It was the middle of December and the houses that lined the streets of Detroit were illuminated in bright strands of multicolored and solid white lights that glowed warmly throughout the cold winter nights. As Connor drove back home with Hank in the passenger seat beside him, the two detectives having had endured their third week of going to therapy, had their sixth successful session under their belts. Their progress with working through their grief and anger with a properly accredited psychiatrist was slow, but it was also effective as the incredibly stubborn duo was finally able to come to terms with their pain of their individual pasts that had made life somewhat complicated and difficult.

Neither detective had spoken of their private sessions with one another since they were only just beginning to understand what they were enduring. In time they'd address their therapy sessions so they could better understand each other, but at the moment the father and son duo were more preoccupied with surviving the winter for the third year in a row.

"Two weeks until Christmas." Hank stated casually as he glanced out the side window and noted the houses glowing brightly as they passed by. The holidays were the only highlight during the bleak and freezing weather. "What do you want to do this year?"

"Me?" Connor was quiet for a few minutes as he thought about the question, but no answer presented itself. "...Nothing."

"Nothing? Come on, you must want to do something this year. Last year we had kind of an early Christmas and all we did was give each other one gift. I thought for certain you'd want to try something more elaborate this year."

"I don't want to celebrate Christmas." The still depressed deviant was steadfast in his decision to not do anything celebratory. "That's a human holiday that I will never fully understand."

"Okay, you don't have to if you don't want to." Trying to coax Connor into agreeing to at least a small celebration Hank pushed lightly as the car pulled into the driveway beside the house. It was a shame that their house was the only one on the street without any festive lights anywhere. "I kinda' figured that was one thing deviants did better than humans, but whatever."

"To what are you referring?"

"Celebrating holidays. Deviants and androids don't have a weird religion-based bias agenda. You guys just celebrate for the sake of celebrating."

"Oh."

Opening up his door Connor stepped out of the car slowly, somberly, as Hank did the same from the opposite side. Waiting for Hank to walk around the front of the car Connor helped guide the senior detective along the still somewhat icy front walk to the front door to get inside the warm house. Sumo raced up to the two detectives and was promptly met with gentle ear rubs before being let outside through the backdoor for a few minutes. While Hank took off his coat and his shoes Connor proceeded to get the healing detective's required medication ready for his next dose.

"I'm going to take a shower." Hank announced as he left the livingroom and slowly walked down the hallway. Before Connor even had the chance to offer any assistance with getting to the shower Hank cut him off. "No, I don't need any help this time. I won't be long."

Without saying a word Connor finished gathering the required medication and set it out on the kitchen table for Hank to take once he finished his shower. Pulling an already prepared meal from the refrigerator Connor placed it in the oven to warm up before letting Sumo back inside the house for the rest of the chilly evening. Sumo shook off his snowy wet fur, soaking Connor's clothing in the process, then trotted back into the livingroom to lay down on his warm fluffy pillow in the corner of the room.

Unfazed by the cold water now drenching his clothing Connor just sighed as finished his task in the kitchen before retreating to his bedroom to think in private. Laying down on his bed with his arm tucked under his head Connor closed his eyes and thought about everything that he and his therapist had discussed regarding his previous experiences with his deviancy, as well as the extreme emotions he had endured - the deaths of his brother and his bondmate - and how he had nearly lost Hank and of his own near-death experiences.

However, his therapy sessions weren't all bleak and always reflecting his inner darkness. Connor had also reflected on the positive moments in his life too; his adoption, taking in Sumo from the shelter after the original Sumo passed away, his positive relationships with his friends and his family, his inner strength, his kindness, his compassion, and his incredible grasp of empathy. There was even talk of his redemption in the eyes of the deviants after he deviated and worked hard to atone for his past mistakes as CyberLife's weapon.

Just as Hank had told him back at the cabin, there will always be darkness and light in the world. One cannot exist without the other. And it was up to him how he chose to exist throughout his life - hiding in the darkness or embracing the light.

There was a lot going on in the deviant's mind and it seemed like he just needed help sorting it all out. And of course, his plans to create Skye Tower; a shelter for those who are lost and have nowhere else to go, was now his primary focus.

Connor turned his head and opened his eyes as he heard the bathroom door open and watched Hank step outside. The man still had a slight limp after enduring his major surgery go give him two new functioning kidneys, but he wasn't in as much pain as Connor had feared. Getting up from his bed Connor stepped into the hallway and watched as Hank sat down on the couch in the livingroom and pressed one hand to his lower back lightly as he also pressed his other hand against his abdomen to keep the fresh bandages still protecting his healing incision from slipping loose.

"Do you need assistance now?" The deviant asked as he joined Hank in the livingroom and observed his every movement carefully. "You appear to be uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine. I might need to pick up some more gauze tomorrow, but I can't be sure."

"If you like I can-" Connor stopped short and he gave the senior detective an odd look as an unexpected interruption caught his words in his throat. "...I just received an emergency text from Captain Fowler."

"What's up?"

"There is a jumper on the Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River. Captain Fowler's asking for my assistance in talking him down. I'm the only negotiator he knows who is still in the city."

"Ah, fuck."

"I have to go."

"Be careful, kid." Hank cautioned as the deviant cybernetically hailed an autonomous taxi and then slipped on his leather jacket and shoes by the backdoor to take his leave. "Don't let the jumper do anything that'll endanger you in the process."

