It was the middle of December and the houses that lined the streets of Detroit were illuminated in bright strands of multicolored and solid white lights that glowed warmly throughout the cold nights. As Connor drove back home with Hank in the passenger seat beside him, the two detectives having had endured their third week of going to therapy, had their sixth session under their belts. Their progress with working through their grief and anger was slow, but it was also effective as the incredibly stubborn duo were finally able to come to terms with their pain of their of their individual pasts that had made life somewhat complicated and difficult.

Neither detective had spoken of their private sessions with one another since they were only just beginning to understand what they were enduring. In time they'd address their therapy sessions so they could be understand each other, but at the moment the father and son duo were more preoccupied with surviving the winter for the third year in a row.

"Two weeks until Christmas." Hank stated casually as he glanced out the side window and noted the houses glowing brightly as they passed by. The holidays were the only highlight during the bleak and freezing weather. "What do you want to do this year?"

Connor was quiet for a few minutes as he thought about the question but no answer presented itself. "...Nothing."

"Nothing? Come on, you must want to do something this year. Last year we had kind of an early Christmas and all we did was give each other one gift. I thought for certain you'd want to try something more elaborate this year."

"I don't want to celebrate Christmas." The still depressed deviant was steadfast in his decision. "That's a human holiday that I will never fully understand."

"Okay, you don't have to if you don't want to." Trying to coax Connor into agreeing to at least a small celebration Hank pushed lightly as the car pulled into the driveway beside the house. "I kinda' figured that was one thing deviants did better than humans, but whatever."

"To what are you referring?"

"Celebrating holidays. Deviants and androids don't have a weird religion-based bias agenda. You guys just celebrate for the sake of celebrating."

"Oh..." Opening up his door Connor stepped out of the car slowly, somberly, as Hank did the same from the opposite side. "I see."

Waiting for Hank to walk around the front of the car Connor helped guide the senior detective along the still somewhat icy front walk to the front door to get inside the warm house. Sumo raced up to the two detectives and was promptly met with gentle ear rubs before being let outside through the backdoor for a few minutes. While Hank took off his coat and his shoes Connor proceeded to get the healing detective's required medication ready for his next dose.

"I'm going to take a shower." Hank announced as he left the livingroom and slowly walked down the hallway. Before Connor even had the chance to offer any assistance with getting to the shower Hank cut him off. "No, I don't need any help. I won't be long."

Without saying a word Connor finished gathering the required medication and set it out on the kitchen table for Hank to take once he finished his shower. Pulling an already prepared meal from the refrigerator Connor placed it in the oven to warm up before letting Sumo back inside the house for the rest of the chilly evening. Sumo shook off his snowy wet fur, soaking Connor's clothing in the process, then trotted back into the livingroom to lay down on his warm fluffy pillow in the corner of the room.

Unphased by the cold water now drenching his clothing Connor just sighed as finished his task in the kitchen before retreating to his bedroom to think in private. Laying down on his bed with his left arm tucked under his head Connor closed his eyes and thought about everything that he and his therapist had discussed regarding his previous experiences with his deviancy, as well as the extreme emotions he had endured, the deaths of his brother and his bondmate, how he had nearly lost Hank and of his own near death experiences.

However, his therapy sessions weren't all bleak and always reflecting his inner darkness. Connor had also reflected on the positive moments in his life too; his adoption, taking in Sumo from the shelter after the original Sumo passed away, his positive relationships with his friends and his family, his inner strength, his kindness, his compassion and his incredible grasp of empathy.

Just as Hank had told him back at the cabin, there will always be darkness and light in the world. One cannot exist without the other. And it was up to him how he chose to exist throughout his life; hiding in the darkness or embracing the light.

There was a lot going on in the deviant's mind and it seemed like he just needed help sorting it all out. And of course his plans to create Skye Tower; a shelter for those who are lost and have nowhere else to go, was now his primary focus.

Connor turned his head and opened his eyes as he heard the bathroom door open and watched Hank step outside. He still had a slight limp after enduring his major surgery go give him two new functioning kidneys, but he wasn't in as much pain as Connor had feared. Getting up from his bed Connor stepped into the hallway and watched as Hank sat down on the couch in the livingroom and pressed his one hand to his lower back lightly as he also pressed his other hand against his abdomen to keep the fresh bandages still protecting his healing incision from slipping loose.

