Standing before the full length mirror that was situated in the back wall of his closet Connor pulled down the lapels of his gray blazer to smooth out the small wrinkles and lifted his hand up to his black tie to tighten the knot around the collar of his white dress shirt. Staring at his reflection Connor felt more at ease with himself than he had in the past four months after losing his dearest friend, his bondmate, to violence. The familiarity of his uniform, with the exception of his old gray CyberLife issued blazer finally being permanently replaced by the gray suit blazer that Hank had given him, was enough to settle Connor's mind and he knew that returning to the precinct was in fact the right choice.

It only took a few moments for Connor to psyche himself up before heading out to the precinct for the first time in months. Deep down in his core Connor knew that resuming his career as a detective was the right move, he just wasn't sure exactly why. A gut feeling was always peculiar to the still developing deviant.

"You ready to go?" Hank asked as he knocked on the opened door frame of Connor's bedroom and peered inside the space. Smiling at the sight of the deviant donning his old uniform made Hank feel truly proud of his son for overcoming a huge emotional obstacle in his life and finding the strength to move forward. "Uniform still looks good on you, kid."

Turning to face Hank with a sense of renewed confidence in his soulful brown eyes, Connor grabbed the leather gun holster from the foot of his bed and tucked it into the blazer pocket to be placed on later after he received his service weapon. Speaking with Hank as he fed his fish, the aquarium now a little fuller thanks to Skye's fish joining the school, Connor felt entirely confident and steadfast in his decision.

"I'm grateful that Captain Fowler agreed to allow me to return." Putting the canister of flakes aside, Connor decided it was time to return to the precinct and admit to what was really on his mind. "But I imagine my return will be unusual."

"Why's that?"

"I left without warning and refrained from communicating with the precinct after my departure." Tentatively Connor approached Hank and waited for his rebuttal toward his righteous hesitation. "I fear that the precinct will be unable to trust me due to my abrupt disappearance and I know that the mistrust is founded."

"Son, you're trusted. No one blames you for needing to walk away from the job for a while." The experienced detective understood emotional and mental burnout better than anyone else. "It happens more often than people realize."

The tone of Hank's words sounded so sure, so experienced. It was as if Hank was revealing another part of his past. "...Did you walk away?"

"I wanted to, but I had Cole. I had to stay so that I could take care of him." Crossing his arms somewhat defensively over his chest Hank tilted his head slightly as he spoke. "That might be why I ended up in such a dark place for so long. I didn't take the time to take care of myself because I was taking care of someone else for so long." Flashing Connor a knowing glance he cleared his throat a little before continuing with his point. "Remind you of someone you know?"

"Perhaps." As the corner of his mouth twitched a little Connor replied in an innocent manner. "...Are you referring to my stubborn behavior?"

"Yup."

"I am attempting to be more amiable, but it is a difficult adjustment."

"Well, at least you're trying." Stepping out of the bedroom Hank called out to Connor as he walked down the hallway to get to the livingroom and the car keys on the bookshelf. "Come on. Sumo's been taken care of, your fish are fed, and I don't want you to be late for your first day back on the job."

Thanks to Hank's invaluable words of wisdom and his own confidence returning to him as he set about his day, Connor held no shame and only a trace of guilt as he cybernetically filed his paperwork to reestablish his career as a detective while en route to the precinct. With his head held high and Hank walking right at his side Connor returned to the Central Precinct to speak to Captain Fowler in person just as planned. As he walked through the bullpen to reach Captain Fowler's private office on the far side of the bullpen, Connor could feel the many curious eyes of the other officers and detectives staring at him, and he could hear the muttering gossip spreading upon his return.

Ignoring all the curious words Connor made his way to the office while Hank took his seat at his desk and his terminal as per usual. Knocking twice on the closed glass door, Connor let out a slow breath and prepared for the conversation.

"Captain?" Connor opened the office door slowly and peered inside at his commanding officer. "May I come in?"

"Connor, it's good to have you back." Waving Connor over to his desk Captain Fowler unlocked and then opened up his desk drawer where he retrieved Connor's old badge and gun, and then placed the items back down over the surface of the desk for Connor reclaim. "It hasn't been the same without you."