"I will try to do my best. See you soon."

Flashing lights from police drones indicated the emergency situation taking place on the Ambassador Bridge. A news helicopter was also hovering over the famous bridge with its spotlight shining on the lone person of interest as they stood on the edge of the bridge threatening to jump down into the churning at any minute during that bleak, cold evening. Arriving at the bridge in an autonomous taxi to keep any additional traffic from cluttering the already stopped flow of cars on the bridge, Connor marched through the gathered crowd of curious and nosy onlookers toward where Captain Fowler was standing with his hand on his hip and a radio in his other hand.

Catching sight of the deviant pushing forward through the crowd Captain Fowler motioned for everyone to step aside and give Connor clearance to get to the scene of the incident as quickly as possible. The deviant's arrival was crucial for potential success.

"Thanks for coming." Captain Fowler shook Connor's hand and ducked his head down as a strong gust of cold wind howled over the bridge. The horrible winter weather was again proving to be a hindrance. "We can't get a hold of anyone else with any experience in negotiating and you're the first person I thought of."

"I understand." Connor shouted in response and looked to the person, a trembling man, standing on the edge of the bridge ready to jump. "How long has he been on the bridge?"

"About thirty minutes. He's cold, crazy and he has a gun." Handing Connor a Kevlar vest the deviant wisely slipped off his black leather jacket for a moment to wrap the protective barrier around his chest and hid it under the jacket to keep the man from seeing Connor as a threat. "We've done what we can but with the way he's brandishing that gun he may open fire in a panic if we get too close."

"What's his name?" Connor asked as he eyed the man from the distance. "I need some information on him to successfully negotiate."

"His name is Lloyd. From what we've been able to gather his husband walked out on him last summer and the holidays just brought out the worst in his depression making him both suicidal and desperate."

Nodding calmly Connor proceeded to walk closer to the man who was standing precariously on the slick and high metal railing of the bridge. With the gun in one trembling hand and his other hand grabbing onto a metal support structure to the bridge, Lloyd was shouting angrily and demanding the police to back away and for everyone to leave him alone. Pushing through his lingering fear of heights for the sake of saving a life, Connor took a deep breath and steeled himself for the inevitable negotiations that could result in a life saved or a life lost.

"Hello, Lloyd." Connor greeted in an even voice as he revealed himself amongst the crowd. "My name is Connor. I want to help you."

"Then GO AWAY!"

"I can't do that." The deviant refused to back down so easily just because Lloyd had already given up. "You need help, and I won't leave you alone without it."

Lloyd pointed the gun directly at Connor causing the gathered crowd to scream in fear and back away en mass. Fearless and determined, Connor lifted his hands into the air as if to surrender while also showing that he was unarmed as he took another step forward.

"I just want to talk, Lloyd. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Enough talk! I spent the whole year talking but he doesn't listen!" Lloyd shouted again as Connor approached him very slowly. "Leave me alone to die! I need to jump, and I'll shoot anyone who tries to stop me!"

"Lloyd, please don't do this." Nearing where the suicidal man was standing dangerously close to the edge of the bridge, Connor braced himself as another strong gust of wind howled and sent an icy chill into his body. The height mixing with the winter chill was enough to make Connor feel horrendous. "You don't want to die, you're just in pain. Trust me on this, I know what it's like to be standing on the edge of the abyss and having the abyss look back."

"Then you know the pain is unbearable!" Lloyd argued as the wind swept his blond hair about his face and made his bright brown eyes narrow. "I want it to stop! That's all I want... I just want it all to stop."

"I do know your current pain and how it feels unbearable." Reaching out to the suicidal man empathetically and physically Connor stood right before Lloyd at arm's length, ready to make a grab in the event the man tried to jump. Ignoring the height from which he was standing over the water Connor remained focused solely on Lloyd. "It seems that way right now, but you can overcome it. There are people who can help you and I'm one of them. You won't be alone anymore."

"You'll... You'll really help me?"

"Yes. I can see that you don't really want to die and that you don't want to hurt anyone. You're in pain and you miss your husband." Connor extended his hand and put it over the gun in Lloyd's grip to slowly lower it down to the ground in a non-aggressive manner. "But this isn't the solution."

"Please." Lloyd's eyes were wide with fear, confusion and adrenaline as he realized that Connor could see right through him. "...H-Help me."

"I will." Taking a single step back Connor removed the gun from Lloyd's grip and motioned for Lloyd to climb down and follow after him. "Come with me. I'll make sure you get some help."

As Lloyd began to slowly climb down from the bridge under his own freewill another gust of wind roared with an impressive strength and caused him to waver on his feet as he lost his balance and threatened to fall over the edge and into the river below. Connor moved quickly and managed to grab on to Lloyd's arm just below the wrist as the emotional man fell over the security railing toward the river below.

Despite his strength the slick surface caused Connor to slip forward as well as he tried to keep Lloyd from falling. Taking hold of the ice cold railing with his free hand Connor held tight and refused to let Lloyd fall into the river below. The two men were dangling above the dangerous water as Connor hung on to the bridge's railing with just one hand.

"I got you!" Connor stated firmly as he shifted all of his strength into his arm clinging to the bridge and proceeded to lift Lloyd up higher so the other officers could grab on to Lloyd's free hand. "There are cops on the bridge coming to help us. They'll pull you back up and get you your help."

