The summer was continuing on without any sign of cooling off. While remaining discreet and away from nosy reporters seeking to interview the two detectives being hailed as heroes for bringing down the elusive and dangerous company formerly known as CyberLife after their latest failed scheme, Hank and Connor had found a window of opportunity to meet up with their good friends for a pleasant evening away from chaos and in private. Hank had taken the Pace and drove far out the city to visit with Rose in the privacy of her loving home along the quiet countryside, while Connor remained in the city with Corvette so he could meet up with Skye at New Jericho Tower to pick her up and take her out for the night.
Unsure of what the evening would involve Connor wore casual clothes; blue jeans, black sneakers and a long-sleeved black shirt, and decided to ask Skye what she wanted to do. He hoped that it wouldn't involve too many social interactions while he and Hank were still trying to stay out of the spotlight, but refrained from saying as much to her to ensure that Skye didn't feel like she was being somehow intrusive.
Pulling the Corvette down the drive to the tower and pulling to a gentle stop before the rebuilt sanctuary's front doors Connor felt his heart racing with excitement as he watched Skye walk through the door to meet him outside. Just seeing Skye made Connor smile and made his heart feel warmer. It was hard for the deviant to describe, but if he had to put what he was feeling into words, Connor was sure that he was feeling the wonderful sense of being in love!
"Wow! Nice car." Skye smiled warmly as she greeted Connor outside. She too was wearing casual clothes; jeans and a dark green t-shirt with tan sandals. Connor escorted her away from the tower politely and over to the cobalt blue Corvette like a true gentleman. "Is that the one you and Hank had worked so long on to restore together?"
"Yes." Proud of his work Connor told Skye about the project car that had been restored from top to bottom. "As it turns out, it was also my birthday gift from Hank."
"That was so sweet of him! It's such a beautiful car."
"...You're beautiful." Attempting to keep his voice from shaking too much Connor quickly changed the subject and prevented Skye from lingering too long on what he had just said. "Did you have anywhere you wanted to go or an event you wanted to participate in tonight?"
"Actually, I just wanted to spend time with you if that's okay." Skye grinned a little as they stood beside the car together. Her own heart was racing, and she couldn't seem to keep herself from smiling whenever she was in Connor's presence. "I don't really know what there is to do in the city since I spend so much time in the tower anyway."
"I was once told that when two people want to spend time with one another, one of the most common activities revolves around seeing a movie. Would you like to see a movie?"
"Sure!" That sounded very appealing to Skye since she had never been to a movie theater, let alone gone somewhere new with a trusted, beloved friend. "Humans seem to enjoy taking stories and turning them into visually stimulating depictions, and I've seen four different movies that I thought were fascinating."
"I have found a few movies to be intriguing as well. Usually, the ones that contain science fiction, mystery or comedic elements are my preference. The humorous stories help me to understand human sarcasm more easily."
"I seem to prefer horror movie elements, but I wouldn't be opposed to watching a comedy."
"A horror movie?" Connor tilted his head a little as he opened up Skye's passenger door for her then walked to the other side of the car. "Perhaps we can find something that contains both elements and find it enjoyable."
"Sounds perfect to me."
Smiling as he sat down beside Skye in the front seat Connor had a good feeling that the night would be as special as it would be enjoyable.
After finding a rather corny sci-fi horror movie to watch, the lack of interest in the movie giving the couple a relatively empty theater to enjoy for themselves, the two deviants left the cinema without any incidents as the young couple appeared to look like any other normal humans out on a date. The evening had given way to night, and neither were ready to depart from one another's company just yet. Choosing instead to take a drive around the city rather than end the date after the movie, Connor showed Skye all of the interesting places that he and Hank enjoyed while off the clock, and hoped she'd find the city less intimidating.
"This is where is the Revolution took place?" Skye asked as Connor drove past Hart Plaza at a slow pace. The large sculptures and statues were more impressive to view directly than just through a photograph or news report; and the fame of that fateful night made the entire area seem surreal. "Incredible."
"It was a truly interesting night. I sometimes find it hard to believe that I was actually a part of it." Connor seemed to actually be in awe of his previous actions for the first time in his short life. His humility allowed him to appreciate every sacrifice made for the betterment of his people. "All of the deviants worked together and changed the world. I was a part of their history... And I had no idea that I would be capable of such a feat when I sided with Markus."