"Thank you for allowing me to return." Slipping off his blazer for a moment Connor pulled the holster from the pocket and slipped it on over his shoulders and fastened it around his waist. As he slipped the gun protectively into the holster Connor pocketed his badge and replaced his blazer over top just as he would any other shift. "I appreciate the second chance to prove myself."

"Sit down for a moment."

Unsure of what to expect Connor obediently took the offered seat across from Captain Fowler's desk and sat down with perfect posture.

"As much as I'm glad you're back, I have to ask you something very important." Leaning back in his chair a little Captain Fowler rubbed his hand over his smooth chin as he studied the deviant's behavior very closely. "Are you ready to return to the field?"

"Yes." The answer was quick and bore no hesitation whatsoever. "I am confident that this is the correct course of action. I'm ready."

"And working with Hank?"

"I would prefer to remain as his partner for as long as it's permitted."

"That won't be a problem for a few more months, but if something were to befall one of your fellow officers, are you willing to be reassigned to another partner and perform your job accordingly?"

"Yes. I have no qualms toward anyone in the precinct."

"That's good to hear, but do they feel the same about you?"

"That-" Pausing for only a moment Connor knew that the question was completely founded and needed an honest response. "That has yet to be seen, and I had previously considered the possibility of severed trust." Connor admitted with a somewhat timid voice. "I will not allow personal grievances to interfere with my work and I will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of my colleagues."

"Good answer."

"Thank you, sir."

"For what it's worth, I think you did the right thing when you left."

"Interesting." Watching as Captain Fowler's body language remained consistent Connor realized the comment was either one of respect or a sleight remark toward his previous performance as a detective. "Do you think I should've stayed away?"

"No, not at all. What I mean is, you taking the time to sort things out and take care of yourself for a few months was the best thing that you could've ever done for yourself. You need to learn to take care of yourself and not always put the job over your health."

"I see. Hank told me a similar statement this morning."

"He's not wrong." Now leaning forward Captain Fowler rested atop his arms over the surface of his desk as he reassured Connor of his previous decision. "If anyone tries to give you shit for doing what you had to do in order to mourn and get your thoughts sorted through after a traumatic experience, then ignore them. They're the ones who can't differentiate between the job and their lives outside of the precinct. It's important to have a life outside of your career."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Go check your terminal for a new case." Turning in his chair Captain Fowler picked up a tablet and began reading it over as he set about his own tasks. "You're dismissed."

Connor nodded graciously as he stood up to take his leave of the office. Crossing through the office still feeling confident in his decision Connor knew that he had in fact made the right choice.

"And one more thing..."

Connor stopped short with his hand on the office door's handle ready to open it as he turned to look at his commanding officer behind him. "Yes, Captain?"

"Welcome back, Lieutenant."

"Thank you again, sir." Unable to smile despite the positive remark all Connor could do was nod once to respectfully acknowledge his commanding officer. "It's good to be back."

Stepping out of the office Connor made his way over to his old desk to reunite with Hank and was promptly greeted by Gavin with the younger detective's usual form of abrasive charm. Connor already knew that he was going to be the center of bullpen gossip, he just hoped to not have to deal with it until he at least had his first lunch break after returning.

"Hey, 'Tinman'!" Gavin shouted as he tossed a black colored garment over to the deviant. "Catch!"

Connor caught the item that Gavin had tossed to him with both hands and gave it an odd once-over. "...Kevlar?"

"Welcome back." The smug man stated firmly as he took his seat at his own desk across from Tina and ignored his partner rolling her eyes at him. As he flashed the deviant a smarmy grin he leaned back in his chair and began fussing with his phone - texting Abby no doubt - and offered one final piece of advice before he turned away from Connor to go about his own business. "Don't get yourself killed, all right? I don't think your partner has the patience to break-in another deviant, and you seem to be a bullet magnet."

"...I will do my best to avoid needing to use this."

