Quietly sitting in the dark livingroom Connor kept his eyes closed as he cybernetically sent the numerous updates, required signatures and final details to the construction crew who were already tearing down the disgusting building that once housed the 'Eden Club'. The crew was now clearing off the plot to begin building the foundation for the new project known as 'Skye Tower'. The project was time consuming, delicate and would require Connor dealing with miles of 'red tape' in order to get the sanctuary built, but he was determined to succeed to honor Skye's memory and everything she fought for, and to protect the innocent runaways of the city.

The amount of work was time consuming and had begun late the previous evening. In order to make sure everything happen on schedule and was authorized by the city Connor focused solely on his task and wasn't going to do anything else until he was finished.

"Connor?" Hank gently put his right hand on the deviant's right shoulder and shook him lightly under a firm grip as he stood behind the couch. "Connor, it's morning."

The brown irises of the kindhearted deviant returned slowly as he opened his eyes and finished his cybernetic meeting. "...Morning?"

"It's almost ten. Have you been here all night?'

Connor nodded slowly in response to confirm the question. "Yes. It was necessary."

"Sorry. Did I interrupt something important?"

"No. I was merely watching the construction through the visual processors of the deviant foreman working alongside the human foreman of the crew working on the property."

"Oh. You can do that?"

"Only when granted permission from another deviant, yes."

"Fuck, if I could just tap into someone else's head that'd make interrogations so much damn easier." Turning away from Connor and looking into the kitchen Hank saw Sumo was sitting patiently next to his empty bowls waiting for his breakfast. "You keep doing what you need to do, I'll feed Sumo before he starts trying to eat the furniture or something."

"I doubt even Sumo would be able to accomplish such a feat." Connor replied as Hank walked into the kitchen to tend to the massive dog. "And I have finished my task. I'll take care of him."

"Nah, I got this." Hank was already filling up the bowl with kibble as Connor stood up from the couch, only to stumble a little on his feet and put his hand on the back of the couch to stabilize himself before he fell entirely. "Connor?" From the kitchen Hank had seen Connor's unusual graceless behavior and knew something was wrong. Dropping the bag of food down on the floor Hank gave his full attention to the suddenly dizzy deviant in the livingroom. "Are you okay?"

"I am... weak."

"Weak? Are ya' sick?" Stepping around Sumo as the massive dog began to greedily eat his offered food Hank returned to the livingroom to check on the suddenly ailing deviant and put his right hand to Connor's shoulder in a stabilizing manner. "Talk to me kid. What's going on?"

"My... Thirium volume is low. I failed to replenish my necessary..." Putting his right hand to the side of his head Connor trailed off and leaned heavily against the couch as even Hank's strong grip couldn't hold him upright. "I need Thirium. I believe this would be the equivalent to human's experiencing anemia or perhaps even low blood sugar."

"Lay down before you fall down." Hank urged as he put both of his hands to the deviant's shoulders and gently guided Connor back to the couch cushions so he could in fact lay back down over the soft expanse of the furniture. "I'll get you some Thirium." Running his right hand through his gray locks of hair Hank stepped around Sumo once more as he made his way to the cabinet above the kitchen sink to get Connor the necessary elixir. "How much?"

Connor replied honestly as he laid down to rest. "...Three pints."

"Whoa, whoa... What? That's a lot!"

"I was foolish and was not taking care of myself." The deviant then confessed as he laid flat on his back and refrained from moving. Keeping his eyes open Connor tucked his left arm under his head to prop himself up just enough to watch Hank in the kitchen. "I had been distracted with other responsibilities and failed to take notice of my rapidly declining Thirium volume for the past three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Returning to the livingroom with the three bottles of Thirium in his hands Hank opened one of the bottles and offered it to Connor to drink as soon as he had the strength to reach up and take the offered Thirium for himself. "Fuck, kid. This is the second time you've done this."

"I am... aware." Accepting the much needed Thirium in a shaking right hand Connor sat upright slowly and carefully drank the Thirium to replace what he lost due to his internal filters reducing the volume through constant cycling and sterilization. "And I am also aware that I must break this terrible habit."

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No." Connor admitted as he finished the first bottle of Thirium and placed the now empty container down on the coffee table beside him. "I was too preoccupied with finalizing the blueprints of 'Skye Tower' to properly rest."

"Well, finish off that Thirium then get some sleep. I'll take Sumo for a walk so he doesn't climb all over you while you're laying on the couch."

"I'll just return to my bedroom." Opening the second bottle of Thirium Connor drank down the next pint and with it his strength was beginning to return noticeably. "You don't need to leave the house."

"I want you to stay out here so I can keep an eye on you for a while, kid."

The tone of Hank's voice was all Connor needed to hear to know that the senior detective was feeling particularly protective that day. "...Very well." Opening the third and final bottle of Thirium to replenish his volume Connor agreed to stay in the livingroom. "But you still do not need to take Sumo for a walk. I will do that later."