"I wish I could've been there." Somberly Skye stared out her window as the plaza passed by slowly until it was out of sight. "Instead, I was trapped inside the 'Eden Club' awaiting the next morning from within that damn plastic box where I was forced to stay when no one was... 'using' me. I never felt so useless until that night."
Connor felt the pain in Skye's voice from where he sat. Slowly he wrapped his hand around her hand and squeezed once in a comforting manner.
"You'll never be 'used' again. And I'll never have to worry about CyberLife using me as a tool anymore." Wordlessly Connor found a sense of confidence in knowing that the android version of Amanda had been taken by New Jericho and had been meticulously dismantled to ensure that she could never reactivate and attempt to take down the deviants for a third time. "We're all free. Nothing can ever change that."
"Yeah. I know."
"Let me show you something."
Sensing Skye's mounting distress Connor quickly turned the wheel to drive down a new street and near the center of the city. As he drove to a seedier part of town, he tightened his hand around Skye's hand a little more to reassure her that everything would be okay. Finding the location of interest Connor stopped the car and pointed to the abandoned building a few feet away from the car.
"It's gone." Connor stated softly as he directed North's attention toward the building itself. "You don't need to fear this place any longer."
Skye turned her head to peer through her window again and looked up at the condemned building that had been closed down and barred for almost three years and her eyes went wide with fear, shock and surprise. It was the 'Eden Club'.
"What the... hell? When did this happen?"
"The club was shut down six months after the success of the Revolution." The deviant detective was more than happy to tell Skye the news regarding that horrible building's fate. "The city decided that the club infringed android rights regarding sexual consent and earlier this year the city slated it for demolition for this coming spring. There is no use for a place like this in our world."
"...It's really gone."
"Yes. Neither Markus or I told you or North about this because we didn't want to mention the place had ever existed. I apologize if you feel deceived or misled in any way by our silence. We were trying to protect you from negative associations and feelings."
"I don't feel deceived. I'm glad you showed me this." Turning away from the window Skye put her hand over top of Connor's hand and leaned in to kiss him. When he didn't try to shy away Skye knew that they had truly connected on a deeper level than she dreamed possible. "If I had just been told it was gone, I would've tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than a dream or a hollow promise, but it's real. It's really gone."
"It's gone forever." Nodding a little Connor leaned in closer to Skye as he tightened his hand around hers even more. "CyberLife is gone as well. We're all free. None of these horrible places or their people can ever hurt us again."
"If only I could watch the place burn." Turning to look at the building one last time tears filled Skye's emotional eyes. Seeing her former prison nothing more than a hollow shell somehow filled her with a renewed sense of hope mixed with dread. "Then it would finally be something worth looking at."
"I'd like to watch that too." Connor smirked a little at the idea and tried to joke in return. "Maybe if you ask nicely the construction crew will let you swing a sledgehammer at it during its demolition."
"Yeah, or at the very least kick it and let me wear on of their hardhats." Feeling more at ease Skye laughed as she leaned in even closer and kissed Connor again in gratitude. "...Thank you for showing me this."
Slowly leaning back Connor decided that he wanted to show Skye one more thing to make sure she wasn't afraid of the city or afraid of the world around it. He wanted to show her that life as a deviant wasn't limited to just hiding out in the tower or venturing out only with someone to make her feel safe. Connor wanted to show Skye that she didn't need to fear living her life or fear other people walking the streets alongside her.
"If you're willing to go, there's somewhere else I want to take you before I return you to the tower."
"I'll follow you anywhere." Leaning against Connor's side as he continued to drive past the condemned building Skye closed her eyes and felt at ease for the first time in years. Being in Connor's presence gave her a wonderful sense of tranquility and comfort. "I feel safe with you."
The response was exactly what Connor was hoping for. "...I'm glad."
Departing from the city without hesitation Connor casually drove out of Detroit to the cabin in the forest where he and Hank would spend their time in the peace and quiet. After discussing his plans for the future with Skye and hearing of her own, Connor pulled the car up alongside the vacant cabin in the middle of the calm, dark woods. As Connor stepped out of the Corvette, he motioned for Skye to follow after him as he walked over to the wooden dock reaching out into the entirely still, moonlit lake. The ambience of crickets singing in chorus filled the air as the two deviants cross the dock with their hands affectionately interlocked together.
"Skye, have you ever looked at the stars?"