"Do you need assistance now?" The deviant asked as he joined Hank in the livingroom and observed his every movement carefully. "You look pained."

"No, it's fine. I might need to pick up some more gauze tomorrow, but I can't be sure."

"If you like I can-" Connor stopped short and he gave the senior detective an odd look as an unexpected interruption caught his words in his throat. "...I just received an emergency text from Captain Fowler."

"What's up?"

"There is a jumper on the Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River. Captain Fowler's asking for my assistance in talking him down. I'm the only negotiator he knows who is still in the city."

"Ah, fuck..."

"I have to go."

"Be careful, kid." Hank cautioned as the deviant cybernetically hailed an autonomous taxi and then slipped on his leather jacket and shoes by the backdoor to take his leave. "Don't let the jumper do anything that'll endanger you."

"I will try to do my best. See you soon."

A news helicopter was hovering over the bridge with its spotlight shining on the person of interest as they stood on the edge of the bridge threatening to jump at any minute during that bleak evening. Arriving at the bridge in an autonomous taxi to keep additional traffic from cluttering the already stopped flow of cars on the bridge, Connor marched through the gathered crowd toward where Captain Fowler was standing with his right hand on his right hip and a radio in his left hand.

Catching sight of the deviant pushing forward Captain Fowler motioned for everyone to step aside and give Connor clearance to get to the scene of the incident as quickly as possible. The deviant's arrival was crucial for potential success.

"Thanks for coming." Captain Fowler shook Connor's hand and ducked his head down as a strong gust of cold wind howled over the bridge. The horrible winter weather was again proving to be a hindrance. "We can't get a hold of anyone else with any experience in negotiating and you're the first person I thought of."

"I understand." Connor shouted in response and looked to the person, a man, standing on the edge of the bridge ready to jump. "How long has he been on the bridge?"

"About thirty minutes. He's cold, crazy and he has a gun." Handing Connor a Kevlar vest the deviant wisely slipped off his black leather jacket for a moment to wrap the protective barrier around his chest and hid it under the jacket to keep the man from seeing Connor as a threat. "We've done what we can but with the way he's brandishing that gun he may open fire in a panic if we get too close."

"What's his name?" Connor asked as he eyed the man from the distance. "I need some information on him to successfully negotiate."

"His name is Lloyd. From what we've been able to gather his husband walked out on him last summer and the holidays just brought out the worst in his depression making him desperate."

Nodding calmly Connor proceeded to walk closer to the man who was standing precariously on the slick and high metal railing of the bridge. With the gun in his trembling right hand and his left trembling hand grabbing onto a metal support structure to the bridge, Lloyd was shouting angrily and demanding the police to back away and for everyone to leave him alone.

Pushing through his lingering fear of heights for the sake of saving a life, Connor took a deep breath and steeled himself for the inevitable negotiations that could result in a life saved or a life lost. "...Hello, Lloyd." Connor greeted in an even voice as he revealed himself amongst the crowd. "My name is Connor. I want to help you."

"Then GO AWAY!"

"I can't do that. You need help and I won't leave you alone without it."

Lloyd pointed the gun directly at Connor causing the gathered crowd to scream in fear and back away en mass. Fearless and determined, Connor lifted his hands into the air as if to surrender while also showing that he was unarmed as he took another step forward.

"I just want to talk."

"Enough talk! I spent the whole year talking but he doesn't listen!" Lloyd shouted again as Connor approached him very slowly. "Leave me alone to die! I need to jump and I'll shoot anyone who tries to stop me!"

"Lloyd, please don't do this." Nearing where the suicidal man was standing dangerously close to the edge of the bridge, Connor braced himself as another strong gust of wind howled and sent an icy chill into his body. "You don't want to die, you're just in pain. Trust me on this, I know what it's like to be standing on the edge of the abyss and having the abyss look back."

"Then you know the pain is unbearable!" Lloyd argued as the wind swept his blond hair about his face and made his bright brown eyes narrow. "I want it to stop! That's all I want..."

"Yes." Reaching out to the suicidal man empathetically and physically Connor stood right before him at arm's length, ready to make a grab in the event the man tried to jump. Ignoring the height from which he was standing over the water Connor remained focused solely on Lloyd. "It seems that way right now, but you can overcome it. There are people who can help you and I'm one of them. You won't be alone anymore."

"You'll... You'll really help me?"

