While Connor sat on the couch and threw Sumo's green fetch ball into the kitchen for the twenty-second time that surprisingly chilly evening, Hank finished changing into his relatively nicer clothes in his bedroom. After listening to Hank grumble about the stupidity of class reunions through the closed bedroom door down the hallway for the past twelve minutes, Connor turned to look over his shoulder and the back of the couch to stare down the hallway until Hank finally emerged wearing a pair of dark gray slacks, a white t-shirt and a pale blue button-down shirt over top of it. It was strange to see the senior detective wearing mellowed out clothing in comparison to his less than professional attire at the precinct.

Considering winter was quickly turning to spring it shouldn't have been all that shocking revolving around a change of attire. Neither detective liked the cold air and both preferred warmth over anything chilly.

"All right, so I should be back by ten tonight. I hate going to these damn things, but," Hank fished the car keys from his jeans pocket and let out an annoyed sigh as he checked the time on his phone and absentmindedly sat it back down on the bookshelf. "some things you just have to put up with for the sake of your friends. Even if they aren't really your friends anymore. High school dynamics never seem to fuckin' die."

"What exactly is a 'class reunion' anyway?" Connor looked down as Sumo dropped the drool covered green ball at his feet once more and the deviant threw it back into the kitchen for the playful dog to chase after for the twenty-third time. "Deviants don't have such a notion."

"It's when you meet up with the people you graduated high school with and compare how great or shitty your life turned out after that 'first day of the rest of our lives' crap." Pulling a lighter brown jacket on over his shoulders Hank made his way to the front door to take his leave. "I'd let you go with me, but I think you'd be better off here and away from a bunch of drunk assholes who love to give their unsolicited opinions on shit they know nothing about."

The comment made Connor's blue L.E.D. shift to red then flicker on yellow with concern. "Drunk?"

"Relax, kid. I won't touch anything remotely alcoholic until I get back home. No impaired driving from me, I promise." Opening the front door Hank took one step through the doorway into the brisk air and held his head up high as he saw Connor's yellow L.E.D. return to blue. "Trust me, I'll need it later, and since I haven't touched anything in months I'll be able to control myself. So don't try to talk me out of it!"

As the door shut behind Hank with a quiet 'click' Sumo dropped the ball at Connor's feet yet again, but rather than wait for Connor to pick up to throw it for another round the tired old dog plopped down in his pillow in the corner of the livingroom for a rest. Laying down on his side and panting heavily with his tongue hanging out his mouth, the older dog was ready for an evening nap after playing all day with his favorite deviant.

"Sorry, boy. I didn't mean to wear you out."

Connor rolled the green ball away from his feet and over to Sumo's bed with a casual nudge from his foot while he looked about the house to find something to preoccupy his mind. Settling on his guitar sitting idle in his bedroom Connor stood up to go retrieve the instrument to resume composing his newest song. As he made his way toward the hallway a 'buzzing' sound filled the livingroom making him freeze mid step. Tracking the sound down to Hank's phone left on the bookshelf Connor picked it up curiously and noted the caller I.D. on the display.

"Hank forgot his phone, and now Gavin is calling."

Initially unsure of what to do Connor decided to answer the phone rather than ignore the call, and figured Hank wouldn't mind since it could be a call relating to a case. Pressing the green 'answer' button on the phone Connor acknowledged the call and answered as casually as he would any other phone call.

"Hello? Lieutenant Anderson's phone."

'Hank... What the fuuuuck's... wr-wrong with your voice?' Gavin slurred as swore angrily into the phone when Connor answered. 'You sick or... 'zome shit?'

"I'm not Hank." The deviant corrected as politely as he could while deciphering Gavin's drunken slurs. "This is Connor."

'Piece of plaaaaastic... from detective to... anzwering musheene. Awezome.'

"Gavin, is there something that you need?" The slurring over the phone made Connor worry a little for the detective's health. "You don't sound well."

'Fine! I'm fine. I just... I juuuust needed a ride... home. Zat's all.'

"I will assist you." Connor's L.E.D. flashed from blue to yellow as he scanned the ambience in the background of the phone call in an attempt to trace Gavin's immediate location. It'd be more efficient than solely attempting to follow a drunk man's directions. "Where are you currently?"

'Fuck off! Plaztic... guy!'

The phone call abruptly ended and Connor's L.E.D. returned to blue as he sat the phone back down on the bookshelf. He no longer needed the phone and could use his own software to track down the inebriated detective.