Dropping the vest down onto the floor and tucking it under his desk Connor sat down across from Hank and turned on his terminal without another word. He didn't have anything to say to anyone about anything. He'd let his work and overall ethic speak for themselves.

"So, you're good?" Hank asked with faux disinterest in his voice as he eyed the boring details of a report on his own terminal screen. "No problems?"

"I'm in the clear." Identifying the same report that Hank had been reading over Connor gave the senior detective a calm glance. "I'm ready to go out into the field whenever you are, Captain."

"Damn right." The lack of fear in Connor's voice gave Hank his own sense of renewed confidence as he gave Connor an approving smirk. "All the same, it's good to hear, Lieutenant."

Sitting together in the Pace as Hank proceeded to eat his lunch, Connor remained in cybernetic contact with the precinct as additional reports were filed regarding possible deviant related crimes as he wanted to stay on top of his caseload. A majority of which reports were simply cases of mistaken identity by humans and not an actual crime, and others were angry humans who were unhappy with deviants legally purchasing homes in their neighborhood and they were simply causing problems due to paranoia. After being informed of their own crime in abusing emergency services the humans quickly stopped their false reports, and it greatly lessened the potential caseload that Connor and Hank would otherwise have to sift through.

It was a relatively calm and quiet day, but Connor felt as if he needed to keep his guard up. Whether that was from nervousness or him needing to re-adapt to his role as a detective, he couldn't say for certain. All he knew was that whenever he felt nervous his gut was often correct in the worst ways possible.

"Anything good come in, yet?" Hank asked in between bites of his extra juicy hamburger; Connor's treat to commemorate his return to the precinct. The same could be said about Connor actually putting on the Kevlar vest that had been joking thrown to him earlier in the day. "Or is it the same bullshit as before?"

"There have been no substantial reports that are worth our investigation." Fussing with the bulletproof vest over his chest much to Hank's dismay Connor sighed and pulled his coin out of his jean pocket to fidget with instead. "The only case of immediate interest is that of a graffiti artist who is tagging older, abandoned buildings with murals of the city from the 1920's. The most likely suspect is in fact a deviant due to the speed and accuracy in which the murals are depicted."

"Yeah, I don't care about some fresh paint on the sides of some ugly-ass buildings." Finishing his lunch Hank leaned back in his seat behind the wheel and turned on the radio. After selecting a station with a decent song playing Hank turned up the volume enough to hear the music without having to shout in order to keep the conversation going. "We have better things to do than harass some artist covering up the shitty side of town with something more attractive."

"I agree. There are far more-" Connor's brow suddenly furrowed and he turned off the music as Hank's police radio clipped to the senior detective's belt sounded off. Dispatch was asking for assistance at the scene of an ongoing investigation. There was a dangerous situation happening and only four blocks from Connor and Hank's current location. "Code thirty. Officer down."

"Fuck." Turning the key in the ignition Hank pulled the car away from the side of the street and back onto the road. "Where?"

"One moment." Connor cybernetically uploaded the address in Hank's G.P.S. and directed him to the scene. "Four blocks east of our location. Take a right and enter the main drive of the abandoned textiles plant."

"Do we know who it is?"

Pausing for a moment Connor slipped his coin back into his pocket and answered the question in a dour tone. "...Tina is the one who called in the code."

"Shit... Fuckin' shit!" Hank's face visibly paled as he realized the gravity of the situation. "Gavin."

The senior detective sped up slightly as he grabbed his radio and issued commands to get the roads cleared up as much as possible while checking the E.T.A. of the responding ambulance. Putting his radio aside Hank focused entirely on the road but asked Connor for updates.

"Do we know what happened?"

"Gavin and Tina were investigating a report of a breaking and entering, and they had apparently caught the lone suspect in the act. The suspect was also armed."

"...Fuck." Speeding up a little more Hank immediately thought about how close Gavin was to becoming a first-time father, and how hard everything would become for his family if his wounds proved fatal. "If he dies before that baby is born-"

"He won't." Connor declared firmly in the same manner that Hank himself would've stated. Hank having lost his own wife and being left to care for his late son alone had left the senior detective with a bit of a bias and a slight emotional chip on his shoulder when it came to his fellow officers being wounded in the line of duty, especially when they still had families to take care of. "Tina is with him and help is already on the way. The ambulance is currently four minutes and twenty-two seconds out, and we are less than one minute away."

