Staring at the newly purchased artificial Christmas tree with an odd sense of wonder, Connor stood idle and eyed the bare green branches with a strange need to cover them in brightly colored lights and various ornaments as if the urge was a natural part of his programming. Curiously Sumo sniffed at the new tree with a wagging tail and Connor wisely grabbed the large dog by the collar to lead him outside in the backyard for a few minutes to ensure no 'accidents' befell the poor tree. As Connor returned to the livingroom to resume his task Hank stepped out of the laundry room connected to the kitchen with a freshly washed red tinted tree-skirt in his arms.

The two detective hadn't splurged for any new decorations for the tree yet and agreed to take things slowly. It'd be best to start with the tree and making it look presentable, then if they still wanted to celebrate Christmas in a more elaborate way they'd return to the store together.

"Put this under the tree." Hank instructed as he handed the bundle of washed fabric to the deviant before he resumed his place before the tree to admire it and preconstruct how it might look once decorated. "It'll cover up the metal stand and make it look nicer."

Connor unfolded the round shaped skirt and knelt down on the floor to smooth it out evenly around the base of the tree to hide the dark green metal stand holding the tree itself upright. The age of the skirt was evident but it didn't make it any less decorative or pleasant to look at.

"This is very old." Running a scan over the material Connor discovered that the skirt was composed of pure cotton and thread that dated back to the 1960's. "A family heirloom?"

"Yeah, it belonged to my grandmother and she gave it to my mom." Hank pointed out the several names that had been embroidered with gold tinted thread that were just as old as the skirt itself and some names as young as twelve-years-old. "We were always a small family but she wanted to start a tradition where the family would add the names of every member with each passing generation. Being an only child I inherited it after my mom passed away, and then after I lost... Well, you know."

"You put it into storage for safekeeping." Standing up slowly Connor took a step back and eyed the names that had been sewn into the fabric neatly and almost perfectly by hand: Sophia and Harold - Hank's maternal grandparents, Patricia and Lucas - Hank's parents, 'Henry' - Hank's full name, Barbara and Cole - Hank's late wife and late firstborn son. "The craftsmanship in the design is exemplary. Was it taken to a professional seamstress to be embroidered?"

"No. My grandma put in the names by hand, then taught my mother how to sew. When the time came Barb managed to carry on the legacy our first Christmas together as a married couple and then did it again for Cole's first Christmas."

"The concept of family traditions is intriguing. It's as if the human mind compulsively needs to obey archaic rituals for a sense of grounding."

"Yeah, and one of the most common family traditions is the annual breaking of every damn glass ornament in the box." Motioning toward the laundry room with his thumb over his shoulder Hank let Connor know the condition of the other decorations. "Only a handful survived being in storage for so many years and I didn't keep any of the lights."

"I believe now would be the most opportune time to locate new ornaments and lights for the tree."

"How do you figure?"

"The area schools are still operational which means the parents will be in toy stores purchasing gifts for their children. Other stores will be less crowded until approximately three twenty four this afternoon."

"You're sure you want to go back out and buy more stuff?"

"Yes. I... I want to learn more about holidays and celebrations."

Hank pulled his phone out of his right jean pocket and noted the time at one seventeen in the afternoon. "All right, let's go. We need ornaments and at least three strings of lights. We'll keep Sumo outside until everything is finished just to make sure he doesn't try to 'claim' that tree as his own."

"Agreed. He was quite interested in the tree despite it being artificial."

"Okay then, we'll also pick up a new chew toy to distract him."

Tilting his head a little Connor decided Hank's suggestion was quite sound. "A wise precaution."

The two detectives managed to find a department store in downtown Detroit that was only moderately busy during the lull while school was still in session, and the duo quickly took advantage of the opportunity to shop in relative peace. While Hank made it his mission to find the new lights at the best possible deal, Connor found himself distracted by the hundreds of different ornaments of various colors, shapes, designs, styles, materials and themes that filled six entire aisles of the Christmas themed store. It was almost too much to sort through for even the most attentive deviant, let alone one who was still struggling to grasp the concept of holidays in general.