"It sounds like Gavin is at 'Jimmy's Bar'. He should not be drinking in excess due to his diabetes."

Squaring his jaw Connor disappeared into his bedroom just long enough to retrieve his leather jacket from his closet and slip the Gears baseball cap over his head and hair to hide his L.E.D. from any unwanted attention from the other bar patrons. Summoning an autonomous taxi via cybernetic hail Connor walked over to Sumo still laying on his pillow and patted the loyal dog's head a few times.

"I'll be back soon, Sumo. At least I hope I will."

Sumo's tailed wagged once and Connor stood upright as he heard the autonomous vehicle come to a stop along the street in front of the house.

"I believe that ultimately Gavin's cooperation will determine how long I will be gone tonight."


The first time that Connor had set foot inside 'Jimmy's Bar' he had blatantly ignored the 'No Androids Allowed' segregation sign posted on the front door in search of Hank, as seeking Hank was his primary mission. Their meeting was unorthodox but it did manage to forge a strong foundation for their impressive friendship to build upon, and all it took was one little drink for the road to start building that bridge. There was a silent but hostile greeting to his initial arrival from the other people in the bar, but at least Jimmy - the bar's patient owner - didn't seem to mind it too much that Connor stopped inside just long enough to inform Hank of the case they had been assigned.

Pulling the bill of his cap down low enough to keep his L.E.D. and most of his face hidden, Connor entered the bar one more time and fortunately no one seemed to notice his arrival. Jimmy himself was the only one who vaguely remembered Connor and decided that since Hank didn't mind the android then he wouldn't mind him either. After all, Hank had been pretty lenient on him and rowdy customers in the past that made everyone's lives a little easier during times of turmoil.

"Yo!" Jimmy called from behind the bar and pointed to the booth in the back of the place. Familiar with most of the cops in the city thanks to Hank's past patronage, Jimmy had an idea of why Connor was there. "If you're here for Reed, he's over there. Get him outta' here, will ya'?"

"Y-Yeah," Connor stammered a little as he followed Jimmy's directions and tried to sound human. "I'll take care of him."

Homing-in on the booth in the back of the bar Connor located Gavin's person and outwardly grimaced at a rather pitiful sight.

"Gavin?"

Gavin was heavily slumped over the table in the booth with a single untouched shot of whiskey resting next to his limp hand. The detective was fairly out of it, but it didn't look as though he had been drinking long enough to end up in a drunken stupor like this. Connor ran a biometric scan over Gavin's body and found no trace of alcohol on his breath or any detectable traces of alcohol in his blood stream, but did notice that Gavin's body temperature had risen considerably.

"Detective Reed?" Connor stood beside the booth and looked down at the semi-conscious detective with a curious glance. "I'm here to-"

"Ffffffuuuuck... off!" Without lifting his head from the table Gavin slurred again despite having no alcohol in his system. "I don't... need your help! Plastic... freak."

"Yes, you do." The deviant argued as he deduced that Gavin wasn't actually intoxicated in the slightest. He was in fact sick with a rather serious infection and his blood sugar was getting very low. "You're not well."

"I'm fine." Gavin stood up quickly, his body swaying weakly and pale face plastered with sweat that dripped from his hairline. "Bet I could... kick your ass!"

Connor quickly challenged the threatening claim as he stood his ground. "Not in your condition."

"W-Wanna' bet? Plastic... Plastic-asshole!"

Growing impatient with Gavin's belligerence Connor put his hand on the center of Gavin's chest and pushed him backward with a single motion. Gavin quickly fell backward in a graceless tumble and laid sprawled out on the bar floor as if he had dropped completely unconscious in a dead faint.

"My apologies, but you left me with little choice. I do not want to strike you again." Connor knelt down beside Gavin and patted the ill detective's pale face lightly to get his attention. "Detective Reed? Gavin?"

"He ain't drunk!" Jimmy called out again from behind the bar as he had been watching everything unfold with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Pointing to the booth's table where Gavin had been slumped over Jimmy confirmed that Gavin wasn't intoxicated. "That's the only shot he ordered, and he didn't touch it. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I don't want him drooling all over my floor."

"It's okay." Connor replied as he grabbed Gavin's arm and hoisted the detective's limp body up and over his shoulder as if Gavin was nothing more than a bag of laundry. "I'll get him out of here."