"Can you get in contact with Tina?"

"Negative." Noting the rather grim facade of the textile plant as Hank sped down the drive, Connor braced himself for the worst possible scenario in the event that Gavin had indeed been wounded and was bleeding out. "I believe Tina has lost her radio or it had been damaged after she made the call."

"...Or her hands are too busy to answer."

The car came to a screeching stop in the parking lot of the abandoned factory and the two detectives threw open their doors with purpose behind the swift motions. Guns already drawn the duo checked the scene for any sign of the armed suspect still in the area, but they had long since fled the scene of the shooting. Connor's scanner detected two human lifeforms just inside the factory's main doors on the ground floor, not three.

One of the two humans had erratic, adrenaline fueled vital signs, while the second displayed weak vital signs and was clearly in distress.

"It's clear." The deviant holstered his gun as he rushed over to the duo inside the door and announced his presence to ensure that Tina didn't open fire on the two arriving detectives. "Detroit Police."

As he and Hank entered the ground floor of the factory they saw Tina kneeling over Gavin, who was laying on his back and in a puddle of growing crimson red blood. The wounded officer was deathly pale even from the distance, and to make matters worse, he wasn't moving.

"Officer Chen." Connor observed Tina on the cold floor with her hand pressed down over Gavin's lower right chest and upper right abdomen in an attempt to apply pressure to what was surely the bullet wound in the reported shooting. Blood was pooling on the floor at Gavin's right side, and the detective's face was frightfully pale with a gray hue that was often indicative of impending death. "How long have you been applying pressure?"

"Six minutes, at least."

Tina didn't dare to move her blood soaked hand and lighten up on the pressure she was applying to the wound in the upper right portion of Gavin's abdomen. The younger detective's blood was soaked clear up Tina's sleeve all the way to her neck as the bullet caused a massive gush of blood when it struck him.

"His damn vest failed on him!" Motioning to the unzipped and blood drenched Kevlar vest that had been torn from Gavin's chest, she muttered something about lazy manufacturing. "He's barely conscious and I can't get him to talk to me."

Connor ran a more thorough biometric scan as he slipped off his blazer and folded it up neatly in his hands. As he tucked the garment under Gavin's head Connor was aware of the detective's labored, rapid breathing and his equally rapid thready pulse. Locating the source of the bleed Connor glanced back over his shoulder toward Hank as the senior detective stood by the factory's entrance and called in an update on the situation on his radio.

"Single bullet wound to the upper right quadrant of the abdomen." The deviant observed calmly. "It passed through the ninth and tenth costal cartilage of his ribs and has become embedded in his liver."

"Fuck, that's bad." Swearing for a moment Hank radioed the incoming paramedics and the hospital staff who were already aware of the shooting to give them a critically needed heads-up. "What can you do for him?"

"Not much, but I will try to keep him stable." Moving on autopilot Connor pressed his fingertips to the side of Gavin's neck to count his pulse more directly as he called his name, but the wounded detective failed to respond. Suddenly Gavin let out a weak panting breath and his body went entirely completely lax under Tina and Connor's hands. "Gavin?"

Even from the distance Hank saw Gavin's chest fall and failed to rise again. "He stopped breathing."

"Gavin?" Connor failed to detect the human's pulse beneath his fingertips and quickly pressed his hand down over top of the detective's stopped heart. No respiration, no heartbeat. "He's gone into full cardiac arrest."

Moving automatically as instinct took over his every being, Connor placed one hand over top of the other and interlaced his fingers together to create a single fist. As he began compressing the center Gavin's chest, Tina applied more pressure to Gavin's bleeding chest, but her strength was wearing out fast. Hank quickly noticed and took over applying the pressure while he counted the compressions being applied to the downed officer's chest.

"Breathe."