"Sorry, son. I don't trust him to not jump on you while you're asleep." Grabbing his coat from the hook by the front door Hank slipped on his shoes and grabbed Sumo's leash hanging on the second hook under the first. "Come on, Sumo. Let's go for a walk!"

The massive dog's ears perked up excitedly and he trotted over to Hank in the livingroom, completely forgetting about his food for the moment. Hank clipped the leash to Sumo's collar and opened the front door allowing a cool breeze to flow through the house as the winter air outside greeted him with its relentless presence.

"Try to get some sleep." Hank urged as he stepped through the opened door with Sumo at his side. "I won't be long."

Setting aside the third and final empty bottle of Thirium on the coffee table Connor laid back and closed his eyes to enter rest mode as the front door softly clicked shut after Hank and Sumo. Tucking his left arm beneath his head once more and draping his right arm over his abdomen, Connor let out a deep sigh and relaxed as the much needed rest mode initiated within a matter of blissful seconds.

For the first time in months Connor found himself in the depths of the Zen Garden of his mind as he began to dream. The bright yellow roses that snaked up the trestle in the center of the pond confirmed that it was his garden and not the one that CyberLife had used to control him through Amanda. Walking toward the roses with his head held high Connor saw Lucas kneeling on the bank of the pond with a complacent smile on his face as the late deviant watched the multicolored koi fish swimming about gracefully through the crystal clear water.

"Hello, brother." Lucas greeted warmly as Connor approached him. "It's been some time since we last spoke."

"I'm glad you're here." Connor's voice carried genuine enthusiasm as he spoke. "I had been attempting to make contact with you, but so much has happened..."

"Yes, I know." Standing up slowly Lucas looked his older brother in the eyes and then wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. "I am sorry for everything you've gone through and everything you've been feeling."

Connor readily reciprocated the hug and held tightly onto his little brother for support. "Why couldn't I speak to you for so long?"

"Because you didn't need me."

"What?" Letting go of the hug slowly Connor gave Lucas a confused stare as his brow furrowed. "Of course I needed you."

"No. You're much stronger than you can ever know, and in that time you didn't need to retreat into your mind to fall back on me for guidance. You found your own way out of the darkness and back into the light."

"I didn't do it alone, I had Ha-" Connor stopped himself and quickly corrected himself with the correct term of endearment. "Dad. Dad helped me."

"He was with you but you found your own way. I'm proud of you."

"I have to know. Do you think I'm doing the right thing with the tower and leaving the precinct?"

"Creating the tower, absolutely. But Connor," Lucas gave his older brother a stern but understandable glance. "your role at the precinct is more than just being the first android police officer. You're a great detective and you've helped so many deviants in need. You can't leave. Not yet."

"But I do not want to resume my previous routine as if what happened to Skye never happened. I was on patrol the night of the riot and I still wasn't able to save her." Connor's brown irises were shining with lingering sorrow and his voice carried utter guilt as he spoke. "I couldn't protect the one I loved when she needed me the most, how can I resume my normal routine without thinking of her every second I'm on the clock?"

"How did Hank... dad, do the same?" Correcting himself in the same manner as Connor had done Lucas continued with his question. "How did dad do it after Barbara died?"

"He had Cole to motivate him to continue to work and to protect the city on his behalf."

"Who do you have to protect?"

"You know as well as I that I want to keep dad safe, as well the other deviants at the tower. Not to mention Abby is pregnant with her first child and if Gavin, the baby's father, becomes injured..." Trailing off Connor began to rethink his initial decision to resign from the precinct. "Someone should be watching Gavin's back now that he is going to be a father."

"Oh? Doesn't Gavin have friends at the precinct?"

"He has Tina as his partner and I know Chris would never allow anything bad to befall him, but... He's been such an abrasive person throughout his entire career that I doubt anyone would be willing to work extra shifts with him or really lookout for him in the field."

"See? You already know that your time isn't done at the precinct. You're just afraid to go back. You don't have to go if you don't want to and you know this, but you also know that your friends will always come first even if it doesn't seem like they need you to protect them."

"...Perhaps." Connor gave Lucas a skeptical glance before looking down at his and Lucas's reflection in the crystal clear surface of the pond water at his side. A red koi fish and a blue koi fish began circling each other in perfect rhythm just beneath the still surface of the water like the two spirals of the yin and yang symbol for balance. "I can't protect them from everything, I've come to accept this as fact whether I like it or not. And yet I have the urge to change that reality."

"You can still protect them when they need you. Nothing could've been done to save Skye or myself, but that doesn't mean everyone you care about is doomed."

"...I'll think about returning to the precinct, Lucas. I promise."

"I know you will. And I know you're hesitant to resume your work as a detective without Hank as your partner, but you can overcome the change and learn to adapt. After all, that's what you were programmed to do."

