for the stray animals in the city just made the prospect of handling violent cases every day a little easier to endure.

---

Exhausted and ready for bed Gavin waited for the autonomous cab to pull into his parking place at his apartment complex and limped out of the car before limping over to his apartment. Never before had he been so happy that he lived on the ground floor and had such a kind neighbor beside him. As he limped toward his door, the time nearing midnight, Gavin unlocked his door and imagined how peacefully Duke and Duchess were sleeping now that they were in a nice warm bed in a nice warm apartment, with a nice and warm hearted person taking care of them now that their mother was gone.

Opening the door quietly Gavin limped inside, closed the door behind him, locked it and didn't bother with the lights. Within second a soft, warm and purring presence was rubbing against his sore ankle and made him smile.

"Hi, Lucky."

Bending down he scooped up the cat into his arms and rubbed her ears as he limped down the hallway and into his bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of his bed he placed Lucky down beside him, carefully removed his shoes and proceeded to pull his quilt up and toward his chin. He was just too damn tired to change his clothes and he didn't want to deal with it in the dark.

"I have tomorrow off, so you won't be alone again."

As he laid back against his pillow Gavin closed his eyes and felt Lucky crawl up onto his chest to lay down and sleep for the night.

"...I wonder if you'd like a roommate to play with while I'm gone?"

Putting his right hand up on Lucky's back he pet the cuddly cat and let out a weary sigh as sleep began to quickly overtake his mind.

"It was nice to help a couple of kittens find a new home. I'm sure I could stand to help at least one more kitten some day."

Within seconds Gavin was fast asleep and Lucky was still purring as she cuddled down on Gavin's chest where she laid perched atop her master's seldom seen heart of gold.

"Good girl..."

-next chapter-