Hank ordered as Tina, without needing to be told to do so, tilted Gavin's head back, straightened his neck, lowered his bottom jaw and pinched his nose shut as she pressed her lips to his without hesitation. She delivered the needed two breaths that made his chest weakly rise and fall under Connor's hands as Gavin failed to take a third breath under his own power. As the second round of compressions ended Hank issued the command again as a means of keeping control of the otherwise chaotic scene.

"Don't break the rhythm." Connor shook his head a little as he scanned Gavin's chest and grimaced at his stunted heart barely responding to the motions caused by his hands. "Please, Gavin. You need to revive. You have a family that you need to protect."

The sound of ambulance sirens quickly filled the air and then silenced as the emergency vehicle backed up toward the factory doors and two paramedics jumped down from the back with a gurney being wheeled between them. Police drones circled over the building to set up a perimeter and provide additional protection to the four officers inside the old plant.

"Cardiac arrest!" Hank shouted as the duo of somewhat familiar paramedics encroached on the downed detective. "Two rounds of compressions, no sign of response. Starting the third round now."

Swarming over Gavin quickly the dark haired male paramedic, Johnny, took Tina's place and placed an ambubag over Gavin's nose and mouth and proceeded to breathe for the dying detective. The female paramedic, Dixie, proceeded to tear open Gavin's dark green t-shirt to fully expose his bloodied abdomen and chest beneath. Attaching the wireless leads of the cardiac monitor to Gavin's chest the display on the monitor showed a very weak ventricular fibrillation as Gavin's heart fought to beat on its own again.

"We need to defibrillate." Dixie stated as she placed the wireless defibrillator paddles and secondary sensors down over the center of Gavin's chest under Connor's compressing hands and at the left apex of the stopped heart. They needed to get a steady heartbeat if they were going to save Gavin from death. "Charging to three hundred Joules. Everyone clear."

Reluctantly Hank removed his hand from Gavin's abdomen and Connor pulled back his fists as the two detectives allowed the paramedics to continue tending to Gavin while Hank then set about taking care of Tina. Though seasoned and tough, Tina was very good friends with Gavin - almost like siblings - and it pained her to see her partner and honorarly big brother so close to death at her feet and covered in his own blood.

"Come on, Tina." Hank lightly patted her arm and coaxed her into taking a step back from where her partner was laying on the floor. "You know Gavin better than any of us. There's no way he's going to let a fuckin' bullet stop him."

"Clear?" Dixie asked her partner, and he confirmed after applying a pressure bandage over the deadly wound. "The charge is ready."

"I'm clear."

"All right..." Holding her fingers over the charge release button on the defibrillator Dixie prepared to send the potentially lifesaving charge through Gavin's struggling heart. "Clear!"

Gavin's body slightly arched up from the ground and fell back down with a subtle 'thud' against the cold concrete floor of the factory. The two paramedics checked the monitor and saw the same weak heart rhythm on the display as Gavin's body remain cold and unresponsive.

"No conversion. Sending another shock." Repeating her actions from before Dixie pressed the charge button and announced the action. "Clear."

Once more Gavin's body reacted with a somewhat violent physical reaction to the jolt of electricity. As his body dropped back down on the hard floor there was still no change in his condition.

"Shit." Dixie openly swore as she reached into the medical kit and retrieved a syringe containing adrenaline while Johnny continued to breathe for Gavin via the ambubag. "Intracardiac injection."

Holding her hand down firmly against Gavin's chest over his stopped heart Dixie held his left pectoral muscle as steady as possible before using an alcohol wipe to sterilize his skin and then plunged the needle down into his stilled chest. With the press of her thumb against the release trigger the lifesaving drug was administered directly into his failing heart

"Adrenaline in."

The sight of the needle entering Gavin's chest made Tina turn away as a sickening knot formed in her stomach. Hank sensed her discomfort and tightened his hand on her arm without anyone seeing the comforting gesture. Connor just stood back and biometrically scanned Gavin's body, watching in real time as the needle pierced through his skin, his muscle and entered his quivering heart with a frighteningly easy effort.