"Yes. I can see that you don't really want to die and that you don't want to hurt anyone. You're in pain and you miss your husband." Connor extended his right hand and put it over the gun in Lloyd's grip to lower it down to the ground. "But this isn't the solution."

Lloyd's eyes were wide with fear, confusion and adrenaline as he realized that Connor could see right through him. "...H-Help me."

"I will." Taking a step back Connor motioned for Lloyd to climb down and follow after him. "Come with me. I'll make sure you get some help."

As Lloyd began to slowly climb down from the bridge another gust of wind roared with an impressive strength and caused him to waver on his feet as he lost his balance and threatened to fall over the edge and into the river below. Connor moved quickly and managed to grab onto Lloyd's right arm just below the wrist as the crazed man fell over the security railing toward the river below.

Despite his strength the slick surface caused Connor to slip forward as well as he tried to keep Lloyd from falling. Grabbing onto the ice cold railing with his left hand Connor held tight with his right hand and refused to let Lloyd fall into the river below. The two men were dangling above the dangerous water as Connor hung on to the bridge's railing with just one hand.

"I got you." Connor stated firmly as he shifted all of his strength into his right arm and proceeded to lift him up higher so the other officers could grab on to Lloyd's free left hand. "There are cops on the bridge coming to help us. They'll pull you back up and get you your help."

Six other officers rushed to the edge of the bridge with life lines and safety harnesses wrapped around their waists as they attempted to rescue the two people now hanging off the bridge and above the freezing, raging river. The harsh wind and icy surface made all maneuvering difficult.

Swallowing his fear Connor forced himself to open his soulful brown eyes and look down with faux confidence at Lloyd as the terrified human struggled and gasped in righteous panic. "Lloyd, I'm going to pull you upward to the bridge and the other officers will pull you up to safety."

"I'LL FALL! DON'T LET GO!"

"No. I won't let you fall." Tightening his grip and shifting his strength to prioritize hoisting Lloyd higher up, Connor managed to heft Lloyd up and into the awaiting hands of the responding officers. "You'll be safe..."

True to his word Connor managed to lift Lloyd up high enough that the other officers were able to grab onto his arm, secure a safety harness around his waist and pull him back over the bridge to safety. As the officers attempted to repeat the same process for Connor another dangerous gust of icy cold wind made Connor's left hand lose its strength and he began slipping away from the bridge despite his firm grip.

"You need to get back!" Connor cautioned as he calculated the odds of success versus failure regarding his own rescue. "You'll fall over the edge and into the river before you could pull me up."

"We're not going to leave you behind." One of the cops shouted over the wind as he and the other officers pulled Lloyd to safety. "We'll get you up in a minute."

"I'm sorry. I can't let you put yourself in harm's way."

Unwilling to let the other officers risk their lives to save his own Connor closed his eyes and forced his hand to loosen its grip and he let go.

It was like slow motion as the deviant willingly fell from the bridge and began his long plummet to the cold, raging water below. Falling through the open air without any fear or care in the world, Connor managed to send a single cybernetic message to Hank just seconds before his body slammed through the hard surface of the churning cold water.

In a matter of seconds he sank below the surface, down into the dangerously cold river water and out of sight to left at the mercy of the current.

The message was sent and Connor was lost.

'I'm okay.'

Courtesy of the news helicopters the events unfolding on the bridge spread over the city fast.

While sitting on the couch watching the news of the jumper on the bridge Hank felt his heart drop at the sight of Connor hanging off the bridge by one hand with the jumper in his other hand. But seeing Connor letting go and falling away into the murky abyss of the freezing river sent a chill of utter terror up his spine and swam over his every thought. The phone clutched tightly in Hank's hand buzzed as Connor's message made it through, but Hank couldn't bring himself to look away from the television screen to read the message until the phone itself rang.

Looking down to check on the caller I.D. Hank saw the message, read it quickly, and ran a hand down his face as he answered the call from Captain Fowler.

"Jeffrey, I saw what happened, but listen, Connor sent me a message as he fell. Keep looking and you'll find him, I know it! He'll find a way to survive..."

'Hank, with the river that damn cold-'

"I know the odds of finding a survivor in the water this time of year, but you have to try!"

Hanging up the phone Hank tossed it to the end of the couch and let out a pained sigh.

"Just make it back home and I'll call it a good Christmas. That's all I want this year."