Six other officers rushed to the edge of the bridge with lifelines and safety harnesses wrapped around their waists as they attempted to rescue the two people now hanging off the bridge and above the freezing, raging river. The harsh wind and icy surface made all maneuvering difficult from every angle.

"Hang on!" Swallowing his fear Connor forced himself to open his soulful brown eyes and look down with faux confidence at Lloyd as the terrified human struggled and gasped in righteous panic. "Lloyd, I'm going to pull you upward to the bridge and the other officers will pull you up to safety."

"I'LL FALL!" In a near panic Lloyd begged for his life and pleaded with Connor to save him. "DON'T LET GO!"

"I won't let you fall." Tightening his grip and shifting his strength to prioritize hoisting Lloyd higher up, Connor managed to heft Lloyd up and into the awaiting hands of the responding officers. "You'll be safe..."

True to his word Connor managed to lift Lloyd up high enough that the other officers were able to grab onto his arm, secure a safety harness around his waist, and pull him back over the bridge to safety. As the officers attempted to repeat the same process for Connor another dangerous gust of icy cold wind made Connor's hand lose its strength and he began slipping away from the frozen bridge despite his firm grip.

"You need to get back!" Connor cautioned as he calculated the odds of success versus failure regarding his own rescue. "You'll fall over the edge and into the river before you could pull me up."

"We're not going to leave you behind." One of the cops shouted over the wind as he and the other officers pulled Lloyd to safety. "We'll get you up in a minute."

"I'm sorry. I can't let you put yourself in harm's way. Don't blame yourself, and forgive me for doing this."

Unwilling to let the other officers risk their lives to save his own Connor closed his eyes and forced his hand to loosen its grip and he reluctantly let go of the bridge.

It was like slow motion as the deviant willingly fell from the bridge and began his long plummet to the cold, raging water below. Falling through the open air without any fear or care in the world, Connor managed to send a single cybernetic message to Hank just seconds before his body slammed through the hard surface of the churning cold water of the raging river.

In a matter of seconds he sank below the surface, down into the dangerously cold river water and out of sight to left at the mercy of the current.

The message was sent, and Connor was lost.

...'I'm okay.'

Courtesy of the news helicopters the events unfolding on the bridge spread over the city fast.

While sitting on the couch watching the news of the jumper on the bridge Hank felt his heart drop at the sight of Connor hanging off the bridge by one hand with the jumper in his other hand. But seeing Connor letting go and falling away into the murky abyss of the freezing river sent a chill of utter terror up his spine and swam over his every thought. The phone clutched tightly in Hank's hand 'buzzed' as Connor's message made it through, but Hank couldn't bring himself to look away from the television screen to read the message until the phone itself rang.

Looking down to check on the caller I.D. Hank saw the message, read it quickly, and ran a hand down his face as he answered the call from Captain Fowler.

"Jeffrey, I saw what happened, but listen, Connor sent me a message as he fell."

The man refused to just give up on Connor and believed the message that the deviant managed to send without question.

"Keep looking and you'll find him, I know it! He'll find a way to survive..."

'Hank, with the river that damn cold-'

"I know the odds of finding a survivor in the water this time of year, but you have to try!"

Hanging up the phone Hank tossed it to the end of the couch and let out a pained sigh.

"Just make it back home, son, and I'll call it a good Christmas. That's all I want this year."

Cold, dazed and surrounded by darkness, Connor fought against the strong river current as best as he could as his system sent dozens of warning messages into his visual processors. Dismissing them all he held his breath and refused to let any of the freezing water enter his artificial lungs as he remained submerged within the smothering Detroit River. Connor continued to move about wildly to prevent his Thirium lines from freezing up his joints or biocomponents, and causing him to sink to the bottom of the river. Thinking quickly Connor changed his tactic and rather than try to fight against the current he let it guide him through the river as he kicked as hard as he could to swim at an angle to the surface and to the shoreline instead.

As his hand broke through the surface of the water he reached out and found the frozen, sandy shore that lined the river and grabbed on tight to the motionless ground. Pulling himself out of the water and onto the bank Connor pushed himself up until he was kneeling on the shore with his arms wrapped protectively around his chest and abdomen to try to keep what little heat his body had retained from leaving his chilled form.

A sharp pain in his right side made Connor wince as a small alert indicating his lowered Thirium volume and core temperature appeared in his visual processors. The discomfort paled in comparison to his immediate worries regarding hypothermia. It was dark and Connor fought to cybernetically enable his G.P.S., but his intracranial processor was too cold to respond properly and was met with another error message.

Looking about quickly he took in his surroundings, finding trees and a dense snowy forest all around him. Turning his head back toward the river from whence he was carried the deviant's advanced vision detected the Ambassador Bridge almost eight miles away from his current location, which meant he was now on the shores of Canada.

"H-Hank."

Connor closed his eyes and tried to send another message cybernetically but again his processors were too cold to comply.

"...C-Cold."

Headlights shone over him as a pick-up truck pulled along the trees and came to a stop just a few yards away from where he was kneeling.

Unable to remain conscious Connor fell forward and onto his sore right side as he shivered violently. The sound of rushing footsteps approached him from the truck, but Connor didn't have the strength to turn his head to look up at the person who had approached him or to speak up.

A lone figure knelt down beside the downed deviant and a large strong hand rested on his arm.

"Don't worry, friend. I have you."