"All right, increasing charge to three-hundred and sixty Joules." After adjusting the defibrillator Dixie prepared to send the third charge. "Clear?"

"Clear."

Pressing the button on the intricately designed emergency medical device, the stronger third jolt of electricity surged through Gavin's heart and caused his back to arch up slightly higher and then drop back down for the third time. A faint 'blip' sounded off through the empty factory as the cardiac monitor began to register Gavin's heart beating once. Another 'blip' followed by a third and fourth filled the tense air as Gavin's heart began to beat again on its own.

"Got a pulse." Pressing her fingertips to the side of Gavin's neck Dixie was able to detect a palpable carotid pulse. "Rapid and thready."

Tina let out a silent sigh of pure relief as well as a silent 'thank you' to whatever holy deity might be watching over them right at that moment.

"We need to move him." Dixie then responded as she checked the bloodied pressure bandage over Gavin's chest. Slipping a blood pressure cuff around Gavin's bicep she noted his low blood pressure as the wrap tightened automatically, and she then prepared to start an I.V. in his opposite arm. "He's lost a lot of blood and is slipping into hypovolemic shock."

Connor knelt down again and helped the paramedics lift Gavin up from the floor and place him down carefully onto the gurney. Johnny slipped an oxygen mask over Gavin's face and placed the cardiac monitor down on the gurney next to Gavin's side to keep hit vitals under constant check as he was wheeled out of the factory and into the back of the awaiting ambulance.

Staring at the puddle of red blood on the floor Connor retrieved his blazer and picked up the failed Kevlar vest that has been left behind in the wake of the shooting. "I will have the vest examined to determine why it failed."

"Come on, Connor." Lowering his voice as if needing to keep something a secret Hank addressed his deviant partner calmly. "Right now we need to go to the hospital and be with Gavin."

"Right, of course." Connor discreetly placed the Kevlar vest under his folded blazer to hide the blood from Tina as he and Hank accompanied her outside of the factory to get to the ambulance. "Gavin is the priority, not a vest."

As Tina climbed into the front of the ambulance's cab to ride in with her wounded partner and accompany him to the hospital, she wiped her bloody hands off onto her black uniform pants in disgust. Mercifully the dark fabric helped to hide the sickening crimson hue and keep it from her direct line of sight, but the lingering metallic smell still stung her nostrils and made her eyes water for a second reason that day.

"Hank?" Whispering as Gavin was wheeled into the back of the ambulance and the gurney was secured into place. Connor knew that there was another crisis they'd need to handle before the day was over. "What're we going to tell Abby?"

"The truth, son. It won't be the easiest thing we do but," motioning to the Pace parked just a few feet away from the ambulance Hank readied himself for the tense afternoon that he and Connor were about to endure. "it has to be done."

The ambulance sped off with the lights and siren blaring as the gunned down detective was raced to the hospital as quickly as possible. The fight for Gavin's life was only just beginning.

"I understand. Let's go take care of Abby."

Returning to the precinct just long enough to inform Captain Fowler of the shooting in person and to have the failed vest examined to ensure no other compromised vests were in the precinct - Connor leaving behind his own vest for a comparison as well - the two detectives explained everything that had happened. They also explained how they were going to bring Abby to the hospital to be with Gavin and take care of her during the emergency situation. The two detectives then took full responsibility for keeping direct tabs on Gavin's condition and of taking the lead on informing Abby of what had happened to Gavin on that horrible day by telling her face to face.

As for Tina, she was given the rest of the day off and was permitted to remain with Gavin for as long as she saw fit. She was undoubtedly too shaken to work elsewhere and needed to be with her honorary big brother. The other officers in the bullpen were willing to cover both shifts. Sarah Lee and Lance were willing to work double-time to cover the open shifts since they knew that both Gavin and Tina would do the same for them.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call her first?" Connor asked sincerely as the two detectives pulled up onto Abby's street toward her house. It was quicker for them to drive to the house themselves than ask for another patrol to pick Abby up. "It might be easier for her to process a phone call before we show up."