"You're right. Thank you for helping me to remember who I am."

"You're welcome, brother." Smiling proudly at Connor's reaction Lucas seemed to find a sense of peace within his own heart. "There is something I want to show you before you wake up. Come with me."

Lucas put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and guided him to a small clearing next to the pond across the bridge. In the middle of the clearing was an alabaster white pedestal with Skye's name engraved with gold letters over top of a silver plaque. The plaque held her full name, 'Skye Anderson' and had been created to honor her memory on Lucas's behalf.

"It isn't much but I thought this would be a nice way to ensure that you'll never have to worry about forgetting her as you live your life."

"...Skye is here." Connor placed his right hand down over the name and held it there for a moment as tears of gratitude formed in his eyes. Dark red and bright pink roses were growing all around the pedestal gloriously as a means of showing how much of Connor's love had blossomed the moment the two deviants bonded together. "This is wonderful."

"And your memory of her is now a part of my memory. I'll look after her while you're away."

Looking up from the plaque Connor stared at his brother with unspoken appreciation glistening in his soulful brown eyes. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, you need to wake up. You know what you need to do, but only do it when you're ready to do it."

"Yes." Connor gave his brother a nod of respect as he allowed his rest mode to end. "You're right. Thank you for everything, brother. I'll talk to you again soon."

As his rest mode came to an end Connor's soulful brown eyes opened slowly while emotional tears began to roll down his cheek. Sitting up on the couch he used the back of his right arm to wipe away his tears and realized that Hank had long since returned home with Sumo. The senior detective had been quietly reading in the recliner next to the couch but quickly noticed when the deviant had woken up and was now quietly crying. Sumo had also noticed and began to lick at Connor's left arm as he became more and more awake.

"Are you okay?"

"...Y-Yeah. I'm fine." Taking a slow breath he swung his legs over the edge of the couch and pressed the heels of his palms over both of his eyes. Sumo wagged his tail and pressed his chin down over Connor's knee affectionately as he sensed Connor was in a better mood. "I was dreaming. I spoke to Lucas."

"It's about damn time you two managed to reconnect." Closing his book Hank rose from the recliner and joined Connor on the couch. "Is that why you're crying?"

Looking down at the tears on his palms Connor nodded slowly. "I suppose it is."

"How do you feel? You were out for almost nine hours."

"...Nine hours?" Connor noted the time as just after seven in the evening and confirmed the time frame. "I must've been much more tired than I had realized."

"Well, staying up all night and being anemic will do that to ya'." Hank could see that the deviant was deeply contemplating something very important and that he needed to talk about it. "All right, so what're you thinking about now?"

"Huh?"

"Don't deny it, son. I can see the wheels turning in your mind. Talk to me."

Nodding a little Connor agreed to speak about what he was considering with his most trusted confidant and stop holding everything inside. "...Once the tower has been finished I think I will speak to Captain Fowler about returning to the precinct."

"What?" The revelation made Hank's blue eyes light up with renewed hope. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. It will undoubtedly be a tense and awkward adjustment period after Skye's death, but I also know I still have work that needs to be finished before I focus entirely on the tower. I can't explain it, but something inside of me is telling me that I need to go back. It's like there's something on the horizon that only I can take care of, maybe even someone special who needs my help."

"Okay. If that's what you want to do, then do it." The senior detective was relieved to know that Connor wasn't going to just walk away from the precinct after all. "I won't stop you and I won't say anything to Fowler. This is all up to you."

"When you returned to the precinct after your own losses," Connor timidly questioned with a sense of dread in his voice. "how long did it take before it felt 'normal' to resume your work again?"

"Honestly, it never felt normal again. It just became routine and a means to a paycheck for me. I was left pretty numb for a long, long time."

"...I see."

"Also, I'm not that jaded anymore." Reminding the wary deviant of his own personal progress Hank remained honest and sure of himself as he spoke. "I started to care about my work after I had a great partner who was willing to kick my ass back into shape and keep me from giving up on myself."

"Right. Partners."

"Hey, it won't be so bad. I still haven't been reassigned to a new precinct which means we can still work as partners." Joining Connor on the couch he put his left hand to Connor's right shoulder and shook the deviant once. "And realistically it may take months, or even years, before a new position opens up for me."

"That's somewhat of a relief to know you will still be watching my back if I do in fact decide to return to the precinct." Connor's confidence was slowly but surely returning as the deviant came to terms with the pain he had endured and survived over the past few months. "There are still many people we need to protect."

"Just remember this, son. You don't HAVE to return to the precinct if you don't WANT to. You don't owe this city anything and it's not selfish to pursue something that will make you happy."

"...Happy." Connor repeated the hopeful word in a low whisper to himself. "I need to find what makes me happy. And I will. I know I will."

-next chapter-