The voice was vaguely familiar, but in his moment of waning lucidity Connor couldn't place it. All he knew was the voice was male and belonged to an ally.

Strong arms managed to heft Connor up from the cold shore with surprising ease and carry him from the river and over to the truck. The last thing Connor was consciously aware of was the strong arms placing him down in the warm cab of the truck in the passenger seat and the door closing after he was carried to safety.

Everything else went dark and silent.

Pacing about the livingroom anxiously, one hand pressed to his sore back and the other hand running along the back of the couch to help him remain balanced, Hank stared at his phone resting untouched on the couch cushion waiting for any response from either Connor or Captain Fowler. Sumo was sitting in the middle of the livingroom watching Hank nervously as the senior detective restlessly strolled back and forth through the room with mounting impatience as he could only wait for an update from the outside world. The lack of updates was to be expected, but that didn't make it any easier to bear as the man waited for any sign of Connor surviving his fall and returning home where he belonged.

"C'mon, Jeffrey. Talk to me!"

Unable to stand the burning pain in his back any longer Hank sat down slowly on the couch and picked up his phone to hold onto it as tightly as possible.

"Or better yet, Connor. You said you're okay and I believe you, but I still need a little more than that to work on."

A text message appeared on his screen, but it wasn't from Connor or Captain Fowler, it was from Markus: 'Please call me'.

"Fuck..." Scrolling through his contacts Hank located Markus's name and pressed 'dial'. The line was answered quickly much to Hank's relief, though he had no idea why Markus wanted to speak with him. "Markus, what's going on?"

'Hank, I have news about Connor. One of our allies in Canada-'

"Canada!?"

'...Connor was found and he's safe.' Markus continued on after the unexpected outburst. 'He's still unconscious but he's with friends.'

"You're sure?!" It almost seemed too good to be true to know that Connor was okay and with trusted allies. "How do you know?!"

'Because our ally in Canada contacted me to let me know.'

"Connor is IN Canada right now?"

'Yeah. But we'll get him back-'

"The damn bridges are all closed off right now because of that idiot's stunt. You can't get him back right now."

'Then we'll wait until morning. Don't worry, he's going to be okay.'

"Yeah, no offense, but I'll believe you when I actually see him."

'No offense taken. I'll inform you on his condition throughout the night until he's back home.'

"Thanks. I appreciate it. And uh, sorry for snappin' at ya'."

'No apologies are necessary. Do you need anything right now?'

"Just a damn miracle."

Ending the call with a heavy heart Hank patted the side of his leg and called Sumo over to him where he was sitting on the couch. As the massive dog jumped up onto the couch to lay over Hank's legs the senior detective ran his hand along Sumo's back and let out a sigh.

"This has been one shitty year. The end can't come soon enough, huh, boy?"

Sumo snuggled down and offered Hank a single 'boof' to acknowledge the statement.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

A trio of voices, all familiar for one reason or another to the deviant detective, surrounded Connor and spoke softly as a warm compress was draped over his forehead with a gentle pressure. His river drenched leather jacket had been stripped away as were his waterlogged shoes and jeans. The deviant's t-shirt had been lifted up and slipped over his head to expose his chest and his abdomen as the bleeding injury to his right side was tended to and bandaged by a gentle pair of hands. Aware of a warm, soft pressure under his back and an even warmer sensation over his abdomen, Connor opened his tired eyes slowly to look at his new environment. A blurry face came into focus as they leaned down over Connor as the figure gingerly pressed a warm towel to the side of his face.

Of all the people to come to his rescue on that bleak winter night, Connor hadn't expected to see a friend he thought he'd never have the chance to meet again. At least not without there being a crisis involved or a need to navigate over the Canadian border.

"K-Kara?"

"Shh... You're okay, Connor." Kara whispered as she finished applying the last stitch to the massive cut stretching down from the right side of his chest at an angle down toward his right hip. "You didn't damage any of your biocomponents in the fall."

She soothed kindly as the deviant regained consciousness, and she then dabbed the fresh stitches with orange incrassation compound.

"You've been asleep for almost four hours. It took almost as long for you to warm up."

"H-How did..." Connor's memory was a blank after pulling himself out of the river and onto the riverbank. "I d-don't understand. How d-did I get here?" Glancing about Connor saw that he was in a warm livingroom that was full of holiday lights and decorations, and his legs were buried under three thick blankets. "Where am I?"

"Luther found you on the bank of the river and brought you back to our apartment to heal."

Lifting his head slightly Connor glanced about the somewhat the modest apartment for a second time. He was laying over a pure white sofa in a room that was a calm pale blue on the walls. There was a white chair in the corner with a coffee table and a lamp on top. A television was mounted on the far wall next to two bookshelves crammed full of human literature. The room was also decorated with a massive amount of shiny Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa decorations that gave the apartment a welcoming energy.

"Why am I here?"

Luther replied in a cool voice from where he stood in at the end of the hallway, watching as Connor regained consciousness. "You kept muttering something about not going to facilities while you were drifting in and out of consciousness. Besides, the apartment is almost fifteen minutes closer to the river than any small facility in the neighborhood. This was the safest alternative."

Connor's vision cleared and he then saw Luther standing just behind Kara with a kind smile on his face as they stood together. Alice was sitting in front a massive glowing green Christmas tree with some type of stuffed animal in her hands as she played with a tiny kitten around a collection of wrapped gifts.

