The summer afternoon was hectic for the two detectives as the duo had been assigned a double murder case and they already had the prime suspect in custody. Hank had the important responsibility of interrogating the suspect while Connor remained at his terminal to check through the collected evidence to either confirm or alter their opinion regarding their ongoing murder theory. As the deviant sat in deep contemplation while he easily and accurately chronicled every detail, he gracefully danced his coin over his knuckles with a perfect rhythm to recalibrate his reflexes and overall hand-eye coordination post update. There was a lot on Connor's mind at the moment, but he wasn't going to let his work suffer.

It seemed his personal situation regarding the potential fate of New Jericho Tower had been remedied now that a patch was in the works to save North's life. That meant that Connor wouldn't have to worry about stepping up as North's replacement within the tower and he wouldn't have to deal with the potential mistrust or backlash from the deviants if they refused to accept Connor, the former 'Deviant Hunter', in such an important role.

"Hey, 'Tinman'." Gavin tossed a ball of paper against Connor's shoulder from his own desk a few feet away from where Connor was sitting. It successfully caught Connor's attention as the deviant's posture stiffened slightly but he didn't turn to look. "You gotta' visitor!"

"Visitor?"

The coin stopped its dance and rested over Connor's knuckles as he turned his head and looked toward Gavin's desk. He spotted Skye standing there with a sincere smile on her face as she waited Connor to notice her.

"Skye..." The coin suddenly fell from the back of Connor's hand, but the quick deviant made a grab for the quarter before it fell to the floor only to have it bounce off his hand clumsily. As he finally caught the coin he slipped it back into his jean pocket and stood up from his desk quickly to greet the unexpected deviant. "H-Hello, Skye. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Connor." Skye approached him with her very warm smile and handed him a small electronic tablet she had brought with her from New Jericho Tower. "I'm glad I caught you. I know you're busy but I was hoping you'd be able to look over the new security protocols at New Jericho. To, you know, see if there's any flaws in the design that we should change."

"Uh, y-yeah, sure." Connor accepted the tablet with a somewhat shaking hand and motioned to a vacant interview room at the far side of the bullpen. "I have time to spare. We can discuss this in private if you wish."

"Great. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem." The humble deviant felt a sudden warmth spreading in his chest as he spoke to Skye, and he wasn't sure why it was happening. It reminded him of the feeling her had when he was briefly reunited with Kara, then felt again when he saw Skye at Markus and North's bonding ceremony. "I'm happy to help."

"Is... Hank here?" Skye asked in a low, somewhat shy voice as Connor showed her to the private interview room on the other side of the bullpen. "I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Hank is currently preoccupied with a suspect in an interrogation room." Connor replied as he opened the door for Skye and then followed her inside and closed the door quietly behind them. As the two deviants sat at the table side by side Connor looked over the tablet quickly and read over the numerous new security programs that had been installed at the rebuilt tower. "...This is very impressive. May I ask who is responsible for these improvements?"

"You're already talking to her."

"I see." Connor's brow arched with surprise, then intrigue and finally true awe at Skye's clever engineering. "Very resourceful."

"Thanks."

"Have you recovered the stolen information that Eddie and George had taken from the archives or uncover their final plan with the stolen information?"

"Josh tracked down the stolen information to an external server at an old CyberLife warehouse." She confirmed with a sense of injustice. "He's confident that the theft was just to prove some kind of point to Markus about the tower not being a perfectly infallible stronghold. No one purchased or copied the information elsewhere."

"Infallible or not, it's still a sanctuary and open to all deviants. Their behavior was selfish and myopic."

"Yeah, you're right. What do you think of this?" Skye asked as she put her hands on the tablet next to Connor's hands and opened a specific file for him to view. "It's a new form of android recognition software that can be used in a similar manner to that of using fingerprints in humans."

"It's..." Connor felt himself blush a pale shade of blue as Skye's hands brushed against his own. Her hands, soft and warm, were a welcome feeling for the deviant detective to experience. "You've installed a specialized scanner that can recognize serial numbers through artificial skin. If the number has been altered or removed for any reasons the deviant cannot gain access to the tower. That's brilliant."

"There were some other changes, too. Such as only authorized personnel can gain access to specialized floors and the floors are under constant surveillance to ensure that no one can sneak around." Keeping her hand on the tablet Skye highlighted each new update with pride in her words. "The best part is if the surveillance system is tampered with or disabled under any circumstance the entire floor will go under lockdown preventing anyone from entering or exiting the room."