Cold, dazed and surrounded by darkness, Connor fought against the strong river current as best as he could as his system sent dozens of warning messages into his visual processors. Dismissing them all he held his breath and refused to let any of the freezing water enter his artificial lungs. Connor continued to move about wildly to prevent his Thirium lines from freezing up his joints or biocomponents, and causing him to sink to the bottom of the river. Thinking quickly Connor changed his tactic and rather than try to fight against the current he let it guide him through the river as he kicked as hard as he could to swim to the surface and to the shoreline instead.

As his hand broke through the surface of the water he reached out and found the frozen, sandy shore that lined the river and grabbed on tight to the motionless ground. Pulling himself out of the water and onto the bank Connor pushed himself up until he was kneeling on the shore with his arms wrapped protectively around his chest and abdomen to try to keep what little heat his body he had retained from leaving his chilled form.

A sharp pain in his right side made Connor wince as a small alert indicating his lowered Thirium volume and core temperature appeared in his visual processors. The discomfort paled in comparison to his immediate worries regarding hypothermia.

It was dark and Connor fought to cybernetically enable his G.P.S., but his intracranial processor was too cold to respond properly and was met with another error message. Looking about quickly he took in his surroundings, finding trees and a dense snowy forest all around him. Turning his head back toward the river from whence he was carried the deviant's advanced vision detected the Ambassador Bridge almost eight miles away from his current location, which meant he was now on the shores of Canada.

"H-Hank..."

Connor closed his eyes and tried to send another message cybernetically but again his processors were too cold to comply.

"...C-Cold."

Headlights shone over him as a pick-up truck pulled along the trees and came to a stop just a few yards away from where he was kneeling.

Unable to retain consciousness Connor fell forward and onto his sore right side as he shivered violently. The sound of rushing footsteps approached him from the truck but Connor didn't have the strength to turn his head to look up at the person who approached him or to speak up.

A lone figure knelt down beside the downed deviant and a large strong hand rested on his arm. "Don't worry, friend. I have you."

The voice was vaguely familiar, but in his moment of waning lucidity Connor couldn't place it. All he knew was the voice was male and belonged to an ally.

Strong arms managed to heft him up from the cold shore with surprising ease and carry him from the river and over to the truck. The last thing Connor was consciously aware of was the strong arms placing him down in the warm cab of the truck in the passenger seat and the door closing after he was carried to safety.

Everything else went dark and silent.

Pacing about the livingroom anxiously, left hand to his sore back and the right hand running along the back of the couch to help him remain balanced, Hank stared at his phone resting untouched on the couch cushion waiting for any response from either Connor or Captain Fowler. Sumo was sitting in the middle of the livingroom watching Hank nervously as the senior detective restlessly strolled back and forth through the room with mounting impatience as he could only wait for an update from the outside world.

"C'mon, Jeffrey. Talk to me!"

Unable to stand the burning pain in his back any longer Hank sat down slowly on the couch and picked up his phone to hold onto it as tightly as possible.

"Or better yet, Connor. You said you're okay and I believe you, but I still need a little more than that to work on."

A text message appeared on his screen but it wasn't from Connor or Captain Fowler, it was from Markus: 'Please call me'.

"Fuck..." Scrolling through his contacts Hank located Markus's name and pressed 'dial'. The line was answered quickly much to Hank's relief, though he had no idea why Markus wanted to speak with him. "Markus, what's going on?"

'Hank, I have news about Connor. One of our allies in Canada-'

"Canada!?"

'...Connor was found and he's safe.' Markus continued on after the unexpected outburst. 'He's still unconscious but he's with friends.'

"You're sure?!" It almost seemed to good to be true to know that Connor was okay and with trusted allies. "How do you know?!"

'Because our ally in Canada contacted me to let me know.'

"Connor is IN Canada right now?"

'Yeah. But we'll get him back-'

"Markus, the damn bridges are all closed off right now because of that idiot's stunt. You can't get him back right now."

'Then we'll wait until morning. Don't worry, he's going to be okay.'

"Yeah, no offense, but I'll believe you when I actually see him."

'No offense taken. I'll inform you on his condition throughout the night until he's back home.'

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

'Do you need anything right now?'

"Just a damn miracle..."

Ending the call with a heavy heart Hank patted the side his right leg and called Sumo over to him where he was sitting on the couch. As the massive dog jumped up onto the couch to lay over Hank's legs the senior detective ran his hand along Sumo's back and let out a sigh.

"This has been one shitty year. The end can't come soon enough, huh boy?"