As he walked by the bar Connor reached into his pocket and placed a ten-dollar-bill down to pay for the untouched shot and pay Gavin's bill.

"I'm sorry about the disturbance."

"Shit, if you're going to pay me ten bucks for a two dollar shot I'll put up with this asshole every night."

Connor nodded once appreciatively and proceeded to carry Gavin out of the bar and laid him down across the backseat of the autonomous taxi that Connor had initially taken to the bar. Cybernetically Connor uploaded the address of Gavin's apartment from the precinct's official records into the G.P.S. and proceeded to cybernetically monitor Gavin's condition throughout the drive as he sat down in the seat beside Gavin. Using his hand Connor pushed the ill human into an upright sitting position during the drive to ensure that if Gavin threw-up he wouldn't choke on his own vomit.

As Gavin's too warm head rested against the cool glass of the window beside him he sighed tiredly and proceeded to remain silent throughout the ride from the bar back to his apartment. It was clear that Gavin was suffering from a fever and was becoming delirious. Whether or not his confusion was the direct result of the fever, his low blood sugar or a combination of both, Connor couldn't be sure.

Monitoring Gavin's temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing carefully Connor made small notes on his condition to be used later on if it became necessary to provide medical attention. The autonomous taxi came to a stop outside Gavin's apartment and Connor hefted the still unconscious detective up and over his shoulder once more. Opening the (thankfully) unlocked door to the apartment Connor carried Gavin inside and looked about the poorly furnished and relatively empty apartment with a sense of pity. It was a hollow environment void of any personal affects, and felt oddly cold despite the evening being nice and warm.

Connor bent down slowly and dropped Gavin as gently as possible onto the dark blue leather sofa before straightening up again.

It seemed the motion was enough to rouse Gavin from his state of unconsciousness as he lifted up his head and glared bitterly at Connor hovering over him and immediately swore in confusion. "What the... fuck?"

"I'm sorry, but I had to bring you back to your apartment. You're very ill."

"No shit! I know I'm sick..." Gavin awkwardly flung his legs over the side of his couch and pressed his face down into his palms in discomfort as he sat back against the furniture with a heavy slump. "...I w-wanted to... get drunk first."

"You shouldn't drink while ill, and considering you're also a diabetic-"

"Yeah, yeah... I know about watchin' the booze." Gavin sighed a little and sucked in a breath between his teeth. Paling a little further and developing a green hue to his cheeks just below his eyes Gavin waved a hand dismissively at Connor as he wrapped his other arm around his abdomen. "I'm back to my apartment, so go ahead and... fuck off."

Connor recognized the symptoms of stomach distress and located the small black trashcan in the kitchen before Gavin made a mess on the floor. Placing it down in front of Gavin between his legs the deviant watched as Gavin, against his will and his pride, threw-up once and immediately coughed up the nasty lingering taste in his mouth.

"I'll get you some water to rinse out your mouth."

As much as Gavin wanted to complain about androids and kick Connor out, he decided he felt too terrible to be alone at the moment and would rather put up with Connor than any other android. Even having Tina around would be a nuisance since she wasn't afraid to remind Gavin about how reckless and stupid his behavior had been whenever she had the misfortune of being his designated driver or escorting him the E.R. at odd hours of the late night or early morning.

Without showing the slightest hint of inconvenience or even irritation, Connor placed a clean glass in the kitchen sink and filled it with cool water from the tap. As he returned to the small livingroom he handed the glass to Gavin to take Connor felt something warm and soft rubbing up against his side of his leg. Glancing down at the source Connor smirked a little and reacted with a positive demeanor.

"You have a cat." Connor casually crouched down and scratched the chin of dark brown Maine coon kitten who had taken great interest in the deviant and began to purr loudly. "I didn't know you had any pets."

"...Yeah, well she showed up the day I moved in. Named her 'Lucky' because she's lucky I didn't drop her off at the humane society or run over or some shit."

"Gavin, you need medication." Connor reminded the ill detective sharply as he ran another scan over Gavin without getting too close. "Where do you keep it?"

"...I don't have anything."

Gavin drank a little of the offered water and spit the mouthful into the trashcan as he rinsed out his mouth. Coughing harshly for a few seconds Gavin sucked in another breath and let it out slowly.