"You can now trap trespassers in the act." Connor was genuinely impressed with Skye's creative upgrades and the logic behind them. "Might I ask how you thought of such unique methods?"

"I watched the security footage that had been salvaged after the fire, and I retraced George and Eddie's steps. You were right." She confirmed the deviant detective's previous investigation long before the horrible incident, back when New Jericho Tower had first been discovered. There were precautions Connor mentioned the same day he had discovered Lucas, the 'RK-900', locked away in the depths of the tower. "The tower did need more security protocols. We were too late, and we ended up paying the price."

"Markus didn't like the idea of keeping so many cameras actively watching the occupants of the tower. He felt it gave a feeling of mistrust, and I can't say that he was wrong in wanting to give our people a sense of security and privacy."

"Yeah, but now these cameras are more discreet and only where they need to be to ensure security and safety throughout the tower." Smiling at Connor with a warm presence, Skye took back the tablet and gave the empathetic detective some reassurance. "It'll keep everyone safe. So, does it pass the test, 'Mr. Detective'?"

"Y-Yes, it's a great design." Again, Connor felt his heart fluttering with unexpected warmth as he looked into Skye's eyes. "I approve of your upgrades."

"Fantastic! We also improved the emergency repair bay of the tower to better suit all deviants." The security upgrades weren't the only improvements that the tower was going to receive in the aftermath of the blaze. "Simon even began manufacturing replacement biocomponents for 'RK' models again, and he's restocking what the tower had lost during the fire. If you ever need any help, you know where to go."

"That's reassuring." The good news was very uplifting, but it also redirected Connor's thoughts to a different, grimmer subject. "...What about North?"

"Yeah..." Skye's smile understandably disappeared at the bleak question. "Abby is still working on the patch. There's still progress being made." Letting her hand brush over top of Connor's hand, causing a second faint blush to briefly reappear on Connor's face in the process, Skye stood up from the table to take her leave with the tablet. "Thanks for checking this over. I'll let Josh know the program has been approved."

"Hey, Skye?" Connor stood up from the table as well and stopped Skye from leaving the interview room so quickly. "Thank you for finding me. After my escape from Chicago, I mean. You... saved my life."

"Y-You don't have to thank me." This time it was Skye who blushed a little in response to the comment. She hadn't thought too much about their reunion considering she knew her friend was safe and sound at last. "You saved me, and you helped with the Revolution. It was the very least I could do for you. You're a good guy and you deserve help just as much as the next deviant in need."

A faint smile appeared on Connor's face as he spoke with Skye and locked his soulful brown eyes on her kind hazel eyes

"Hank told me that you had helped him perform C.P.R. on me the night of the fire as well." Connor's comment made them both accidentally blush a little as they thought about the 'kiss of life' they had briefly shared. "And then you went out of your way to find me after I had been abducted and forced to fight in Chicago. You saved my life and helped me find my way back home. I have to thank you. I want to thank you. So... thank you."

"You really don't, but you're very welcome all the same." Skye gave the deviant detective a kind glance before she opened the door of the interview room and stepped back out into the main bullpen of the precinct. "I'll see you soon, right? You need to visit New Jericho."

"Y-Yes. I'll see you at the tower. I'd like to see you again." Connor stammered a little causing himself to inwardly flinch at his shaking voice as he watched Skye cross the bullpen to head toward the front doors to return to New Jericho Tower. "Bye."

"Bye, Connor!" Turning to look at Connor over her shoulder Skye grinned and gave the deviant detective a gentle wave. "Thanks again!"

Feeling surprisingly upbeat after speaking with Skye in person, Connor returned to his desk slowly as he watched the lovely deviant leave the bullpen with a graceful gait. As he reclaimed his seat behind his terminal screen Connor felt second paper ball bounce off his shoulder courtesy of Gavin and was brought out of his optimistic daze.

"Yes, Gavin?"

"What the hell was that about?"

"It was personal." Connor kept his eyes on his terminal screen as he answered the unexpected question and hid his pale blushing face. "...She's a representative of New Jericho and wanted to discuss security protocols at the tower."

"Uh-huh, and what's with that flirting thing ya' did back there?"

"Flirting?" Curious about such a claim Connor turned his head to look over his shoulder at Gavin just as his blush faded. "What do you mean by 'flirting'?"

"Seriously?" The reaction was almost like a middle schooler trying to explain a first crush to their buddy. "Don't play dumb with me!"

Connor wasn't playing around and the look in his eyes told Gavin as much.

"Fuck. How can you be so smart and so dumb at the same time?"