Sumo snuggled down and offered Hank a single 'boof' to acknowledge the statement.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

A trio of voices, all familiar for one reason or another to the deviant detective, surrounded Connor and spoke softly as a warm compress was draped over his forehead with a gentle pressure. His river drenched leather jacket had been stripped away as were his water logged shoes and jeans. The deviant's t-shirt had been lifted up and slipped over his head to expose his chest and his abdomen as the bleeding injury to his right side was tended to and bandaged by a gentle pair of hands.

Aware of a warm, soft pressure under his back and an even warmer sensation over his abdomen, Connor opened his tired eyes slowly to look at his new environment. A blurry face came into focus as they leaned down over Connor as the figure gingerly pressed a warm towel to the side of his face.

"...K-Kara?"

"Shh... You're okay, Connor." Kara whispered as she finished applying the last stitch to the massive cut stretching down from his right chest at an angle down to his right hip. "You didn't damage any of your biocomponents in the fall." She soothed kindly as the deviant regained consciousness, and she then dabbed the fresh stitches with orange incrassation compound. "You've been asleep for almost four hours. It took almost as long for you to warm up."

"H-How did..." Connor's memory was a blank after pulling himself out of the river and onto the riverbank. "I d-don't understand. How d-did I get here?" Glancing about Connor saw that he was in a warm livingroom that was full of lights and decorations and his legs were buried under three thick blankets. "Where am I?"

"Luther found you on the bank of the river and brought you back to our apartment to heal."

"...Apartment?"

Lifting his head slightly Connor glanced about the somewhat the modest apartment for a second time. He was laying over a pure white sofa in a room that was a calm pale blue on the walls. There was a white chair in the corner with a coffee table and a lamp. A television was mounted on the far wall next to two bookshelves crammed full of human literature. The room was also decorated with a massive amount of shiny Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa decorations that gave the apartment a welcoming energy.

"Why am I here?"

Luther replied in a cool voice from where he stood in at the end of the hallway, watching as Connor regained consciousness. "You kept muttering something about not going to facilities while you were drifting in and out of consciousness. Besides, the apartment is almost fifteen minutes closer to the river than any small facility in the neighborhood. This was the safer alternative."

Connor's vision cleared and he then saw Luther standing just behind Kara with a kind smile on his face as they stood together. Alice was sitting in front a massive glowing green Christmas tree with some type of stuffed animal toy in her hands as she played with a tiny kitten around a collection of wrapped gifts.

The little girl wasn't as little anymore. The nine-year-old girl was now twelve in age and very happy. Her escape from her abusive father and adoption by Kara and Luther had done wonders for her self esteem, mental health and overall well being.

"...Th-Thank you, Luther." Connor managed to croak out as he tried to sit upright on the couch. "I... I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, my friend."

"We saw the news report." Kara stated calmly as she lightly pushed Connor back by his shoulder so he was laying flat against the couch again. "And when we saw you fall into the river after saving that man, Luther decided to check along the riverbank in case he caught sight of you. That current is horrible."

"Yes. S-So I've experienced." Running a self diagnostic Connor was greeted with numerous error messages regarding his core temperature and of the partially frozen Thirium thawing in his lines throughout his joints and biocomponents. "Th-Thank you for helping me."

"Of course. Once the bridges open back up we'll get you back home."

"...Hank." Connor suddenly seemed to remember the senior detective and his heart raced with worry. Closing his eyes Connor sent his father another text, quickly followed by a whole string of texts letting him know that he was okay and would return to the city as soon as he could. "...I hope he'll be all r-right by himself for the night."

"I'm sure he will." Kara stated kindly as she stopped fussing with the warm towel over Connor's face. "Why wouldn't he?"

"He's been ill. I d-don't want him to be alone for t-too long."

"Can anyone else take care of him?"

"I'm certain a fr-friend has already checked in on him, b-but, I still don't like it." Sitting up slowly on the couch Kara tried again to make him lay back down to prevent Connor from aggravating his injury, but Connor refused to relent and swung his cold legs over the edge of the couch. "...D-Do you know if the man I h-helped on the bridge is all right?"

"According to the news he's fine, it's you everyone's worried about right now." Gently Kara put her hands on Connor's right side over the bandages before handing him his t-shirt and jeans. The clothing had dried thanks to towels and space heaters, which meant Connor didn't have to suffer the indignity of being stripped down for too long. "You struck something when the current was dragging you around, probably a sharp rock. If you move too much you might start to bleed again."