"Trust me, a phone call will just make her worry more and the waiting, no matter how brief, will be even worse. This way we can take her to the hospital ourselves and answer all of her questions on the way."

"That does seem more empathetic and logical."

As the car parked along the street outside the house Connor opened his door and proceeded to jog up the front walkway to the house to get Abby. Knocking on the door twice Connor braced himself for the dreadful news he had to deliver to someone who had become a very good friend to him over the past three years and was on the verge of becoming a mother for the first time. The door opened quickly and Connor greeted his heavily pregnant friend in a level voice.

"Abby."

"Connor? What's going on?" Looking past Connor to the car where Hank was still sitting, she knew something was wrong. Putting both of her hands protectively over her pregnant belly she locked eyes with the deviant. "What happened? Where's Gavin?"

"Come with us." Giving Abby his arm to lean on Connor escorted Abby out to the car and opened up the door to the backseat for her to climb inside as quickly as she could move. The moment Connor was in the front passenger seat Connor turned around and scanned the thirty-six week pregnant woman before speaking to her. She was scared, which was causing her heart to beat faster and her blood pressure to rise, but neither she or the baby were showing any signs of dangerous physical distress. "This afternoon Gavin responded to a call, and he was... wounded in the line of duty."

"Oh... god." Reaching her hand up into the front seats she grabbed onto Connor's shoulder and held tight as Hank drove the group to the hospital where Gavin was being treated. "What happened to him? Tell me the truth."

"I will be entirely honest with you, but please remain calm." Connor put his right hand over top of hers as she clutched at his shoulder with a frightened grip. "Gavin was shot."

"Fuck..." Quietly Abby began dreading all of the horrible scenarios that could've befallen Gavin as her past experience with treating gunshot victims in Chicago came flooding back to her. "Where was he shot? How bad is he?"

"The bullet pierced his liver, and he lost a lot of blood; nearly four point three pints." Intentionally holding back on the information regarding the cardiac arrest Connor did his best to keep her as calm as possible. "He is already at the hospital undergoing emergency surgery to repair the damage he had sustained. Tina is also at the hospital with him."

Abby's hazel eyes dulled with worry, and she bowed her head forward as she stared down at her large pregnant belly resting atop her lap. "...Was anyone else hurt?"

"No."

"I thought Gavin started wearing a bulletproof vest after he found I was pregnant." Looking back up at Connor her eyes began to fill with tears and her face paled slightly. "How'd he get shot?"

"He was in fact wearing a Kevlar vest today. It unfortunately failed."

"Shit." Abby leaned forward a little and put her hand over her face. "Of all the people to get the shitty vest..."

"Hey," Hank spoke up in a level voice as he watched Abby bow her head down until her forehead was resting against Connor's shoulder. "it happens sometimes. But regardless of how he got shot we all know Gavin is strong. He can take this and when he wakes up, he'll be the grouchy prick we all know and tolerate."

"That sounds too simple." Lifting her head back up Abby's glassy hazel eyes were full of unshed tears, and she took a deep breath as she rubbed her left hand over her distended belly affectionately. "I just wish I was there with him."

"You will be."

Connor continued to let Abby clutch at his shoulder and hold onto his hand as she proceeded to mentally steel herself for the horrible sight and intense waiting she was about to endure. Protectively Connor scanned and monitored her very closely out of a wise precaution in the event that the stress of the situation caused her to go into premature labor.

"Abby." Hank kept speaking to her calmly in a tone that spoke volumes of how many times he had unfortunately had to have this exact same conversation dozens of times before. "Everything will be okay. The paramedics got there fast, and he was being taken care of before we even arrived. He's also healthy and he takes care of himself, so he'll be sore for a few weeks then he'll be back on his feet ready to change every dirty diaper that comes his way."

"...Yeah." Not entirely convinced and still righteously worried Abby just tightened his hand on Connor's shoulder until her knuckles were stark white. "Sure."