"Human interactions are something that I am programmed to adapt to, but I need to experience certain interactions before I can-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Gavin scoffed as he kicked his feet up on his desk theatrically before leaning back in his chair. "You're new to dating."

The second comment was just as confusing as the first. "...Dating?"

"Aw, come on! Now I know you're messing with me!"

"I am not."

"All right, it's like this." Gavin leaned forward against his desk with a bizarre interest as he ignored Tina's warning glare while she typed away her own report directly across from him at her own desk. He was too interested in the way Connor was behaving to let the matter drop. "You like her, and she likes you, I can tell. So, you need to go ahead and ask her out."

"Ask her out? To do what?"

"Jeez... Man, I thought Hank was teachin' ya' all about being human." The way Gavin shook his head and Tina flashed him a knowing look meant that the abrasive detective wasn't going to let the matter drop. "You've never been on a date before?"

"Aside from the night of the bachelor auction, no."

"You've seriously never been on a real date before?"

"No. Should I?"

"Whoa..." Gavin leaned back in his chair again as he decided to back away from the topic for a moment since Tina's glare was beginning to silently burn holes in the side of his head. He didn't want to incur the wrath of his honorary little sister. "Know what? Ask Hank about it later, you're better off having him explain things to you than me."

Unsure of what else to say Connor returned his focus to his terminal screen and resumed working on the case that he and Hank had been assigned and were quickly progressing on since that morning. The evidence collected was solid and lined up perfectly with the details of the crime, witness statements and best of all, it destroyed the suspect's attempt to lie and cover his crime.

The case was already closed.

With a few simple keystrokes Connor submitted the final report and was met by Chris who handed him a electronic tablet with new details on an entirely new case.

"Hey, Connor. There was a report of a deviant assaulted downtown." The younger officer got right to the point as he made sure Connor was on top of all deviant cases happening in their district. "Thought you'd like to work the case since you're kinda' the expert on these kinds of things."

"Of course." Connor readily accepted the tablet and read the details and chronicled them into his database for use later on. "Hank is still in interrogation to finish off our case. Who is currently available?"

A third paper ball lightly hit Connor's shoulder from behind as again Gavin got his attention once more.

"That'd be me." Gavin rose from his desk and grabbed his car keys from the corner of his own desk. "Let's go 'Tinman', I want to get back here before it gets dark."

"I think it'd best if I waited for Hank."

"No way, you plastic idiot." Spinning the car keys around by the keyring on his fingertip Gavin waited for the deviant to stand up as well. "We take care of this now and do it right. I don't want Fowler breathin' down my neck about protocols and 'teamwork' again."

"I can't imagine why the Captain would feel the need to remind you of such basic necessities on a regular basis."

"Did..." Gavin gave the deviant a perplexed stare for a moment before look over at Tina, who was grinning with great amusement, and then back over to Connor again as the deviant finally stood up. "Did you just talk back to me like some kind of wise-ass?"

"That was my intention. Yes."

"Damn, I guess Hank is teachin' you about being human after all." Casually Gavin tossed his car keys up into the air once and caught them again in the same hand as Connor walked over to his desk with a smooth stride. "All right, let's go. I'm driving. My car is good as new ever since that shoot-out."

With impressive patience Gavin pulled his expertly repaired car up to the address listed in the details from the tablet, but he and Connor had their mutual doubts to the authenticity of the claim. There was no sign of a deviant, or anyone else for that matter, in the area. The building itself was formerly a six-story hotel that had become a temporary shelter that junkies used as a drug den before a big 'red ice' bust a few years back. It then became a haven that runaway deviants had used as shelter before the Revolution had taken place. The decaying building had since been long abandoned and left to rot. It was nothing more than a forgotten tomb of the overdosed junkies, lost deviants, and broken machines who tragically fell long before the Revolution.

The surrounding locations were just as old and just as empty. It was as if the entire neighborhood had been forgotten by the city and left to be reclaimed by either time or nature herself.

"What is this? A joke?" Gavin grumbled as he and Connor stepped out of the car together to eye the hotel suspiciously. "A fuckin' prank call?"

"Unknown." Connor replied as he ran a cybernetic scan over the building and felt an uneasy knot form in the pit of his artificial stomach. "I can detect numerous deactivated android forms within the building, as well as expired Thirium traces, but I suspect that they have been here for an approximate minimum of two point seven years."

"Come on." Pocketing his car keys Gavin walked toward the front of the hotel where he discovered the front door was already opened by trespassers. The large wooden boards had been pried loose and the aged paper 'condemned' notice had been left to hang by a single corner on the surface. "If we don't at least check this place Fowler will chew my ass out."