The little girl wasn't as little as Connor remembered anymore. The nine-year-old girl was now twelve in age and very happy. Her escape from her abusive father and adoption by Kara and Luther had done wonders for her self-esteem, mental health and her overall wellbeing.

"Th-Thank you, Luther." Connor managed to croak out as he tried to sit upright on the couch. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, my friend."

"We saw the news report." Kara stated calmly as she lightly pushed Connor back by his shoulder until he was lying flat against the couch again. "And when we saw you fall into the river after saving that man, Luther decided to check along the riverbank in case he caught sight of you. That current is horrible."

"Yes. S-So I've experienced." Running a self-diagnostic Connor was greeted with numerous red error messages regarding his core temperature and of the partially frozen Thirium thawing in his lines throughout his joints and biocomponents. "Thank you for helping me."

"Of course. Once the bridges open back up, we'll get you back home."

"Hank." Connor suddenly seemed to remember the senior detective and his heart raced with worry. Closing his eyes Connor sent his father another text, quickly followed by a whole string of texts letting him know that he was okay and would return to the city as soon as he could. "...I hope he'll be all right by himself for the night."

"I'm sure he will." Kara stated kindly as she stopped fussing with the warm towel over Connor's face. "Why wouldn't he?"

"He's been ill. I don't want him to be alone for too long."

"Can anyone else take care of him?"

"I'm certain a friend has already checked in on him, but I still don't like it." Sitting up slowly on the couch Kara tried again to make him lay back down to prevent Connor from aggravating his injury, but Connor refused to relent and swung his cold legs over the edge of the couch. "Do you know if the man I helped on the bridge is all right?"

"According to the news he's fine, it's you everyone's worried about right now." Gently Kara put her hands on Connor's right side over the bandages before handing him his t-shirt and jeans. The clothing had dried thanks to towels and space heaters, which meant Connor didn't have to suffer the indignity of being stripped down for too long. "You struck something when the current was dragging you around, probably a sharp rock. If you move too much you might start to bleed again."

"...I'll be okay." Pressing his hand down over his bandaged side Connor gauged his pain threshold and hissed through his teeth as the pressure caused a sharp ache to burn in his side. "I won't move about."

Luther walked up behind Kara and put his strong hand on her shoulder kindly. "I'll inform the authorities that he's been found so they can call off the search and get him back home. I'm sure his family is worried about him."

"Good idea." Sitting down beside Connor on the couch Kara took the blanket that had draped over him and wrapped it around his slightly shivering shoulders to try to keep Connor comfortable as he slowly warmed back up. "I'm glad you're okay. And I'm also sorry about what happened a while back."

"You're referring to the riot and of what happened to-"

"Yeah." Kara replied quickly as she knew the bleak subject was still a sensitive matter. "It's awful. How're you doing?"

"I'm... I'm taking it one day at a time." Wanting to change the subject away from something so dreary Connor nodded to Alice who was smiling and playing with her kitten happily. As his vision cleared, he could see that the kitten was enamored with the shiny Christmas ornaments hanging all over the tree. "It seems you've managed to achieve a comfortable life outside of the city. I'm glad."

"Yes." Kara smiled as she turned her head to look at Alice with a motherly pride in her eyes. "Alice has adjusted well and is attending private school and she's happy. For the first time since that awful night that I had to become a deviant to save her, she's truly happy."

The bright colorful glow of the tall, thick green artificial tree gave the entire room a calming aura of love. Dozens of different colored and designed ornaments hung all over the branches, along with the red ribbon and silver tinsel. A bright golden star topped off the tree and produced an even brighter warm light above.

He wasn't sure why, but Connor really liked the sight of the glowing tree adorned with color and art.

Taking in the abundance of decorations from three unique holidays that were spread equally throughout apartment Connor's brow arched a little. "May I ask why you're celebrating three distinct holidays as opposed to selecting just one?"

"Because we love having a reason to celebrate. Once New Year's comes around, we'll celebrate that, too. Don't you celebrate the holidays?"

"Not really. No."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"You didn't. It's just that earlier Hank had asked me what I wanted to do for Christmas this year and I told him 'nothing'." The earlier reply left Connor wondering if he hadn't been too hasty in his hollow, indifferent answering. "And I think I inadvertently disappointed him with my answer."

"Why's that?"

"He hadn't celebrated Christmas since-" Stopping short to try to preserve the private man's pain regarding Cole's death Connor quickly found a more appropriate answer to give as he steadily warmed up. "It's just been a long time for him because of his work. We had a small Christmas last year and I think he wanted to have a slightly bigger one this year. But I... I just don't feel like celebrating."

"No one can blame you." Kara's compassion seemed to know no bounds. "Not after what you just went through."

"But it isn't fair to Hank." Connor tightened the blanket around himself sadly as he realized that his decision had also affected Hank. "He's been a great father to me and exceptionally patient with my deviancy. Hell, he's had health problems all year and never once complained about it because he knew it'd make me worry. I feel like I owe him this, but I also know he'd never say as much."

"It's not too late. I mean, you could still have a Christmas celebration if you wanted to."

"I believe that's what I'll do." Craning his neck a little as Luther returned to the livingroom Connor made his next decision and used the cover of the blanket to slip back on his t-shirt, carefully, and then his jeans without being too obvious. "I'll be sure to let Hank know how much I appreciate him and find the energy to celebrate with him."