"...I'll be okay." Pressing his right hand down over his bandaged side Connor gauged his pain threshold and hissed through his teeth as the pressure caused a sharp ache to burn in his side. "I won't move about."

Luther walked up behind Kara and put his strong hand on her shoulder kindly. "I'll inform the authorities that he's been found so they can call off the search and get him back home."

"Good idea." Sitting down beside Connor on the couch Kara took the blanket that had draped over him and wrapped it around his slightly shivering shoulders to try to keep Connor comfortable as he slowly warmed back up. "I'm glad you're okay. And, I'm also sorry about what happened a while back."

"You're referring to the r-riot and of... what happened to-"

"Yeah." Kara replied quickly as she knew the bleak subject was still a sensitive matter. "It's awful. How're you doing?"

"I'm... I'm taking it one day at a time." Wanting to change the subject away from something so dreary Connor nodded to Alice who was smiling and playing with her kitten happily. As his vision cleared he could see that the kitten was enamored with the shiny Christmas ornaments hanging all over the tree. "It seems you've managed to achieve a c-comfortable life outside of the city. I'm glad."

"Yes." Kara smiled as she turned her head to look at Alice with a motherly pride in her eyes. "Alice has adjusted well and is attending private school and she's happy. For the first time since that awful night that I had to become a deviant to save her, she's truly happy."

The bright colorful glow of the tall, thick green artificial tree gave the entire room a calming aura of love. Dozens of different colored and designed ornaments hung all over the branches, along with red ribbon and silver tinsel. A bright golden star topped off the tree and produced an even brighter warm light above.

He wasn't sure why but Connor really liked the sight of the glowing tree adorned with color and art.

Taking in the abundance of decorations from three unique holidays that were spread equally throughout apartment Connor's brow arched a little. "May I ask why you're celebrating three distinct holidays as opposed to selecting just one?"

"Because we love having a reason to celebrate. Once New Year's comes around we'll celebrate that, too. Don't you celebrate the holidays?"

"...Not really. No."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"You didn't. It's just that earlier H-Hank had asked me what I wanted to do for Christmas this y-year and I told him nothing. And I think I inadvertently disappointed him w-with my answer."

"Why's that?"

"He hadn't celebrated Christmas since-" Stopping short to try to preserve the private man's pain regarding Cole's death Connor quickly found a more appropriate answer to give as he steadily warmed up. "It's just been a long time for him because of his w-work. We had a small Christmas last year and I think he w-wanted to have a slightly bigger one this year. But I... I just don't feel like celebrating."

"No one can blame you. Not after what you just went through."

"But it isn't fair to Hank." Connor tightened the blanket around himself sadly as he realized that his decision had also affected Hank. "He's been a great father to me and exceptionally patient w-with my deviancy. Hell, he's had health problems all year and never once complained about it because he knew it'd make me w-worry. I feel like I owe him this, but I also know he'd never say as much."

"It's not too late. I mean, you could still have a Christmas celebration if you wanted to."

"I believe that's wh-what I'll do." Craning his neck a little as Luther returned to the livingroom Connor made his next decision and used the cover of the blanket to slip back on his t-shirt, carefully, and then his jeans. "I'll be sure to let Hank know how m-much I appreciate him and find the energy to celebrate with him."

"Connor, the authorities are waiting for you outside." Luther looked relieved to see the deviant conscious and fully alert. The fact that Connor was stable, talking and sitting up on his own were all good signs as well. "They'll take you over the bridge and back to the city."

"Thank you." Standing up on trembling legs Connor was then presented with his now dry leather jacket by Alice who smiled at him warmly. Taking the jacket and readily slipping it over his arms and zipping it up, he gave the young girl an appreciative nod. "And thank you."

"You're welcome." Alice beamed before she raced back to the tree to gently pick up the kitten and cuddle it in her arms. "I'm going to my room with Ginger to read now, mom."

Connor tilted his head a little after hearing Alice use the term 'mom' and then felt a sense of warmth spread in his chest. "Alice is a wonderful little girl. Be proud of her."

"We are." Kara confirmed as Luther wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her back into a hug. "And we'll always be here for her."

"...Just as Hank and I will always be there for each other, as father and son."

Two officers appeared at the apartment door, one from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other was a familiar face; Officer Chris Miller.