Cooperatively Connor followed after Gavin as they entered the decrepit hotel together to look around for any sign of a suspect. Stepping inside the front lobby of the old hotel Connor noticed the phone sitting on the front desk, a phone that could've made the call, but a quick scan noted that the phone line had long since been disconnected years prior.

There was a fine layer of dust and grime on every piece of remaining furniture. The wallpaper was peeling thanks to gravity and the old glue drying out and cracking over the years. Large holes in the walls, ceilings and floor made traversing the building truly hazardous to anyone and everyone who dared to venture inside the condemned hotel.

"Whoever placed the call was not in the hotel." Connor stated flatly. His keen soulful brown eyes noticed fresh footsteps on the dirty unkempt floor and followed them to a stairwell leading up to a higher floor of the building. "But someone was recently here. They arrived within the past hour."

"Are they still here?"

"I am detecting no movement, and I cannot hear anyone walking around. However, there is a single set of footprints entering the hotel and no secondary set leading back out through the same entryway. I will investigate further."

"Yeah, well I'm going to report to the precinct and let 'em know we're on a bullshit call." Making his way back to the front door, his own shoes leaving a trail behind in the dust as he walked, Gavin waved off the deviant with a casual flick of his left wrist. "Be back in five minutes."

"Very well."

While Gavin stepped outside of the rundown hotel to make the call Connor followed the stranger's footsteps up the creaking stairs of the stairwell to the second floor to begin his investigation. Keeping his footsteps as light as possible Connor managed to ascend the stairs and reach the next floor while making very little noise that would've otherwise given away his position to any possible intruder hiding out in the hotel. Moving slowly Connor ran another scan and checked every room on the floor for any sign of the intruder, but there was nothing aside from approximately two dozen deactivated androids, broken biocomponents, and expired Thirium in various rooms of the hotel. There was no one of interest in the immediate area.

As he turned around to return down the stairwell a metallic 'bang' resonated throughout the floor very near the stairwell from whence Connor arrived. Turning quickly Connor scanned the area again and caught a very faint trace signature of someone; whether it was human or android he couldn't tell due to some unknown electrical interference in the immediate area and continued his investigation.

Approaching the area of interest with caution Connor watched as the metal doors of the nearby elevator began to slowly open and then quickly slam shut creating that loud 'banging' sound that he had heard before. Curious as to why the elevator was malfunctioning, wondering if it was due to the electrical interference that he had noted earlier, Connor ran yet another scan over the neglected structure and located an external electrical source still feeding power to the elevator itself.

Slipping his hands between the two sliding doors Connor pushed the doors open and held his hands in place to keep the doors from closing as he tried to identify the electrical source. Standing in between the doors Connor found himself looking at the vacant elevator shaft and the long metallic support cables that allowed the elevator car to ascend and descend when prompted. Using his superior android vision to see into the dimly lit space Connor peered inside the elevator shaft and looked upward, eyeing a crudely constructed electronic battery that had been attached to the bottom of the stopped elevator car overhead. He then glanced downward to the bottom of the shaft now three floors below as it connected to the hotel's basement.

Unbeknownst to Connor, from around the corner of the hotel's hallway someone was watching him without making a single sound to give away their presence.

"Gavin," Connor cybernetically called the detective outside the hotel to let him know what had been found. "I have located an electronic device that has been recently placed inside the elevator shaft of the hotel."

'Okay.' Gavin responded to the call quickly since he was eager for something to happen. 'What do I care?'

"It proves that someone has been in the hotel recently and could be responsible for-"

Connor was cut off mid sentence as he fell forcibly forward into the open elevator shaft, and began plummeting toward the bottom.

Two hands had pushed hard against his back causing the deviant to lose his balance and fall down into the elevator shaft against his will. Unable to stop or control his fall Connor instinctively tried to redirect his body to land on his back to avoid breaking his limbs, his neck, landing on his head, or landing on his torso which would increase his chances of damaging an internal biocomponent upon hitting the ground.

As he fell down the elevator shaft Connor looked back up at the wide opened doors of the elevator from where he had been pushed and spotted a lone, unknown figure looking down at him, only to quickly disappear from sight as they fled deeper into the hotel. Whoever they were, they had disappeared as quickly as they had appeared in the elevator, and Connor didn't know who they were or where they could've gone.