"That bitch had the nerve to kick me out of my apartment after she cheated on me." Lamenting over the heartbreak Gavin dramatically extended his arms at his sides as if to motion to the small place and unpacked boxes with a grand gesture. "Everything I have you see right here before you. She took everything." Sipping a little more at the water Gavin's eyes dulled and his shoulders slumped in a pitiful manner. "...Including my pride."

"I was unaware that you recently broke up with-"

"The slut CHEATED on me! She slept with another guy in MY bed in MY apartment!" Gavin blurted with a disgusted tone of voice. "Fuck me, huh? I thought I finally found the 'one' and she turned out to be a lying, manipulative whore! Thought I found someone who wasn't a piece of human-garbage like my ex-boyfriend, but I was wrong. Fuck, the asshole is in prison for physical abuse, and I can't decide who's worse! Him or her!"

Unsure of what to say Connor just stayed quiet and let Gavin vent his frustrations uninterrupted.

"Man, you'd figure that someone being bi would have a WAY better track-record with dating. Not me." Sinking into his couch even further Gavin sighed and looked truly miserable. "Never me. I have the worst fuckin' luck with love and life itself. I'm such a fuckin' loser..."

Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered yellow under his cap as he realized that Gavin was truly lost in the emotional throes of a nasty break-up with his girlfriend. The attempt to get drunk was to numb the emotional pain, but his preexisting infection ruined his plans.

"You're not a loser, Gavin." The deviant stated sincerely as he assessed his options and made his next decision. "I'll go and buy you some medicine."

"No, don't bother. I'll be fine." Too tired to argue Gavin fell to his side on the couch without spilling a drop of water and was greeted by Lucky who jumped up onto the couch and nuzzled up under his chin and began to purr affectionately for her ill master. "...Fuzzball."

Standing back up Connor ran another biometric scan over Gavin's body and shook his head.

"You appear to be suffering from a minor lung infection. By all account you should be hospitalized for temporary observation and put on antibiotics. I will refrain from admitting you to the hospital, but only if you cooperate with me and allow me to help you."

Gavin stared up at Connor with his glassy gray-hazel eyes studying the deviant closely and decided that Connor wasn't bluffing. "...All right. If I take some medicine, will you leave me alone in my misery?"

"Yes. I will leave you alone after you take some medicine and I'm convinced that you'll be able to rest properly."

"Fine." Putting the water glass down on the small end table beside the armrest of the couch where his head was laying, Gavin closed his eyes and agreed to the circumstances. "...You have a deal."

Gavin was sick and running a fever, but he didn't seem to be having any difficulty in breathing save for the mild, occasional cough. His blood sugar level was also stable, but he still needed to eat something to ensure his sugar didn't drop to a dangerous level. It was safe for Connor to leave the ill human alone for a brief period of time, but he still wanted to hurry and get back as quickly as possible.

Cybernetically locating the nearest convenience store that had a selection of over-the-counter medicine, Connor quickly took his leave of the apartment and made his way to the store only two blocks away.

"I will be back soon. Get some rest."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Closing his eyes Gavin sighed and didn't even try to make a move to get up from the couch as Lucky cuddled with him. "Just do whatever it is the fuck you want do and let me die in peace."

"You're not going to die." Opening the apartment door Connor gave the human an odd look before he stepped out to make his way toward the parking lot. "I promise."

"Says you... You're made of plastic, you'll never die! What the fuck do you know about death?"

Rather than correcting Gavin's comment with logic and facts, or indulging him in an argument, Connor decided to focus on his task at hand and took his leave of the apartment. It was faster for Connor to move on foot rather than an autonomous taxi and with his hasty gait the deviant managed to walk the two blocks to the nearby drugstore at an impressive pace.

"I will return shortly."


Reaching his destination quickly Connor set about walking up and down the aisles of the large convenient store in search of the medicine that he needed. Eyeing the numerous medications available for purchase warily Connor found himself unable to make a selection on Gavin's behalf. There were dozens of different medicines that had different effects on different symptoms, as well some potentially dangerous side effects for people who had pre-existing conditions. While Connor was familiar enough with Hank's health to find ideal medications for the man to take, Gavin had a completely different health history and completely different possible side effects considering he also had diabetes.

Having no software or programming regarding medical practices, Connor was at a near loss of what to do. A light hand on his right shoulder caused Connor to turn around quickly and saw an unexpectedly friendly and familiar face staring at him curiously as he tried to find a solution to his odd dilemma.