"Connor, the authorities are waiting for you outside." Luther looked relieved to see the deviant conscious and fully alert. The fact that Connor was stable, talking and sitting up on his own were all good signs as well. "They'll take you over the bridge and back to the city."

"Thank you." Standing up on trembling legs Connor was then presented with his now dry leather jacket by Alice who smiled at him warmly. Taking the jacket and readily slipping it over his arms and zipping it up, he gave the young girl an appreciative nod. "And thank you."

"You're welcome." Alice beamed before she raced back to the tree to gently pick up the kitten and cuddle it in her arms. "I'm going to my room with Ginger to read now, mom."

Connor tilted his head a little after hearing Alice use the term 'mom' and then felt a sense of warmth spread in his chest. "Alice is a wonderful little girl. Be proud of her and of yourselves."

"We are." Kara confirmed as Luther wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her back into a hug. "And we'll always be here for her."

"Just as Hank and I will always be there for each other, as father and son."

Two officers appeared at the apartment door, one from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other was a familiar face, Officer Chris Miller. The moment the two officers appeared in the apartment Connor felt a twinge of relief and hope enter his heart.

"Hey, Connor. Man, that was one hell of save you pulled off tonight!" Chris complimented as he showed Connor to the door and eyed him warily for any sign of injury. It took Connor a moment to get his shoes back on, but he managed just fine on his own. "Glad to see you're still in one piece."

"Yes, I'm okay." Stopping just outside the apartment door Connor looked back at his friends and gave them his appreciation before leaving. "Kara, Luther, thank you for your help. You were there when I needed help the most and I'll never forget it."

"You're welcome." Kara smiled warmly as she and Luther stood in the door to see their friend off. "Have a Merry Christmas."

"Yes, I believe I will." Holding his palm to his sore side, Connor supported the laceration to ensure it didn't bleed again. "Merry Christmas."

Closing his eyes Connor sent another cybernetic message to Hank and followed the two officers to the shared squad car parked outside the apartment complex. He was finally on his way back to the house where he belonged.

'I'm coming home, dad.'

Dried off and slightly warmer than he had been after falling into the Detroit River, Connor arrived home via autonomous taxi after Chris escorted him back over the border and to the precinct to write a report and give a statement on the events that had transpired. Relieved to be home where it was safe, secure and warm, Connor proceeded to jog up the front walk to the front door to reunite with his father. As he pushed the front door open, he was greeted first by Sumo, who jumped up and put his paws against Connor's shoulders as he licked the side of his face, and then by Hank who pulled him inside the house with a strong right hand to the shoulder and locked the front door behind him.

Connor didn't even flinch when the hug put pressure on his aching side. Being hugged and welcome home overrode any sense of discomfort he had been feeling during the ride back to the city.

"Man, you really know how to scare the shit out of me!" Hank nearly shouted at the returned deviant. "You know that?"

"It wasn't my intention."

"I know, I saw. You saved that guy's life, by the way."

"That's good to know." Connor pushed Sumo down to the floor and eyed Hank's stilted movements warily. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just sore and scared shitless. So, normal." Hank sarcastically smiled as he sat back down on the couch and let out a deep sigh of relief upon seeing his son return home safe and unharmed. "How about you?"

"I'm cold and tired."

"Did you break anything when you fell?"

"No- Well, not entirely." Unzipping his jacket Connor lifted up his shirt to reveal the stitched-up wound in his side and pulled down the bandages slightly to show Hank the injury site. "I was able to withstand the harsh impact of the water with only this single wound, as well as secondary mild artificial subcutaneous hemorrhages."

"What?"

"Bruises."

"Oh. Just say that next time, okay?"

"I will."

"Fowler is hailing you as a hero and the city is cheering because you talked down a jumper just in time for the holidays. You did real good tonight, son."

"It was fortunate that something good came of tonight."

Joining Hank on the couch Connor pulled back down his shirt and shivered slightly. With a pat of his hand he called Sumo over to cuddle against his legs in an effort to get warmer.

"Hank, er, dad..." Connor tried to get used to calling him 'dad' now that they were no longer partners at the precinct and he no longer had to be so selective with his chosen terms. "I was wondering if it was too late to change my mind."

"About what?"

"Christmas."

"Oh." Hank's eyes lit up a little as he spoke. "You want to do something now?"

"Yes. I can honestly say that I do want to celebrate Christmas this year."

"What changed your mind?"

"I was rescued by Luther at the river, and he took me to the apartment that he and Kara live in with Alice as their daughter. They were very kind."

"Those are the allies Markus told me about." Hank smiled with utter relief resonating in his voice at the safe return of his son. "I'm glad they saved you."

"I am, too."

"What was it about them that changed your mind, son?"

"They are celebrating all of the holidays simply because they enjoy celebrations." Petting Sumo's back Connor contemplated how the brightness and warmth of Kara's livingroom gave everything a cheeriness that he hadn't experienced before. "It seems to make them... happy."

"Now I get it. You want to find what makes you happy." The senior detective clapped Connor's shoulder in understanding and gave the timid deviant an approving smirk before pulling the blue blanket from the back of the couch down to drape around Connor's shoulders. "All right, we'll celebrate Christmas together as a family this year. How do you want to do this thing?"