Pulling a box of six jade colored green orb shaped ornaments from the shelf, Connor eyed them with a need to purchase them, then grabbed a matching set of sapphire blue and ruby red to compliment his first choice. The idea of having more than one color yet a theme in the form of the ornaments shape felt like a controlled balancing act.

"Just three colors?" Hank asked as he joined Connor in the aisle with the three large boxes of lights already in the cart. "You need more than that."

"How many will we need to fill up the tree?"

"More than eighteen ornaments." Counting the three boxes with six ornaments quickly Hank looked back at the shelf and shrugged his shoulders. "Get the other colors, too. One of each."

"Very well." Connor managed to balance the remaining five boxes of amber orange, golden yellow, amethyst purple, shiny silver and pure ivory white ornaments in his hands as Hank motioned for the deviant to follow him back out of the aisle. "I see you found the lights, what of the star that goes on top of the tree?"

"Next aisle. Then we'll head back home before things start to get crazy."

"I imagine Sumo would like to be let back inside as well."

"Well, it's his fault for getting 'ideas' about the tree." Responding with a hint of sarcasm to his voice Hank proceeded to walk down the designated aisle to locate the final item for the tree back home. "But we'll get him that toy anyway."

Despite the afternoon out shopping for Christmas decorations being his own idea Connor still found the entire ordeal to be confusing, almost pointless. And yet there was something inside of himself telling him to finish the task for Hank's sake rather than his own.

It was as if he had been given a new mission and he was determined to accomplish that very mission.

Once back home Hank shrugged off his heavy coat on the back of the couch and made his way through the kitchen to the backdoor to let Sumo back inside the much warmer house. He promptly tossed his newly purchased toy onto the floor in the kitchen to keep the large dog distracted while he and Connor set about decorating the tree in the livingroom. With Sumo taken care of for the time being Hank returned to the livingroom and began carefully unwinding the brand new lights from their protective packaging so they could be wrapped around the tree with ease, while Connor set about putting down their shopping bags full of ornaments down on the coffee table.

"Set aside the ornaments for now." Hank instructed as he tested the three light strands one at a time to ensure they lit up properly, then unplugged them again. "We'll put those on in a minute."

"What about the star?"

"Always goes on last, son. It's tradition."

Placing the fragile glass ornaments on the couch cushion to prevent them from breaking or getting stepped on, Connor watched as Hank proceeded to wrap the lights around the tree starting from the top and slowly working his way down. The numerous colored lights weren't illuminated, but even so the added color to the green branches made the tree look more lively.

"All right," placing the final plug down on the floor just behind the tree Hank motioned to the boxes of ornaments just waiting to be opened. "now go ahead and start putting on the ornaments."

"I simply hang them on the branches by the hook?"

"Yup. It's that simple." Picking up the box of blue ornaments Hank carefully opened the top and picked up the first of the six and hung it by its hook near the top of the tree to illustrate his point. "See?"

"What if they fall?"

"Then they hit the ground. And if they break we clean up the glass."

"Do we replace it?"

"Only if you want to. Relax, kid. It's not like we signed an insurance waver or something just for buying some ornaments."

"...I just don't want to mess this up."

"There's nothing to mess up." Gently Hank placed the opened box of ornaments into the deviant's hands and motioned toward the tree. "There's no protocol in decorating a tree beyond putting the lights up first and the star on last. Go ahead, start putting on the other ornaments. Go nuts."

"Nuts?"

"Figure of speech. Just go ahead and start putting the ornaments on the tree however you want."

"Okay."

Moving slowly and carefully, as if afraid he'd shatter the ornaments or maybe even damage the tree, Connor began placing on the remaining five blue ornaments one by one on different branches; each of the six perfectly spaced out from one another. "Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, it's fine." Opening the box of purple ornaments next Hank handed it over to Connor and took away the empty box in the deviant to toss onto the couch for the time being. "Keep going. Then I'll put on the star."

"...Okay."

Peering into the kitchen Hank watched as Sumo chewed on his new blue colored tug-of-war rope over top his massive paws and laid under the kitchen table with his tail wagging happily. "Sumo's happy. You should be, too."