"Abby." Recognizing his friend instantly, Connor greeted her politely. "Hello."

"Hey." Abby had a small red shopping basket in her hand filled with few choice items of her own. She looked tired and undoubtedly had just finished her shift at the Zeta Facility and was on her way home after picking up some groceries. "I thought that was you. It's hard to tell from a distance with that hat hiding your L.E.D. and your hair."

"Yes..." Putting his fingertips to his cap's bill Connor adjusted it slightly so his face was slightly more visible. "I find it's easier to go out in public while I'm off the clock this way."

"Why not remove the L.E.D. entirely?" The technician asked with a sincere curiosity as she craned her neck to try and look at Connor's right temple. "I could do it for you at the facility if you want. Then you'll look totally human."

"Thanks, but I intend to keep it." Connor's fingertips pressed up against the L.E.D. tucked under the thin fabric of his cap as he spoke. "I shouldn't have to give it up due to other people having a problem with it or having a problem with me just for existing."

"You're completely right." Proud to hear Connor's confidence Abby grinned approvingly at Connor's answer before asking another question. "So what's going on?" The current technician and former E.M.S. stared at the deviant with genuine concern in her hazel eyes as well as in her voice. Picking up a box of nearby medication she held it up and gave the deviant an odd glance. "Did Hank get sick?"

"No, Hank is fine. I'm attempting to purchase medicine for another detective that I work with."

"Oh, well, have you ever picked out medicine for humans before?"

"Only with Hank. I'm unsure of..." Connor decided to not mention Gavin's name out a strange sense of needing to protect him from any possible gossip. "This detective's previous medical history is unknown to me. However, I can confirm that they are a diabetic." Referring to Gavin with an androgynous term was a perfect way to keep him as anonymous as possible. "I just want to be sure I pick something safe."

"Here, let me help. What're their symptoms?"

"Fever and a cough with very mild congestion. They had also vomited once." The helpful deviant listed off sharply. "I suspect they have mild bronchitis, but they will not permit me to take them to the hospital for a proper diagnosis."

"Are you sure this isn't Hank we're talking about?"

Connor smiled a little at the comment while Abby continued to pick out the right medicine for Connor purchase.

"Well, since they've thrown-up once already I'd wager that they have a case of the flu, not bronchitis. Try this." Abby handed Connor a small cardboard box containing the bottle of appropriate pills and pointed to the active drug ingredients on the back. "Avoid any medication with phenylephrine or acetaminophen. That can mess with glucose levels and make anyone with diabetes pretty sick. Or in this case, sicker."

Wisely Connor read the name of the medication that Abby had handed him and chronicled it into his memorybank. "Benalyn Adult."

"This detective you're helping isn't pregnant, right?"

"Uh... no. HE'S not pregnant."

"Well then, that should help things." The witty technician responded with raw confidence. "For future reference, look for medicines with Dextromethorphan or Guaifenesin when dealing with a sick and stubborn diabetic detective."

"You know all of this from being a former Emergency Medical Technician Specialist?"

"Actually, I know all that because my grandpa was a diabetic. I just paid attention a lot as a kid. Turns out it pays off."

"I'm glad that you did pay attention." Accepting the box of medication Connor made a move to pay for the medicine at front and return to Gavin's apartment. "Thank you for your help. I appreciate it."

"Sure, no problem. By the way, you need to make sure he drinks plenty of water and checks his sugar levels often."

"I will do so." Connor looked over a few other items to pick up along with the medicine while Abby continued on with her own shopping. "I'm glad you recognized me and aided my search."

"I'm just glad I finally got to see you outside of my facility and in one piece."

Nodding appreciatively to Abby as he took his leave Connor carried the box of medication toward the front of the store, only to grab a few other items before checking out at the front.


Just as quickly as he had left the apartment, Connor returned to Gavin's apartment and found the sick detective with Lucky still cuddled under his chin in the exact same position he had been on the couch. Gavin was still pale and sweaty, and coughed weakly even in his sleep. Placing the medication, as well as a brand new digital thermometer and some glucose testing strips down on the large cardboard moving box next to the couch, Connor brought another glass of water from the kitchen for Gavin to drink and lightly put his hand on the ill detective's shoulder. It's be easier to bring everything to Gavin to use as opposed to expect the sick detective to somehow stumble about his apartment to find everything he'd need one item at a time.