"Well, sure." She replied honestly as she joined Connor along the dock. The sound of the crickets was soothing and gave Skye another reason to feel at ease. "I see them all the time."
"No," Connor lightly pulled on her hand and happily escorted her to the edge of the dock to sit down at the very end to allow their feet to dangle just above the water's motionless surface. "I don't mean viewing the stars with your enhanced optical relays, I mean actually look up at the stars with your actual eyes and really see them."
"I... guess I never have." Slowly Skye turned her gaze upward and stared in genuine awe at the inky black sky dotted with trillions of pure white lights. "It's... I don't know how to describe it." She smiled again and laughed happily at the natural, cosmic sight so far above. "Wonderful."
"I like to watch the stars whenever Hank and I come out here. It's fascinating to know that there are still countless worlds out there that could be circling around just one of those trillions of nameless stars. Maybe those worlds are like our own, or maybe they're better. Worlds entirely at peace and able to coexist with all of its species without any fear, hatred or jealousy."
"It's so beautiful out here." Wrapping her arms around Connor's arm Skye leaned against his side and rested her temple against his shoulder. "I've never noticed how pretty the world can be when you take away the blinding conflict. I wish I could've seen it sooner."
"That's exactly how I felt the first time I saw the world beyond the city." Gently Connor coaxed Skye into joining him as he laid down on his back and peered up at the night sky with a sense of wonder in his soulful brown irises. "Peace is possible, you just have to know where to look."
Skye smiled as she laid down beside Connor and rested her head atop his chest and felt his fingers gently combing through her long hair. Laying side by side the two deviants enjoyed just being together as they stared up at the stars and listened to the choir of crickets that sang their eternal song from the depths of the surrounding forest. A small meteor shower graced the presence of the shining stars and gave the two deviants a spectacular display of cosmic beauty as they laid beside the lake with their hands intertwined in a tight grip.
Together the young deviants finally found some peace.
"I hope to spend more time out here in the future." Connor whispered as if afraid to disturb the serene moment. "I find it relaxing, comforting and very welcoming. I now understand why Hank was eager to bring his family out here as often as possible."
"Having a family would be wonderful, too." Skye admitted as she pressed up against Connor's side again. "A spouse, a couple of kids and some cuddly pets... It'd be great! That's something I often dream about."
"Really?" Surprised by her comment Connor turned to look at Skye lying beside her. "You like children and animals, too?"
"Yeah. The fish I've been taking care of are wonderful company, but whenever I get the chance, I like to feed the stray cats and dogs that scrounge for food around the tower. They're all so scared and so innocent." As she spoke Skye cuddled even closer to Connor's side and practically melted as soon as she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. "I know human children are just as innocent and I'd love to spend some time with kids to really understand them. I think it'd help me overcome my lingering fears and even bigotry against humans by being able to spend time with them knowing that they'd never see me or the other deviants as a threat."
"I've spent very limited time with infant humans." As he spoke Connor thought back to the baby he helped deliver in the back of the stalled taxi, the newborn that was dropped off at the house's front doorstep and of course playing with Mei when he spent the afternoon with Tina at the park. "It's incredible to see them so small, defenseless, and in need of love and guidance. It's helped me to see that hatred is truly a choice."
"Infants? Including newborns?" That was a bit of a shock since such an occurrence seemed to be very uncommon for deviants to experience. "How'd you spend time with them while they were so tiny and young?"
"I helped with an emergency delivery of one newborn, and a second newborn had been left abandoned at the house. I held them both for a while to keep them safe and warm, and I found the experience to be very fulfilling and enjoyable. I also spent an afternoon with a colleague's infant niece."
"You're lucky. I don't want to live in fear or humans, and I want to have a family to love, protect and appreciate. You know..." Skye cuddled closer to Connor's side as she subconsciously pressed her palm to her own abdomen. "Someone special to come home to and someone to always love no matter how bleak or stressful the world becomes seems like an ideal life to live. Does that sound silly?"
"Not at all. I'd love to have a family like that, too." Connor looked at Skye beside him a moment longer and whispered sweetly as he ran his left fingers through her hair for a while longer. "In fact, I think... I love you, Skye."
"Hm?" Skye barely heard Connor speaking but was intrigued by what he said. "What was that?"
"I said, I love... watching the night sky."
"I do, too. Tonight was perfect." Feeling utter contentment Skye rested her head atop Connor's chest where she could hear his heart beating in a steady rhythm. It was a wondrous reminder of how alive they truly were. "It's so peaceful and beautiful right now. I hope this night never ends."