Connor flinched a little at the comment and didn't know how to respond. Despite his best efforts Connor couldn't seem to bring himself to feel happiness or anything beyond a silent depression that hung over his head like a dark, rainy cloud. Quietly he finished putting up the purple ornaments and then proceeded to add the red ones after that.

"It's been years since I've had a Christmas tree up during the holidays. I didn't realize how much I missed having one until recently." Hank folded his arms over his chest as he watched Connor placing each ornament perfectly on the tree in balanced spaces. "You're a natural."

"I'm just relieved I haven't broken anything."

Picking up the box of white ornaments Hank proceeded to help decorate the tree all the while he watched Connor's face for any sign of emotion beyond that of loss and longing. Once the orange, green, silver and yellow ornaments were in place Hank opened up the box containing the white tinted and gold outlined twelve pointed star and held it up to put on top of the tree, but had a quick change of mind.

"Here, son."

Connor gave Hank an odd look as the senior detective passed the star over to him.

"I don't want to pull on my back." He lied with a sly grin on his face. "You do it."

Holding the star carefully in both hands Connor reached up and placed it firmly over the very top of the tree and connected the power plug to the end of the lights that spiraled upward to that very top along the body of the tree. "...It's in place."

"Looks good." Hank commented with a slight tilt of his head. "But I think it'll look better with the lights on."

Nodding in agreement Connor knelt on the floor beside the tree and easily slipped the plug into the outlet behind it. A burst of bright multicolored light illuminated the tree and reflected off the pristine finish of the colored ornaments brilliantly. Leaning back on his knees Connor looked up at the tree then rose from the floor slowly as if the sight of the glowing tree was somehow impossible to comprehend.

"Yup." Running his left hand over his bearded chin thoughtfully Hank gave Connor an amused look. "Much better with the lights on."

"...It does look pleasing, but there is something missing."

"Ribbon and tinsel?"

"Not necessarily." Glancing down at the bottom of the tree Connor noted the massive unoccupied space underneath. "I think it needs the gift boxes to make it seem... complete."

"One step at a time, son. But do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Don't go overboard. I don't need a bunch of stuff cluttering up the house. It gets messy enough as it is with just me and Sumo; you know, since you're such a neat-freak and all."

"...I will remain on a modest budget."

"Good. Start slow and work your way up."

"Work my way up?"

"For the next Christmases that follow. We can add a few lights outside or something next year."

"I see." Connor sat down beside the emptied ornament boxes on the couch and stared at the tree with quiet contemplation that was visible on his face. "I'll consider that."

"Son, what's bothering you?"

Folding his hands together over his lap Connor looked down at his hands and let out a weary sigh. "...I do not know."

"I think I do."

Connor didn't say anything. It wasn't that he was trying to ignore Hank he was merely trying to decide whether or not he really wanted to know why his heart felt so troubled all the time.

"Connor, it's okay to be sad during the holidays."

Glancing up at Hank's face Connor's knit furrowed with confusion at the revelation almost as if it were such an easy answer that couldn't possibly be true. "It... is?"

"Yeah." Sitting down beside his son Hank tried to offer the conflicted deviant some words of wisdom. "I do all the time."

"May I ask why?"

"It's because I miss the people I've lost over the years."

"Barbara and Cole."

"Yes, always, even when it's not a holiday. But I'm talking about my parents and my grandparents." Pushing aside the empty ornament boxes Hank sat down beside Connor casually. "Like I sad before, we were a small family but always had a big Christmas. The house was full of people talking and laughing... The kitchen smelled amazing because of my mom and my grandmas cooking all day long. I spent hours playing in the snow with my dad and my granddads, building snow forts and snowmen... I had a lot of good Christmases growing up and I had some great ones with Barb and Cole, but, those memories can never live up to the expectations we present for ourselves."

"Because without the people who make you happy to join in on the celebration the celebration itself now feels somehow hollow or incomplete."

"Yeah... You got it."

"Now I understand why that man on the bridge wanted to jump off with the holidays looming so close."

"Yup. Unfortunately it happens a lot." Sighing a little to himself Hank braced for the reaction he could get for his next statement. "It's okay to miss people and be happy at the same time. It's not a crime to smile even after losing someone you're close with."

"I'm just not ready to smile."