Landing hard on his back on the cold, hard concrete ground of the hotel, Connor lost consciousness and was enveloped by the blackness of his own mind as his processor was temporarily knocked offline from the sudden and forceful impact. The height of the fall would've killed a human, but for a deviant the fall was just severe enough to cause some bumps, bruises and even a broken limb.

'Connor what the fuck is goin' on?'

Gavin yelled into his phone as his connection with the deviant was suddenly severed and silenced.

'You plastic prick! What's happenin'? Answer me, damn it!'

Two minutes of pure darkness passed before clearing up. Connor's head throbbed painfully, and his back was tight, but aside from the radiating pain making it difficult to move, Connor's self-diagnostic reported no serious structural damage to his body, biocomponents, Thirium lines or his hardware. Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor found himself laying at the bottom of the elevator shaft in the basement of the hotel, looking straight up at the elevator car locked in place on the sixth floor high above.

Lifting his head up from the ground Connor tried to roll to his side to push himself up from the ground, but a new sharp pain in his right knee caught him off guard. Running his hand down his right leg toward his knee Connor discovered that while the joint hadn't been broken by the fall, it was still damaged and partially twisted out of place. If he were human that would be deemed a partial dislocation of the knee and would need medical attention.

"G-Gavin?"

Connor attempted to reestablish communication with the detective's phone outside the hotel through a cybernetic link. The impact temporarily disabled his cybernetic communication rendering him entirely alone.

"Gavin, the suspect is still in the hotel. Exercise extreme caution."

A loud creaking 'groan' from above stole Connor's attention as he looked up and could see the elevator car beginning to slowly slip downward as its brakes began to fail. The car slid slowly at first but as the brake drums lost their traction the heavy metal box began to slip further and further down the shaft.

"...Shit."

Forcing himself to roll onto his side Connor tried to pull himself out of the elevator shaft with his hands and his forearms, but the slick surface of the cold, dirty floor and his stunned senses made his movement sluggish and uncoordinated. A loud 'shriek' of metal from above told Connor that the elevator car had slipped entirely and was now free falling directly down on top of him.

Despite every instinct telling him to keep moving and to not look up Connor glanced upward and caught sight of the massive elevator car screaming down at him at a lethal speed.

"MOVE YOUR ASS!"

Gavin suddenly shouted as he grabbed onto Connor's forearm and pulled the deviant out of the elevator shaft with a single, swift motion just as the heavy elevator car crashed into the bottom of the shaft with a thunderous explosion of metal, concrete, dust and grease. The two detectives were quickly enveloped in a plume of dust and smoke as the entire building shook from the quaking impact.

"Fuck!" Shouting over the deafening crash as he eyed the carnage Gavin could feel and hear his heart thundering in his chest. "That was TOO damn close!"

Connor found himself now laying on his chest on the dirty floor of the basement next to Gavin as the detective began coughing in response to the dust cloud that was drifting through the air. The two detectives remained in stunned silence on the floor as the reality of the dire situation finally set in with a slow sobering affect.

"...Gavin." Connor was as happy to see the detective as he was surprised. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't in the mood to have Hank kick my ass all over town if I let you get crushed by a falling elevator." Gavin explained with a dismissive retort as he began dusting off his dirty jeans and leather jacket. "You good?"

"One moment." Connor pushed himself upward until he could roll onto his side and then sit on the ground next to Gavin. "...My right knee has been compromised."

"Oh, great. Well, I ain't carrying you up those stairs."

"How did you even find me?" Connor asked as he placed both of his hands on either side of his damaged knee to check the severity of the damage. "You were outside when I began my fall."

"You said something about the elevator and the elevator maintenance panels are always in the basement. I figured that's where I'd find ya'." Gavin watched as Connor prepared to pop his own dislocated knee back into place and grimaced. "Turns out I was right."

"Thank you saving me."

"Figured I owed you one. You didn't rat me out to Fowler about hitting that damn child molester a few weeks back, so why not keep you from getting flattened on the floor?"

"...Right, of course." Connor was unsure of how to respond and instead focused on his knee. He could undo the damage, but he'd need some assistance to pull it off without causing additional damage by mistake. "I'll need leverage to tend to the dislocation properly."

"Leverage?"

"I cannot push the joint back into place from where-"

Gavin moved quickly, wrapping one hand on Connor's right calf and bracing his other hand against the deviant's right shoulder to keep him in place. Pulling down on Connor's leg as hard as he could Gavin felt and heard the limb 'pop' twice as it was pulled out of the joint for a moment and then locked back into its proper place on the limb.