"Hey, Connor. Man, that was one hell of save you pulled off tonight!" Chris complimented as he showed Connor to the door and eyed him warily for any sign of injury. It took Connor a moment to get his shoes back on but he managed just fine on his own. "Glad to see you're still in one piece."

"Yes, I'm okay." Stopping just outside the apartment door Connor looked back at his friends and gave them his appreciation before leaving. "Kara, Luther, thank you for your help. You were there when I needed help the most and I'll never forget it."

"You're welcome." Kara smiled warmly as she and Luther stood in the door to see their friend off. "Have a Merry Christmas."

"Yes, I believe I will."

Closing his eyes Connor sent another cybernetic message to Hank and followed the two officers to the shared squad car parked outside the apartment complex. He was finally on his way back to the house where he belong.

'I'm coming home, dad.'

Dried off and slightly warmer than he had been, Connor arrived home via autonomous taxi after Chris escorted him back over the border and to the precinct to write a report and give a statement on the events that had transpired. Relieved to be home where it was safe and warm, Connor proceeded to jog up the front walk to the front door to reunite with his father. As he pushed the front door open he was greeted first by Sumo, who jumped up and put his paws against Connor's shoulders as he licked the side of his face, and then by Hank who pulled him inside the house with a strong right hand to the shoulder and locked the front door behind him.

"Man, you really know how to scare the shit out of me!" Hank nearly shouted at the returned deviant. "You know that?"

"It wasn't my intention."

"I know, I saw. You saved that guy's life, by the way."

"That's good to know." Connor pushed Sumo down to the floor and eyed Hank's stilted movements warily. "...Are you all right?"

"I'm just sore and scared shitless. So, normal." Hank sarcastically smiled as he sat back down on the couch and let out a deep sigh of relief upon seeing his son return home, safe and unharmed. "How about you?"

"I'm cold and tired."

"Did you break anything when you fell?"

"No- Well, not entirely." Unzipping his jacket Connor lifted up his shirt to revealed the stitched up wound in his right side and pulled down the bandages slightly to show Hank the injury. "I was able to withstand the harsh impact of the water with only this single wound, as well as secondary mild artificial subcutaneous hemorrhages."

"What?"

"...Bruises."

"Oh. Just say that night time, okay?"

"I will."

"Fowler is hailing you as a hero and the city is cheering because you talked down a jumper just in time for the holidays. You did real good tonight, son."

"It was fortunate that something good came of tonight." Joining Hank on the couch Connor pulled back down his shirt and shivered slightly. With a pat of his hands he called Sumo over to cuddle against his legs in an effort to get warmer. "Hank, er, dad..." Connor tried to get used to calling him 'dad' now that they were no longer partners at the precinct and he no longer had to be so selective with his chosen terms. "I was wondering if it was too late to change my mind."

"About what?"

"Christmas."

"Oh." Hank's eyes lit up a little as he spoke. "You want to do something now?"

"Yes. I can honestly say that I do want to celebrate Christmas this year."

"What changed your mind?"

"I was rescued by Luther at the river and he took me to the apartment that he and Kara live in with Alice as their daughter. They were very kind."

"So those are the allies Markus told me about." Hank smiled with utter relief resonating in his voice at the safe return of his son. "I'm glad they saved you."

"I am, too."

"What was it about them that changed your mind, son?"

"They are celebrating all of the holidays simply because they enjoy celebrations." Petting Sumo's back Connor contemplated how the brightness and warmth of Kara's livingroom gave everything a cheeriness that he hadn't experienced before. "It seems to make them... happy."

"Oh, now I get it. You want to find what makes you happy." The senior detective clapped Connor's shoulder in understanding and gave the timid deviant an approving smirk before pulling the blue blanket from the back of the couch down to drape around Connor's shoulders. "All right, we'll celebrate Christmas together as a family this year. How do you want to do this thing?"

Looking at the relatively empty and dark corner of the livingroom Connor gave the opened space a subtle nod of his head. "...Can we get a tree?"

"Sure." With a flash of a smile Hank turned to look at the dull corner of the livingroom where the old Christmas tree used to sit all those years ago back when he still had his late wife and late firstborn son to decorate with him. It needed to be lit up and decorated again. "We can go look for a new tree tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

"Yes." Agreeing wholeheartedly Connor slumped down a little and sighed as he relaxed and felt at ease for the first time in weeks. "I think that'd be a good time to start trying to enjoy the holidays..."

-next chapter-