"That's okay, too. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Clenching his hands into tight fists on his lap Connor looked to the tree one last time before giving the senior detective a saddened stare. "I'd like to be alone for a while. I... I need to think."

Patting Connor's shoulder once Hank reassured the deviant that he understood what he was going through and didn't want to see him pushing himself to something he simply was ready to do or comfortable doing. "Sure. I'll put the boxes away."

"Thank you."

Watching Connor as he stood up from the couch and slowly retreated down the hallway into the seclusion of his bedroom, Hank squared his jaw a little before picking up his phone and sending out a few texts to a select group of friends to ask for their help. Neither detective enjoyed parties or massive swarms of loud people, but the company that the two did keep were more than welcome to join them for the holiday.

"Hey, Markus."

Making contact with the deviant leader Hank lowered his voice and just watched as Sumo continued to chew on his new rope in the middle of the kitchen floor.

"I was wondering, are you were doing anything special in about two weeks?"

It was Christmas Eve and Connor wasn't feeling anymore excited or happy about the holiday as he had been all month. While Hank had become more jovial than typical thanks to his time with his therapist giving him some insight into his own emotional limitations and his lingering pain, Connor's therapy had only scratched the surface and left the deviant feeling relatively neutral; as if feeling openly good or bad was somehow a crime. The conflicting emotions in the air only seemed to amplify Connor's confusion as the holidays neared ever closer and the rest of the city seemed to be in high spirits while he remained low and lost inside his own mind.

Laying on the couch with his left arm tucked under his head Connor stared at the glowing Christmas tree while Hank proceeded to clear out the kitchen, and seemed to be preparing for something special. It didn't take the keen eyed deviant long to notice the peculiar behavior and question Hank on his task at hand.

"What're you doing in the kitchen?" Connor called out from the couch without budging from where he was laying. "I cleaned it this morning."

"Yeah, but I wanted to clear off the counters to make some more space."

"More space for what?"

The front doorbell rang and instigated a bark from Sumo who was laying on the floor beside the couch with his chew rope over his paws. Connor's brow arched in confusion as guests were rare at the house and it was too late in the evening for any mail to have been delivered. Curiously Connor climbed off the couch and approached the door with Sumo right at his side.

"I wasn't expecting anyone."

Opening the door slowly Connor was surprised to see Rose and Adam standing on the front step with smiles on their faces and small containers of prepared food in their hands.

"Rose. Adam. I didn't know you were planning on stopping by." Connor politely stepped aside and let the two welcomed humans into the house and closed the door quietly behind them. "But it's nice to see you."

"Hi, Connor." Rose wrapped one arm around him to give the deviant a warm hug, which he hesitantly accepted out his own emotional plight. "Merry Christmas."

"...Merry Christmas."

Adam extended his hand which Connor shook respectfully as Rose released him from her hug. "It's been a long time."

"It has." Connor agreed quietly as he greeted Adam with the firm handshake. "I'm please you took the time from your winter-break to visit."

From the kitchen Hank called out to the arrived guests with an uncommonly upbeat tone of voice. "Good timing, help me in the kitchen!"

Connor's brow furrowed in confusion at Hank's reaction. The senior detective had been apparently expecting their arrival but failed to say anything to Connor. Before the deviant had the chance to ask any questions the doorbell rang again and Connor quickly opened it while Rose and Adam met Hank in the kitchen as requested.

"Markus?"

"Hey, Connor." Markus stood outside the door with North at his side and Simon and Josh standing just behind them. Markus had his right hand wrapped around North's left hand, while Simon and Josh did the same with one another as the group of four friends waited for Connor's invitation. "We wanted to check in on you, it's been a while."

"Uh, y-yeah..." Just as before Connor let the group of four inside the house and each guest in turn pet Sumo's head much to the massive dog's delight. "I apologize if I seemed rude, it was just unexpected."

"Yeah, sorry. It was Hank's idea."

"Hank's idea?" Looking past the four deviants and into the kitchen Connor studied Hank's behavior as he, Rose and Adam all chatted together with the most friendly demeanor he had ever witnessed. It was very unlike Hank to invite large groups of people anywhere, let alone the house. "...Strange."