Already expecting a bit of a fight, Connor was prepared to argue with Gavin to get him to take his medicine. In a way, that stubborn facade reminded Connor of Hank and even himself. Having common ground could possibly be beneficial in the long run.

"Gavin." Softly Connor shook Gavin's shoulder and called his name. "Wake up, please."

Opening his gray-hazel eyes Gavin glared at Connor confusedly for a few seconds before remembering what had happened. Pushing himself upright on the couch with one arm, Gavin pulled Lucky over onto his lap as he picked up the box of offered medicine with his free hand, and read the label.

"...Nice pick."

"I had some help."

"You? You needed help?"

"Yes. I'm not perfect, nor am I medical android."

"Never thought I'd meet a humble android." Gavin scoffed as he opened the box containing the bottle of the pills and popped off the lid from the bottle to get two pills into his mouth before downing them with some water. He wanted to mention how Lucas had helped him once in the past, but his pride wouldn't allow him. "...Then again, I never thought Hank would have an android partner. There's a first for everything, I guess."

"May I ask you a question?" Connor knelt on the floor in front of the couch as he biometrically scanned Gavin's body to gauge his temperature without having to touch him. "It's not necessarily personal."

"Yeah, sure." Leaning back and sighing heavily Gavin decided to cooperate for once. "Why the hell not?"

"Why do you hate androids?"

The question made Gavin freeze and stare down at the sleepy kitten on his lap. "For me, that IS personal. Drop it."

"Very well. Hank had a similar situation. I understand if you don't want to talk about it." Connor stood up straight and proceeded to head toward the apartment door to leave Gavin alone to rest. "If you require anything else do not hesitate to ask for my help."

"...Wait." Gavin called out in a groggy voice as Connor put his hand on the doorknob to leave. "If I tell you what happened, you have to swear to me that you'll never tell ANYONE about what happened here tonight. Not even Hank."

"Of course. I will keep this matter private."

"All right, fine. Here's the story." A little wary of opening up to the deviant Gavin ran his hand over sweaty dark hair and sighed as he began his tale. "When I was fourteen, me and my kid sister went swimming at the community pool that summer. She was eight years old and she was my shadow everywhere I went. It was also the same summer that the city decided to replace human lifeguards with android lifeguards to 'improve efficiency'. Fuckers just wanted to save a few bucks."

"I see." Connor's brow furrowed as he stared at Gavin with deep intrigue at the detective spoke. "The first models of android were nowhere near as advanced as we are now. They weren't the androids that Elijah Kamski had created and was trying to get on the market. That was a risk for the city to approve and it happened anyway."

"Yeah, it was."

"...What happened at the pool?"

"Well, there was a bug no one expected with those new androids, and the damn android lifeguard overheated before noon and shutdown without ANYONE noticing. My sister..." A sob choked up his voice a little but Gavin cleared it away quickly. "She wasn't a strong swimmer and she tried to go out into the deep end of the pool when I wasn't looking. She... She went under the water and... she drowned. And the damn lifeguard was busted." Sighing deeply Gavin ran his hand over his face and flashed Connor a stern glance. "Kimmy never had a chance."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know you suffered such a horrible personal tragedy."

"Want to know the funny part? About four years later, Kamski finally guy took over android cybernetics, or whatever that shit is, and worked out every single bug from every single android and was hailed as the 'Father of Androids'."

There was a bitterness in Gavin's words that made the air suddenly feel heavier.

"Apparently Kimmy's death is what kick-started his bigger projects when he was just out of high school, and motivated him to keep shit like that from ever happening again." Scoffing at the notion Gavin put his hand on Lucky's back and gently began to pet her as a means of easing his own stress. "That billionaire, genius, asshole did something I could never do, and the fucker even looks like me! I fucking... I fucking hate it!"

"You cannot help the way-"

"It's all bullshit." Dragging his fingertips over the scar on his nose Gavin fought back against his own tears and took in a deep breath. "There are some days where I'm actually grateful for this damn scar because of him. It's like I'm being taunted with all my failures, and seeing you and the other plastic shells masquerading as real people just pisses me right off! Why do you guys get to live normal lives while my little sister died before she even had the chance to grow up?"

"I didn't realize-"

"Yeah, well, you're the first." Gavin wiped a tear away from his face as he broke eye contact with Connor. "Even my parents couldn't stand to talk about Kimmy or the fuckin' android who broke on the first day on the job! You wanted to know, now you know. My sister drowned because you plastic people aren't as perfect as everyone wants to believe."