Connor let out a short yelp of pained surprise as Gavin unceremoniously aided him. As the pain eased Connor felt the strength returning to his leg at a steady pace.

"...Th-Thanks."

"Hey, you fixed my finger." The abrasive detective gave the deviant a smug grin as he stood upright on the floor in front of Connor. "I owed you this, too."

"Please don't attempt to repay anymore debts in my favor." Connor sharply replied as he ran a scan over his knee and found the joint to now be stable and properly realigned. "I don't think I could handle it."

"Not bad." Gavin actually laughed at the comment as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Hey, you got a sense of humor."

"Gavin," focusing on the investigation again Connor nodded at Gavin and flexed his right leg a few times. "did you see anyone else in the hotel when you returned to locate me?"

"No. Whoever they are must've took off after you found their electric thing." Looking at the ruins of the crashed elevator car Gavin sighed and knew that the electrical device had been destroyed when the car slipped down and tore through the elevator shaft at a rapid pace. There wasn't even a residual spark from the device to help the detectives locate or identify it among the wreckage of the elevator car. "How'd you get down here anyway?"

"I was pushed."

"Pushed?"

"Correct. From the second floor."

"Shit." Surviving that type of fall was impressive in Gavin's book. "At least you didn't die."

"...Right. At least I survived."

"Let's get out of here already." Letting out a weary sigh Gavin turned around to make his way back to the stairwell connecting the basement to the ground floor of the hotel. "This place stinks."

"...I have no objections on the matter." Standing upright slowly Connor tested his weight on his right leg and managed to take a weak step forward without assistance. "We have no reason to be here if the suspect has fled the scene."

Patiently Gavin waited for Connor to limp around to the passenger side of the car and take his seat, the deviant favoring his left leg over his right as he moved slowly enough to not aggravate his injury as he walked. Once he was seated in the front passenger seat of the car Gavin sat down behind the steering wheel and turned the key in the ignition to pull away from the hotel. The duo was more than ready to get away from the neglected building and back to the safety of the precinct.

"So..." Needing to break the odd silence for a moment Gavin asked about seeing a technician for Connor's knee. "Uh, John's still out of action, right?"

"It's 'Joel' actually, and yes." Correcting Gavin for a moment Connor confirmed that the precinct technician was out of commission. "He's gone for two more days."

"Want to go to a facility to get your leg taken care of? Maybe that Abby lady you sent me to for my busted finger is working today."

"I believe she is preoccupied at the moment." Connor stated flatly without saying anything about North's degrading condition being the cause of Abby's surely busy schedule. "My knee is sore but undamaged. Seeking a technician won't be necessary."

"Too bad. I kinda' wanted to-" A gleam of eureka seemed to flash over Gavin's eyes as he asked Connor an interesting question. "Hey, you know Abby pretty well, right?"

"Yes. She is a friend."

"Cool. Cool..." Clearing his throat somewhat nervously Gavin asked more questions about the technician. "Is she, uh, single?"

"Yes." Connor felt somewhat defensive on Abby's behalf, but he answered honestly all the same as a courtesy toward Gavin. "She is currently not in a personal or romantic relationship as far as I know."

"She seems really nice. Smart. Fiery. Pretty. Kind. Patient. Funny..."

"Gavin," quick to pick up on the positive comments and inquired about Gavin's intentions. "are you interested in going on a date with Abby?"

"Uh... Maybe." Gavin looked away quickly as he felt himself blushing a little. "Has she said anything about going out with anyone recently?"

"Not to me, no. She had considered dating again shortly after the bachelor auction, but I don't know if she's actively seeing anyone."

"Do you happen to know if she has a, uh, 'type' of guy she's interested in?"

"I know her previous long term relationship ended very poorly." Always looking for his friends, Connor remembered that Abby had a bad habit of dating guys who mistreated her, but he didn't want to make any implications toward Gavin and his own past abusive relationship and most recent break-up after his ex cheated on him and kicked him out of his own apartment. "However, it's not my place to go into details regarding her personal life."

"Yeah, well, I know a thing or two about poor relationships... Maybe she's a kindred spirit."

Connor was still unsure what it meant to date anyone or to be in a close committed relationship like Markus and North or Hank and Barbara had. Still struggling to understand the complex emotions that dwelled within his still developing heart, Connor was certain he'd be unable to fully understand the feelings involved with being with a significant other in a prolonged relationship.

"I mean," Gavin continued in a low voice. "there's someone for everyone out there in the world, right?"

"Maybe." Unsure of what else to say Connor just slunk back in his seat and rubbed his hand along his sore right knee. "Statistically speaking, I suppose it's possible."