"Not really." Markus replied nonchalantly as he and the other deviants politely removed their shoes to leave beside the front door. "We were all trying to find a way to enjoy the holidays ourselves when Hank sent us a message twelve days ago. The timing was perfect."

"...You celebrate Christmas?"

"Sure. Every year when I was with Carl. That's how he managed to teach me so much about humans."

Simon laughed a little as he tagged on with Markus. "So did I. Until I decided it was time to leave that household to do things for myself."

Connor was still perplexed by the arrival of six guests seemingly out of nowhere, but he wasn't going to ask them to go anywhere. "...I see."

Hank walked out of the kitchen as the four deviants walked in. Giving Connor a somewhat smug glance he quietly addressed the deviant with an arm over the shoulder and a fatherly tone to his voice. "We both need this, kid. Trust me."

"What is it we need... exactly?"

"I've been too closed of for too long and now you're starting to do the same." With complete understanding in his words and shining in his eyes Hank did his best to help Connor feel better during his heavy depression. "I don't want you to end up a miserable depressed recluse like I was."

"...I don't want to feel the way that I do, but I cannot seem to change my mood."

"I know, son. That's why I decided to do something a little out of character for the sake of trying to make a good change."

"How so?"

"I haven't had a decent Christmas until you sort of brought it out of me last year. It's been hard without a family, but then I remembered something and everything just seemed to fall into place." Pointing with his thumb over his right shoulder to the gathered mass of guests talking and laughing in the kitchen Hank tightened his left arm around Connor's shoulders. "These are our friends; our family."

"...Family."

"It's been a shitty year for all of us for one reason or another. So this little 'get together' is for us all. That's another human tradition that you should get familiar with. Yeah, they're unusual, there's no arguing in that, but important all the same. Got it?"

"I think I understand."

"Good. Because there are three more people coming over."

"Who?"

As if waiting for their cue the doorbell rang once more and Connor promptly answered the door while Hank stood back and watched. "Abby. Gavin." The sight of the Sergeant was particularly strange to Connor as they've never been friends and were just barely on friendly terms as it is. "I assume you've accepted Hank's invitation."

"Of course." Abby grinned as she stepped into the house and kissed Connor on the right cheek as he let her pass him by. She was wearing Gavin's coat again to help conceal her pregnant belly from the cold, but otherwise seemed comfortable and relaxed despite being notably bigger than the last time Connor had seen her. "I'm always game for a little Christmas party."

Gavin cleared his throat awkwardly before stepping in after her. "...And she said I had to come. No offense, but I'm not a party-type of guy."

"Neither are we." Connor confirmed as he gave Hank a puzzled glance. "But you're welcome here all the same." Just as Connor was about to shut the door he spotted Joel coming up the steps and let the technician inside. "Hello, Joel."

"Hi, Connor." The kind and laidback technician greeted the deviant politely. "Nice to see you without it having to be a professional courtesy."

"The feeling is mutual."

Hank greeted Joel with a strong handshake and showed him to the kitchen where the other guests had already gathered. "Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it."

Closing the door slowly Connor turned to look at the kitchen now crowded with friends and family, but still somehow felt a little empty inside. Putting his left hand down on Sumo's head Connor rubbed the giant dog's ears softly and took a deep breath.

"...Human traditions are very unusual indeed."

While the humans dined and chatted happily in the warm kitchen the deviants gathered in the livingroom with Sumo, and spoke to one another without it revolving around the tower or android rights or laws. It was all just pleasant conversation overall. Connor was standing against the wall next to the Christmas tree with his hand resting atop Sumo's head while the four deviant leaders spoke openly from where they were sitting on the furniture, the sense of awkwardness was still prevalent for Connor despite being in the company of his own people. Still emotionally stunted, the young deviant was quiet and merely listened while the others spoke as if he were trying to not intrude.

Sumo let out a whimper and nosed Connor's hand which he took as a cue that he needed to be let outside. Grateful for the excuse to step outside for a moment Connor patted his leg and Sumo followed after.

"I'll be back in a minute." The somber deviant announced as he opened the front door and stepped out into the snow with Sumo running through the door to get outside as fast he could. "Sumo needs to go out."