"No one is perfect, where they are man or machine."

"Tell that to my fuckin' parents. All they ever did was remind me that Kimmy drowned when I was supposed to be protecting her..."

"I am truly sorry that your parents treated you in such a cold manner." Connor now saw the detective in a different light. Gavin wasn't a temperamental bigoted jerk; he was a grieving big brother in pain. He came from a broken, emotionally abusive home and no matter what he did or where he went in his life, he'd never be able to bring his beloved kid sister back. "What happened to your sister wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, well. Keep your fuckin' mouth shut about this or I'll break you in half!" The threat didn't carry nearly as much venom Gavin wanted as he tried to keep up his tough facade. "Got it?"

"I understand."

"Good. Only you and Tina know this story, and I want to keep it that way."

"I assure you that I'm not a gossip."

"Uh-huh... I don't care."

With nothing else to say Connor turned the doorknob under his grip and slowly stepped out of the apartment. "...Goodnight, Gavin."

"Yeah, whatever. Beat it."

Stepping through the apartment door Connor discreetly locked the door behind him as he walked away from the apartment and headed for home by crossing the parking lot to get to the sidewalk. It was getting late but it wasn't too dark yet. The hint of winter's end and the dawn of spring filled the air with a crisp chill that Connor easily ignored as he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and thought about what Gavin had told him.

"I hope someday that Gavin finds a way to let his heart heal in the same way that Hank was able to do."


As expected, Connor had arrived back home before Hank had returned and he was greeted by Sumo who had recovered his energy after his quick nap. Hanging up his jacket and hat back in his bedroom closet out of sight and kicking off his shoes to give the illusion that he had stayed home the entire evening, Connor let Sumo outside for a few minutes to take care of business and had closed the backdoor behind himself just as Hank walked through the front door with a hefty sigh. It seemed both detectives had an emotionally interesting evening that neither had been anticipating, but for Hank he at least had the chance to prepare for the emotionally heavy evening before he even left the house.

Hovering beside the backdoor Connor looked over at the senior detective as Hank passed through the front door. He looked almost as tired as Gavin had looked when Connor left the sick detective behind to keep resting in privacy.

"Hey, Connor." Hank hung up his own coat on the hook by the front door and made a beeline for the refrigerator in the kitchen. "Never go to a class reunion, son. You'll feel old, annoyed, and superior all in one night. That's too much for any sane mind to handle."

"You didn't enjoy the company of your former classmates?"

"Nope." Hank twisted the cap off the long-neck beer bottle and tossed it into the trashcan. "I didn't even like them the first time around, why the fuck would I like them now?"

"I have no idea." Connor replied with an amused grin. "But since I never went to school, I won't have to endure such a scenario. By the way," motioning to the bookshelf in the livingroom the deviant decided to give the subject of discussion a slight change. "you forgot your phone."

"Don't care." Taking a big gulp Hank let the beer flow down his throat and help numb him from his mental exertion. "Did anyone even call?"

"Gavin." Connor replied, then remembered the promise he made Gavin about not mentioning helping him. "It was an accident though. He swore at me and hung up as soon as he heard my voice respond."

"Now I'm glad I forgot to take it." Hank laughed a little as he took another sip of his beer and leaned against the kitchen counters casually as he gave Connor an amused smirk. "So, how was your night? Boring?"

"Nothing worth talking about. I was actually about to resume practice playing my guitar and work on finishing my new song. I think I can complete it soon."

"Cool. What's stoppin' ya?"

"Sumo's still outside."

"Right." Fatigued and happy to be home Hank sipped his beer and sighed a deep breath that stank of alcohol. "Let him back inside and go get your guitar. I want to hear something that isn't a bunch of old guys bitchin' about their ex-wives, ungrateful kids, or the way some young guy 'stole' their job because they just happened to be more qualified and blah, blah, blah..."

"Okay." Smirking to himself Connor opened up the backdoor and Sumo trotted back into the house happily, just to plop down on his pillow in the livingroom once again. Sumo was ready to call it a night and spend the evening with his two detective masters. "Any requests tonight?"

"Nah." Collapsing into recliner in the livingroom Hank kicked his feet up and gave the deviant a courteous nod. The man truly appreciated his quiet home life and his small but loving family. "Just play whatever you feel like playin', kid. You have good taste in music, and I trust your judgement on everything."

-next chapter-