Looking at the relatively empty and dark corner of the livingroom Connor gave the opened space a subtle nod of his head. They were missing decorations and holiday cheer as a whole. Yet it seemed Connor knew of a simple enough remedy.

"Can we get a tree? You know, just to have some a decoration."

"Sure." With a flash of a smile Hank turned to look at the dull corner of the livingroom where the old Christmas tree used to sit all those years ago back when he still had his late wife and late firstborn son to decorate with him. It needed to be lit up and decorated again. "We can go look for a new tree tomorrow morning. Sound good to you kid?"

"Yes, that sounds good." Agreeing wholeheartedly Connor slumped down a little and sighed as he relaxed and felt at ease for the first time in weeks. He wasn't over the loss of his bondmate, but it was getting easier to keep living and moving forward. "I think that'd be a good time to start trying to enjoy the holidays."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You put it into storage for safekeeping." Standing up slowly Connor took a step back and eyed the names that had been sewn into the fabric neatly and almost perfectly by hand: Sophia and Harold - Hank's maternal grandparents, Patricia and Lucas - Hank's parents, 'Henry' - Hank's full name, Barbara and Cole - Hank's late wife and late firstborn son. No names were overlooked. "The craftsmanship in the design is exemplary. Was it taken to a professional seamstress to be embroidered?"

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

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

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

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

"How do you figure?"

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

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

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

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

"Agreed." Connor was aware that despite Sumo being house-broken that his instincts to mark his territory could still be prevalent. "He was quite interested in the tree despite it being artificial."

"We'll also pick up a new chew toy to distract him."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was as if he had been given a new mission and he was determined to accomplish that very mission no matter how long it took or how illogical it seemed.

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

The way the two detectives were acting as if decorating for the holidays was an everyday thing was a little fascinating. It was almost as if Connor had gone through the entire Christmas season before and didn't need any guidance, and it was as if Hank had never skipped a Christmas celebration his entire life.

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

"What about the star?"

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

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

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

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

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

"What if they fall?"

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

"Do we replace it?"

"Only if you want to. Relax, kid." Hank knew it was important to let Connor learn about and celebrate Christmas at his own pace, especially while still grieving for his lost loved ones. "It's not like we signed an insurance waver or something after buying some ornaments."

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

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

"Nuts?"

"Figure of speech." It was hard to not smirk at the sweetness of Connor's naivety sometimes. "Just go ahead and start putting the ornaments on the tree however you want."

Moving slowly and carefully, as if afraid he'd shatter the ornaments or maybe even damage the tree, Connor began placing on the remaining five blue ornaments one by one on different branches; each of the six perfectly spaced out from one another. After he finished with his delicate placement Connor stepped back and looked to Hank for his approval.

"Is that acceptable?"

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

Peering into the kitchen Hank watched as Sumo chewed on his new blue colored tug-of-war rope over top his massive paws and laid under the kitchen table with his tail wagging happily. The way the dog was more interested in the toy than the tree gave Hank hope that he wouldn't need to do anything to bar Sumo away from the tree until after New Year's Day.

"Sumo's happy." Hank stated casually as he watched Connor meticulously picking the next branch to hang his ornament. "You should be, too."

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

"It's been years since I've had a Christmas tree up during the holidays. I didn't realize how much I missed having one until recently. The quieter Christmases we shared were great, but they weren't festive enough." Hank folded his arms over his chest as he watched Connor placing each ornament perfectly on the tree in balanced spaces. "You're a natural at decorating."

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

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

"Here, son."

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

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

Holding the star carefully in both hands Connor reached up and placed it firmly over the very top of the tree and connected the power plug to the end of the lights that spiraled upward to that very top along the body of the tree. Lowering his hands slowly Connor made sure the star wasn't going to fall and that everything was in its proper place as he pressed his palm to his still sore but readily healing side.

"...It's secured."

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

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

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

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

"Ribbon and tinsel?"

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

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

"What's that?"

"Don't go overboard." The man was hoping that his comment would help inspire some Christman spirit within the deviant via reverse-psychology. "I don't need a bunch of stuff cluttering up the house. It gets messy enough as it is with just me and Sumo; you know, since you're such a neat-freak and all."

"I will remain on a modest budget."

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

"Work my way up?"

"For the next Christmases that follow. We can add a few lights outside or something next year." Shrugging his shoulders casually Hank adjusted one of the ornaments that he had hung on the tree and gave Connor a somewhat annoyed side-eye. "And don't let Tina know we're starting to decorate. She's too much of an energetic sprite this time of year, and I know she's going to go WAY overboard this year because it's her niece's first Christmas."

"I see." Connor sat down beside the emptied ornament boxes on the couch and stared at the tree with quiet contemplation that was visible on his face. "I'll consider your words and do my best to not mess anything up."

"Son, what's bothering you?"

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

"I think I do."

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

"It's okay to be sad during the holidays."

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

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

"May I ask why?"

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

"Barbara and Cole."

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

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

"Yeah... You got it."

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

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

"I'm just not ready to smile."

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

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

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

"Thank you."

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

"Hey, Markus."

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

"I was wondering, are you were doing anything special in about two weeks? I could use a little help."

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

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

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

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

"More space for what?"

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

"I wasn't expecting anyone, and it's too late for a delivery. I hope nothing is wrong."

Opening the door slowly Connor was surprised to see Rose and Adam standing on the front step with smiles on their faces and small containers of prepared food in their hands. Such a sight meant that something good was happening and there was no emergency.