Enjoying the quiet of the gentle snowfall around him Connor wandered from the front of the house into the side yard and eventually made his way to the back deck to get some privacy and think. Sumo ran all through the snowy yard and rolled about causing massive icy clumps of the thick snow to cling to his fur like thousands of tiny snowballs.

"Good boy, Sumo. Take your time."

Connor wrapped his arms around himself as he leaned forward against the wooden banister of the deck and sighed. Unlike a human his breath wasn't visible in the cold air, but it was present all the same. Brown irises trailed upward to the night sky where he failed to see the stars without needing his enhanced vision to pierce through the thick snow clouds. It didn't seem like it, but the stars were truly beautiful and shining brightly overhead.

"...Connor?" North approached him from the side yard and joined him on the deck. "The party is inside the house, you know that right?"

Without turning to look at North or away from the stars Connor acknowledged North's arrival. "...Yeah. I know."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'm just waiting for Sumo."

North looked out into the yard and watched as the giant dog continued to roll around until his fur was more white than brown. "I don't think that's a good idea." She smiled with amusement at the playful dog's nature. "By the time he's ready to go back inside he'll have every centimeter of snow caked into his fur."

Connor only hummed in response as he remained where he stood.

"...And you've been out here for almost twenty minutes already."

"Oh. Sorry, I must've-"

"Connor," North stood closer to Connor without getting 'too close' to the introverted and depressed deviant for the sake of his comfort. "we get it. You still need space to mourn and it's going to take a long time to get over what's happened. I miss Skye, too."

Sensing that North was trying to connect to him Connor acknowledged the comment and empathized with her in a low voice. "I miss Skye and I miss Lucas. They were my family."

"And ours, too."

"...Not in the same was as they were to me."

"How so?"

As Connor's eyes finally fell from the night sky somberly he remained quiet and just watched as Sumo rolled about like a furry fool in the snow.

"She was my best friend and gave me the courage to flee the 'Eden Club' after I..." Only Markus knew the details of North's escape and she preferred to keep it just between the two of them. "I just couldn't take it anymore. She helped me to escape and stayed behind to try to help others do the same. I told her of Jericho and she helped spread the word throughout the club."

Remaining quiet where he stood Connor just listened to North's voice speaking to him from what felt like a mile away.

"And Lucas was one of the kindest, most compassionate deviants I've ever known. He was proof that any deviant can be redeemed; especially when their only crime is existence. I was wrong about him when he was first reactivated, but now I can't imagine where New Jericho would be right now if he hadn't been there to help us."

Sighing deeply Connor kept his thoughts to himself as he peered out into the snowy backyard to watch Sumo being a lovable goof. The dog seemed to sense he was being watched and promptly laid down on his belly and wagged his tail in response to his audience.

"When I was dying..." North continued in a somewhat shaky and uncomfortable tone that immediately held Connor's attention. "When I was unconscious and barely hanging on by a thread, I was gently woken up and the first thing I saw was the fear in Markus's gorgeous eyes. Even though he was terrified, he held me in his arms and told me everything he needed to say before I... shutdown." Brushing a lock of her loose hair behind her ear North gave Connor an appreciative glance. "Markus later told me that you were the one who gave him the courage to wake me up so we could say goodbye to each other, to say everything we needed to say before it was too late. And I'm eternally grateful that you did."

"...I didn't want to see Markus living a life of regret and emotional turmoil."

"We don't want to see you living a life of misery, either. Now it's our turn to give you that courage that you gave to us."

"I don't understand."

"Skye wants you to be happy, but that doesn't mean you have to force yourself to find happiness. It'll come with time."

"...Time." Connor repeated with a frustrated growl under his breath. "I'm tired of being told to be patient or to simply wait it out."

"It doesn't mean there's a time limit or a schedule just because you need to wait. You know that."

"I'm sorry, North. It just feels like I'm somehow letting Skye down because I can't seem to move forward."

"You will move on, but only when you're ready. Don't be impatient with yourself." Lightly North put her right hand on Connor's left arm and squeezed once before she took her leave of the deck so he could be alone. "You'll find happiness again."

"...Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"Look, I know we aren't exactly friends and we're not close enough to really even say we're anything more than casual acquaintances, but I don't want to see you wallowing in sorrow for the rest of your life. NONE of us do. And, for what it's worth, you may want to tell Hank what's on your mind."