Shortly after Connor and Gavin had returned to the precinct Hank had finally finished the lengthy and detailed interrogation, and he was now ready to file the final pieces of the case file to officially close it. It didn't Hank long to notice the dark dirt all over Connor's clothing and the odd smell of dust clinging to his person as the deviant limped toward his desk and then sat behind his terminal screen to file his new report on his most recent investigation. Hank had also noticed that Connor's right leg was outstretched beneath his desk as if he were uncomfortable sitting normally. The way Connor was pretending to act as if nothing was amiss was almost comical in the Lieutenant's eyes.

Leaning back in his seat Hank peered around his terminal screen toward Connor's right temple and wished the L.E.D. was still glowing just so he had an idea if Connor was in pain or not. The lack of light gave him no new information to work with.

"That asshole is getting locked up for the rest of life, case closed." Hank stated with a sense of accomplishment before he asked the deviant about the new injury and his clothing. "What's wrong with uniform and your leg?"

"Gavin and I had a call to an abandoned hotel while you were in interrogation. I took a bad fall, but I'm all right."

"You went with Gavin, huh? Did he push you?" Hank half joked as he gave the abrasive detective in question a stern glance from the distance. "Or set you up?"

"No. I was pushed by someone else."

"Oh." The answer was unexpected but not entirely informative. "...Did you catch them?"

"No. They had fled the premises before I was able to find them or identify them."

"Why were you there anyway?"

"There was a false report of a deviant having been assaulted at the location."

"And?"

"The only deviants at the hotel were previous victims of assault and damage that had occurred before the Revolution." The bodies of the shutdown deviants would be claimed by New Jericho and then given a proper burial and memorial later that week. "There was no new case to handle, only shamefully delayed funerals."

"At least some good's coming out of that mess." Crossing his arms over his chest somewhat defensively Hank gave Connor an odd glance. "So why were you really called out there? You showing up and getting assaulted isn't a coincidence."

"Agreed. I believe it was the demented attempt of a sociopathic criminal who wanted to harm authority figures by luring responding officers into a trap. The building will be monitored closely for other unlawful activity, and I've arranged to have the shutdown and abandoned deviant forms that had sought shelter in the past to be properly disposed of and given a long overdue burial."

"Uh-huh." Sensing something else was amiss and Hank knew it just by looking at Connor's eyes. "Is there something else on your mind?"

"Pardon?"

"You seem a little distracted." Hank pushed the matter gently in a paternal manner. "And it's not from your bum leg or the dead deviants you had just dealt with. What's on your mind?"

"Can it wait until we're home?" Lowering his voice a little Connor did his best to avoid any unwanted eavesdropping. "I'd prefer to speak in private, please."

"Yeah, sure." Letting the matter drop for the moment Hank set about typing up his own side of the report to be finalized and submitting. "No problem, kid."

Grateful for the reprieve Connor resumed his work for a few minutes longer before deciding to shower off in the locker room and changing out of his uniform. The deviant had a lot to discuss, but he wasn't quite sure what to say or even how to begin expressing his confusing emotions.

Fortunately, the rest of the day had been quiet and proceeded without any further incidents at the precinct. Once the two detectives were able to head for home they didn't hesitate and made sure to get out of the precinct as discreetly as possible to ensure no one tried to stop them and ask for any favors. As soon as they were away from snooping ears and prying eyes, and finally in the safety of the modest home, Connor walked with a less notable limp through the front door and greeted Sumo with a loving pat to the head as he awkwardly limped to the couch. The day had left Connor exhausted and in need of a proper rest in order to full heal after his graceless fall down the elevator shaft.

Hank had been curious about what it was that had stolen Connor's attention, but he respected the deviant's wish to wait to discuss the matter at home. Besides, it was easier to give Connor advice without an eavesdropper piping up with their unwarranted opinion.

"You ready to talk?" Hank asked as he walked into the livingroom shortly after Connor and tossed the car keys onto the bookshelf. "Something's bugging you and I don't like it when you keep things to yourself."

"It's complicated."

"That's the definition of 'life', son. Go ahead, tell me what's on your mind."

"Hank," pausing a little as he contemplated the question burning on his lips Connor finally opened up and sought advice from the senior detective. "what is it like to go on a date?"

"A date? Seriously?" The man laughed with good humor as he joined Connor on the couch and studied the deviant's face closely. "Where'd this come from?"