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

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

"...Merry Christmas."

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

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

From the kitchen Hank called out to the arrived guests with an uncommonly upbeat tone of voice. "Good timing, help me in the kitchen! I need your skills to make this meal perfect!"

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

"Markus?"

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

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

"Sorry about dropping by unannounced. It was Hank's idea."

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

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

"You celebrate Christmas?"

"Sure." Such an activity was something that Markus had a lot of experience with. "Every year when I was with Carl. That's how he managed to teach me so much about humans."

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

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

Hank walked out of the kitchen as the four deviants walked in. Giving Connor a somewhat smug glance he quietly addressed the deviant with an arm over the shoulder and a fatherly tone to his voice.

"We both need this, kid. Trust me."

"What is it we need exactly?"

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

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

"I know, son." Hank completely understood Connor's struggles and wanted to help him in any way that he could. "That's why I decided to do something a little out of character for the sake of trying to make a good change."

"How so?"

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

"...Family."

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

"I think I understand."

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

"Who?"

As if waiting for their cue the doorbell rang once more and Connor promptly answered the door while Hank stood back and watched.

"Abby. Gavin." The sight of the usually abrasive detective was particularly strange to Connor as they've never been friends and were just barely on friendly terms as it was while at the precinct. "I assume you've also accepted Hank's invitation."

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

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

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

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

"The feeling is mutual. Please, come in."

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

Closing the door slowly Connor turned to look at the kitchen now crowded with friends and family, but still somehow felt a little empty inside. Putting his hand down on Sumo's head Connor rubbed the giant dog's ears softly and took a deep breath without any pain since his side has long since healed.

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

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

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

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

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

"Good boy, Sumo. Take your time."

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

"Connor?" North approached him from the side yard and joined Connor on the deck. Leaning against the banister atop her arms North looked up as well and spoke to her friend in the most casual manner. "The party is inside the house; you know that right?"

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

"Are you all right?"

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

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

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

"And you've been out here for almost twenty minutes already. I noticed after only five."

"Oh. Sorry, I must've-"

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

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

"And ours, too."

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

"How so?"

As Connor's eyes finally fell from the night sky somberly, he remained quiet and just watched as Sumo rolled about like a furry fool in the snow. He wasn't quite sure how to explain it or admit to his bonding with Skye.

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

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

"And Lucas was one of the kindest, most compassionate deviants that I've ever known. He was proof that any deviant can be redeemed; especially when their only crime is existence." North let out an unseen breath as she admitted that her past judgement of both Lucas's character and purpose. "I was wrong about him when he was first reactivated, but now I can't imagine where New Jericho would be right now if he hadn't been there to help us."

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

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

"I didn't want to see Markus living a life of regret and emotional turmoil." Connor replied humbly as he acknowledged North's comments. "I did what any friend would do when assisting in a crisis."

"We don't want to see you living a life of misery, either. Now it's our turn to give you that courage that you gave to us while you're going through your own crisis."

"I don't understand."

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

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

"It doesn't mean that there's a time limit or a schedule just because you need to wait." With a mindful motion North rested her hand on Connor's forearm to provide her friend with some physical comfort. "You know that."

"I'm sorry." It was hard to admit what he was enduring, let alone admit to how it was making him feel. "It just feels like I'm somehow letting Skye down because I can't seem to move forward without her."

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

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

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

"He already knows that I'm upset."

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

"...No." Realizing that North knew more about his and Skye's relationship than she was letting on, Connor sighed and admitted that she was right. "I suppose that I haven't. I don't want him to be worried about me or sad during the holidays. He's survived so much tragedy and pain already; the last thing he needs is me adding anything to it."

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

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

"Come on, boy."

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

"Back inside. Our friends are waiting for us."

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

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

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

"Yeah, and don't be a stranger at the tower, okay?" Reciprocating the handshake Markus made sure Connor knew he had utmost loyalty from his friends. "Stop by every now and then."

"I'll keep that in mind."

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

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

"...No. It was just unexpected." Connor turned around slowly to face Hank and sat down on the couch as his emotional exhaustion wore him down. As he settled in Hank tossed the towel down on the counter and reached for something hidden in the cabinet above the microwave. "However, it was nice to see everyone."

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

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

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

"I used an old contact at the newspaper and asked them to give me the original photograph. I know having my family photographs back in sight helped my mind to heal immensely, and I thought it couldn't hurt to try it with you. "

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

"...Thank you for this." Connor traced his fingertip over the glass over Skye's smiling face causing his tears to well up all over again. This time they were tears of joy, not sorrow. "I mean it."

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

"That was thoughtful of her."

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

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

"C'mon, son, don't get smart with me." The man knew they were making progress, and he didn't want to see Connor push him away again. "Did you need to get some fresh air or something?"

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

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

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

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

"And Lucas. For some reason her death made me remember and relive the pain of losing Lucas. I haven't been able to talk to Lucas in my dreams as of late." Being alone and in mourning had left Connor feeling far more vulnerable than he thought possible. "It's like I'm in so much pain that he can't connect because he doesn't want to be in pain, too."

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

"...Bondmate."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"...I believe you."

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

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

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

"Merry Christmas, dad."

"Merry Christmas, son." Holding Connor in his warm embrace Hank felt his own heavy heart begin to lighten. "Don't lose sight of hope now that you've found it again."

-next chapter-