"Hank? He already knows that I'm upset."

"But you didn't tell him the real reason why, did you?"

Realizing that North knew more about his and Skye's relationship than she was letting on, Connor sighed and admitted that she was right. "...I suppose I haven't. I don't want him to be worried about me or sad during the holidays. He's survived so much tragedy and pain already; the last thing he needs is me adding to it."

"That human really does care about you." North stopped to turn around to speak to Connor as she reached the side of the yard. Snowflakes clung to her hair like glitter upon a portrait. "And he really does love you like a son. I can see that you love him like a father, so why don't you let him help you like a father would his own son?"

Unable to give Skye an answer, or arguably an excuse, Connor remained quiet. Although he nodded to acknowledge her again as he took her advice to heart while he stayed outside to think for a moment longer. Watching Sumo laying around in the snow for a few more minutes Connor took in a deep breath and then called the dog over to him.

"Come on, boy."

In an instant Sumo's ears perked up and on he was up on his paws.

"Back inside."

Rejoining the party with a brave face and a calm demeanor despite what he was feeling inside, Connor managed to reassure the gathered friends that he was doing better than he had been and that they didn't need to worry. Slowly the group dispersed, first with Abby and Gavin out of her sheer pregnancy induced exhaustion, then followed by Joel who promised to help his now fiancee with putting presents under the tree for their kids. Rose and Adam left shortly after so they could spend Christmas day together before Adam met up with his friends and girlfriend the next day, and then returned to school shortly thereafter to resume his third year of college.

Connor was helping Hank clean up the kitchen when Markus announced his and the other deviants' departure as well. He wanted to visit Carl's grave before returning to the tower, which meant a cold visit on a cold night. It was a necessary evil out of sheer love and respect for the fallen patriarch, but one Markus was more than happy to partake.

"I understand." Connor didn't mind Markus leaving for the night and offered his hand to shake. "Thank you for stopping by. It was nice to see you without it being a 'professional' courtesy."

"Yeah, and don't be a stranger at the tower, okay? Stop by every now and then."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

North gave Connor a silent and reassuring nod from the doorway as she and the other deviants took their leave for the night and allowed the two detectives to reclaim the quiet of the home for the remainder of the snowy Christmas Eve. The door shut softly as the quartet took their leave and set about the cold Christmas Eve night to enjoy the holidays in their own way.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Hank asked as he dried off his hands on a small towel in the kitchen and watched Connor through the doorway connecting the kitchen to the livingroom.

"...No. Just unexpected." Connor turned around slowly to face Hank and sat down on the couch as his emotional exhaustion wore him down. "But it was nice to see everyone."

"Well, it's almost midnight and tomorrow is Christmas morning. When I was a kid my mom would always insist that we open one present on Christmas Eve, it was a tradition she had with her parents when she was a little girl." Passing a small rectangular box about the size of a postcard wrapped up in emerald green paper with red ribbon over to Connor with a slow gesture, Hank waited for the deviant to accept the gift before saying another word. "And I thought maybe this one would do you some good. That is, if you want to open it."

Staring at the box in his hand Connor noted Hank's somewhat expectant stare and decided it'd be best to open the gift for the sake of Hank's peace of mind.

"Thank you." After accepting the gift Connor carefully peeled back the green paper and exposed the white box underneath. Lifting up the lid of the box he gently brushed aside the white tissue paper covering the object and with wrapping now aside his hand froze in place as it hovered timidly over the gift that he had been given. "...H-How did you get this?"

"I used an old contact at the newspaper and asked them to give me the original photograph. I know having my family photographs back in sight helped my mind to heal immensely. "

Connor picked up the photograph placed behind a protective frame that was a dark green in color, so dark it was almost black, and held it gingerly in both hands. It was the photograph taken of him and Skye the evening of his promotion at city hall. It was the only photo of the two that had ever been taken and now it was a real tangible object.

"...Thank you for this." Connor's traced his fingertip over the glass over Skye's smiling face causing his tears to well up all over again. This time they were tears of joy. "I mean it."