"While you were in the interrogation room Skye stopped by the precinct to discuss security plans for New Jericho Tower, and I found myself... interested in her. I believe what I experienced were romantic feelings toward here."

"All right, keep going."

"After she left, Gavin told me I should go on a real date with Skye, but I do not understand what a 'real date' is. What is the proper protocol for such an event to take place?"

"Protocol?" The official sounding language Connor was using was both naive and sweet. "Honestly? You think of dating as having some kind of protocol?"

"It seems there is a protocol and pattern to dating that I can't seem to comprehend."

"Oh! Okay, how do I explain this..." Patiently Hank crossed his arms over his chest again and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. "Uh, dating may seem complicated but it's not. You just ask Skye if she'd like to go somewhere and spend some time with you in private, that way you can get to learn more about each other, and then you'll see if you two really are compatible as a couple."

"Compatible?"

"Not talking about android programs and all that techno-crap, I mean personality wise." Running his hand over his hair Hank was struggling to simplify the complex subject for the emotionally growing deviant to understand a little easier. "Do you two complement each other?"

"Complement..." Rubbing his hand over Sumo's ears as the massive dog pressed his chin and paw down over his sore right knee Connor contemplated the concept and compared it to the dating advice that he received from Abby a few months prior. "How so?"

"Well, with me and Barbara, she was always in a good mood, never thought the worst of people, and she kept things on a schedule. She was the opposite of me in many ways, BUT, when we were together, we always had fun and enjoyed each other's company." The clarification seemed easy enough as Hank opened up about his own past experiences. "We had the same sense of humor, enjoyed the same music, same movies, she loved sports as much as I did, and we both wanted a family. It was her idea to occasionally foster kids, too."

"You balanced each other out." Connor deduced with a somewhat understanding tone of voice. "But you had your own unique personalities that were not overshadowed by one another; like Markus and North."

"Bingo."

"...I see." Feeling more confident Connor pet Sumo's head again as he took Hank's words to heart. "I wonder if all deviants are capable of such relationships."

"Hey, you're pretty reserved and a little shy at times, so you need someone who is more, uh, I guess 'spirited' would be a good way to say it. And maybe more assertive. Don't get me wrong," Hank quickly emphasized his next point before the deviant could refute the claim. "you're one hell of a detective and you never back down when people need you to step up, but you're a little too timid when it comes to meeting new people. It's your introverted nature."

"How do I overcome my shyness and become less introverted?"

"I don't think you can, son. It's a part of your personality."

"I cannot change it?"

"Well, you could, but then you wouldn't be the same person that you are now. That could either be good or bad, but if you're looking for a strong relationship you need to be honest about who you are and how you feel. Don't put on an act because you think that's how other people want you to behave."

Nodding slowly with further understanding Connor pressed his hand to his knee beneath Sumo's chin and let out a small wince.

"How bad's your leg hurting?" The senior detective noticed that Connor was shifting his weight to keep it off his right leg as much as possible even while sitting down on the supportive couch. "I know you're in pain."

"It's not a serious injury, but it's quite sore and my self-healing program is still mending the damage. It will be fully healed by morning."

"I'll get you some ice to ease the pain. It's worked before, so it might work again." Hank walked into the kitchen with Sumo following after him. Smoothly Hank pushed open the backdoor to let the lovable dog outside while he retrieved the ice pack for Connor from the freezer. "Did Skye happen to say anything about North when she was at the precinct this afternoon?"

"Only that Abby hasn't given up on trying to save her." Connor replied honestly in a slightly elevated voice to speak with Hank. "Time is running out, but Abby is determined to see North through this error with a patch to permanently remedy her errors."

"Not surprised." Returning to the livingroom Hank handed the bag of ice to Connor and proceeded to sit down in his recliner next to the couch with a heavy sigh. "I'm really worried that if North dies that Markus will be too broken up to lead New Jericho. I'd hate to see all of their progress fall into nothingness or worse."

"What's worse than Markus losing his bondmate?"

"All the deviants could feel really vulnerable if North doesn't pull through this and begin to doubt Markus. That's the problem with holding a position of leadership; you're meant to look absolutely invincible."

"That's logical. I'm worried about her, too." Connor admitted as he pressed the offered ice down on his sore knee and felt the coolness steadily numbing his damaged leg. It was a comforting feeling that made Connor relax a little. "However, we shouldn't give up hope. We've already come so far; we can't give up now."

"Damn right."

"It's protocol to hold on to hope."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that, son." Amused at the very idea Hank just shook his head and agreed with Connor wholeheartedly. "You never give up on your friends, ever."

-next chapter-