"So do I." Whispering an echo of a previous statement Connor resumed watching the stars with a content smile on his face. "...I love you."
As it neared three in the morning Connor returned to New Jericho Tower with Skye drifting off to sleep in the front passenger seat beside him. It was a slow and tranquil drive that left Connor longing for more nights of utter peace and quiet to follow even as he approached the tower. Gently he woke Skye up and escorted her back to the tower itself to say goodnight and to give her a goodnight kiss as she stepped inside her private quarters for the rest of the night. It took Connor longer than usual to leave the tower now that he knew Skye was someone worth visiting. In the end, Connor took his leave and returned home to his father where he knew that he belonged.
Pulling the Corvette into the garage Connor stepped out of the vehicle and watched as Hank pulled into the driveway behind him a few minutes later. Looking tired Hank stretched out his sore back and shoulders after he stepped out of the car and began walking toward the front door.
"Hello, Hank." Connor greeted casually as he turned his key in the door's lock. "How is Rose?"
"She's good and we're home now. You don't have to call me 'Hank'." Reminding the deviant kindly of the previous day's gift Hank made sure Connor knew that it was okay to call him 'dad' while at the house. "How's Skye doing?"
"Skye is doing well. She seems... happy."
"Did you do anything special during your date?" Hank asked as he and Connor walked to the front together to head off to bed. "Or did you just stay at her place for the night?"
"We saw a movie and then we watched the stars together. How about you and Rose?"
"We had a nice dinner and spent the evening just talking. Adam was out with his own girlfriend tonight; she's a great girl and I think Adam is smitten. Anyway, we had the whole house to ourselves and just enjoyed being with each other. I guess it was date night for everyone."
"I'm glad Skye wanted to spend the evening with me." Connor walked into the kitchen to let Sumo run outside through the backdoor for a few minutes before having him return inside for the night. "It was enjoyable to spend some time with someone like Skye. She is very interesting. I seem to be thinking about her more often now that we've been spending more time together."
"Uh-huh..." Hank gave the deviant a coy glance and crossed his arms over his chest as he studied Connor's demeanor. "And are you going to keep seeing her?"
"I would like to, yes."
"Good. Tomorrow we'll head out to the cabin and lay low for a few more days until the reporters at the precinct get bored and find someone else to bother for a while. By then, you should be able to spend more time with Skye and not have to worry about getting your privacy invaded by cameras."
"That seems like a good idea." Keeping his trip out to the cabin a secret Connor focused more on work and what they might need to be prepared to face. "Was the precinct swarmed with news reporters again today?"
"Yup." Hank casually confirmed as he watched Sumo return from the backyard and trot through the backdoor into the kitchen. The young dog let out a sleepy yawn as he walked over to his bed in the corner of the livingroom and plopped down onto the soft pillow heavily. "Jeffrey said a reporter got too close to Gavin and ended up getting a door slammed in their face as a result. Busted up that thousand-dollar camera, too."
"It sounds like the reporter should've backed away and respected personal boundaries." Connor observed as he and Hank entered the house and decided to call it a night without having to say a word to each other about doing so. Locking the door behind himself Connor slipped of his shoes and gave Hank a somewhat amused glance. "I don't fault Gavin for being rude considering the reporter was being invasive."
"That's what Jeffrey said." Tired and in need of some rest, Hank yawned deeply as he stretched out his back yet again and ran his hand through his somewhat messy locks of gray hair with indifference. "As soon as you're ready to head out tomorrow, we'll get away from the city and make our way out to the cabin. We won't risk running into reporters out there when no one knows where the fuck to look for us and annoy the hell out of us."
"I'm looking forward to it." Returning to the cabin sounded perfect to Connor's contented mind. "I like being up at the cabin away from the city."
Patting Connor's shoulder once Hank silently agreed and made his way down the hallway and stepped inside his bedroom door frame where he called out to Connor one last time before closing the door for the night.
"Goodnight, son."
"Goodnight... dad."
The familial term made Connor truly feel at home and with it, that sense of peace he felt with Skye out at the lake returned to his heart. It was a wonderful feeling that he wanted to relish for as long as possible and never wanted it to end. It felt like Connor's family was beginning to grow in size and in love. That was a feeling he wanted to protect.
"I'll see you in the morning."
-next chapter-