"You're welcome." Hank smiled as he saw the genuine emotional response in Connor's eyes. "By the way, Abby left this for you." Handing Connor a small vial of Thirium he joined the deviant on the couch. "She said she made it taste like a peppermint candy cane."

"That was thoughtful of her."

"Speaking of thoughts... Don't think I didn't notice you slip outside and spent half an hour on the back deck so you could think about the world again."

"It was twenty-four minutes and nineteen seconds."

"C'mon, son, don't get smart with me. Did you need to get some fresh air or something?"

"I just needed some space. There were a lot of people here and I haven't been in the best mood for the past month and a half."

"Well, next time I'll let you know when some people are coming over so you can mentally prepare yourself, okay?"

"...Ha- Dad." Correcting himself Connor gave his father a studious look. "Can I ask you how you managed to get through your first Christmas after you lost your wife?"

"Uh, with a bottle of whiskey and a toddler playing with empty boxes all over the floor. You're still really missing her, huh?"

"And Lucas. For some reason her death made me remember and relive the pain of losing Lucas. I haven't been able to talk to Lucas in my dreams as of late. It's like I'm in so much pain that he can't connect because he doesn't want to be in pain, too."

"So that's what's been bothering you. I already told you it's okay to miss loved ones during the holidays, whether it's your brother or your girlfriend."

"...Bondmate."

"Wh-What?" Hank was almost stunned by the corrected term as he questioned Connor to make sure he heard correctly. "What... did you say?"

"Skye." Connor's eyes rapidly filled with tears and his hands clenched into fists, his grip so tight he threatened to crush the glass vial of Thirium in his hand as a result. "When she was dying I asked her to bond with me. She said 'yes' and before she died we bonded to one another. She wasn't my girlfriend, she was my bondmate; my wife. And we wanted to start a family, to find a way to have our own children and raise them in a better world because we made it better."

"Connor..." Hank's right arm wrapped around Connor's shoulders and he pulled him in for a hug. Connor didn't resist the hug but he didn't readily embrace it either as he let Hank pull him close. "Why didn't you tell me all of this earlier?"

"Because of what you've been through with your own wife. I didn't want you to relive the same painful memories all over again."

"Son, don't worry about me!" Hank leaned forward and wrapped his other arm around Connor to hug him even tighter as the deviant pressed his chin against Hank's shoulder and began to silently weep. "I can take it! I've experienced enough hardship throughout my entire life that I developed a thick skin, but you're just learning what it means to feel true emotions. I can't imagine how painful it's been for you to lose her right after you two bonded. You were married and then widowed on the same day... That's torture."

"This is why I feel like I can't move forward with my life." Connor realized as he continued to let his tears fall down his face. "I promised myself to Skye. I don't want to break my promise to her, I'm afraid I'll forget about her if I move on."

"She wants you to be happy. That doesn't mean finding joy without her is breaking your promise or betraying her memory. It's okay to be happy even when the people we care about are no longer with us. I just wish I had figured that out sooner for myself..." Hank lamented in with heavy regret. "It's going to be okay, son. It's okay to be happy."

"It doesn't feel like it's going to be okay. I don't feel okay."

"You never do." The senior detective reassured as he pulled Connor a little closer until the deviant finally wrapped his arms around Hank to fully reciprocate the hug. The photo remained clutched protectively in his right hand and the vial in his left hand as he hugged Hank as tightly as he dared without hurting him. "But I promise you that it will be okay, that you'll be okay when you have enough time to let your broken heart heal."

"...I believe you."

Connor looked over at the glowing Christmas tree behind Hank and noticed that there was something different about the tree skirt draped around the tree's base. Honing in on the modest change yet important change, the deviant couldn't help but feel as though a piece of his heart was beginning to heal at long last. Next to Cole's name was his own name and Lucas's name embroidered in the same gold tinted thread just beneath it.

The two deviant brothers were undoubtedly a part of the Anderson family forever.

Patting Connor's back once Hank just held his son in the warm hug. "This is the time of year to start believing in miracles. Go ahead and believe with all your heart."

"Merry Christmas, dad."

Holding Connor in his warm embrace Hank felt his own heavy heart begin to lighten. "Merry Christmas, son."

-next chapter-