The waiting room of the busy hospital was filled with two dozen different people who were sitting in the chairs or leaning against the walls as they too were waiting for news on their loved ones who had been admitted for treatment. Hank had located Tina down a quiet corridor near the doctor's lounge and discreetly kept her company while Connor remained in the waiting room protectively at Abby's side. As Abby clutched at his hand in a vice like grip of absolute worry, Connor continued to monitor her condition closely and prepared to take immediate action in the event she showed any sign of premature labor due to the emotional and mental stress of the situation at hand.

Connor wanted to do more than just sit and wait, but as a detective and not a doctor there was nothing else for him to do. Until things changed, he'd just remain a rock for Abby to lean on while they sat waiting together.

"It's been two hours, thirty-four minutes and nine seconds." The deviant stated rather casually as he kept track of the events transpiring all around them. "Do you need anything, Abby? I can get you some tea or something to eat if you'd like."

"I'm okay." Her hand never left his as Abby spoke and stared off into space that was conveniently located on the floor between the two rows of chairs in the waiting room. "I just can't believe it actually happened to him. I knew being a detective meant he was constantly in danger when he's on the clock, but..."

"I would relay the statistics and odds of the circumstance regarding the failure of his vest, the location of the bullet and-" Connor quickly stopped himself and skipped right to the point he was trying to make. "But I know that won't do any good to ease your mind. I will simply tell you that Hank is right, everything will be okay."

Leaning over in her seat Abby rested her head against Connor's shoulder and closed her eyes as she began to silently cry. The strong woman had finally reached her emotional breaking point and needed her friend to help support her through the entirely senseless tragedy.

Connor knew that Abby needed to be comforted but he wasn't quite ready to display any form of affection toward anyone else, even someone he already cared for as only a friend. The fear of losing another friend or loved one had caused the deviant to put up an emotional wall around his heart to keep himself from feeling any more pain, but his deeply seated empathy overrode his instincts to protect himself.

Tentatively Connor reached his free hand over to take the place of the hand that she was already holding so he could drape his left freely around her shoulders and hold her in a light hug against his side. As she buried her face against the side of his chest Connor slowly tightened his one-armed hug to make Abby feel more secure when she was left entirely vulnerable.

"Kid?" Hank returned to the waiting room and joined his partner in the neighboring vacant chair across from the two friends. Subtly he nodded toward Abby and lowered his voice to keep things as quiet and calm as possible in the midst of the controlled chaos. "How is she holding up?"

"As you might expect. Tired and worried." Giving the woman a brief but thoughtful glance he returned his attention to Hank. "Any word on Gavin?"

"Yeah, the surgeon got the bullet out and now the team is working to pack off the bleed in his liver and repair the damage. He's holding on, but he's going to be weak as a kitten once he wakes up. And probably pissed at the whole world."

Connor's brow furrowed with confusion as to why Hank would speak as though Gavin were in fact out of surgery, only to quickly understand that it was meant as an optimistic comment to ease Abby's mind. It was then another important question popped up as he noted that Hank returned to the waiting room alone.

"Where is Tina at this moment?"

"One of the nurses took her to get cleaned up and get her some clean scrubs to wear." The way Tina didn't even think to change out of her blood soaked uniform only emphasized how worried she was for Gavin's life. "She's as impatient as we are, but she's unharmed."

"I imagine she is lingering outside the operating room as we speak."

"Most likely, yeah."

Abby let out another sigh and breathed deeply again as her hand tightened around Connor's hand and she managed to regain her composure. The strange reaction caused Connor to run yet another biometric scan on Abby to check on her condition, but didn't see any definitive sign of labor, only stress.

"Are you sure that you're all right?"

"...Fine." Abby managed to utter in a very low, emotionless manner. It was as if she had shut off her ability to feel to spare herself any ongoing pain. "I'm fine."

Before Connor could say anything further a doctor wearing blue scrubs, a white lab coat and thick red framed glasses over her kind blue eyes approached the waiting group and knelt down in front of Abby. The two detectives held their silence as they waited for the doctor to speak first.

"Are you Mrs. Reed?" The doctor asked as she looked at Abby who was still pressed up securely against Connor's side. "Abby, right?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm his Gavin Reed's wife."

Connor and Hank discreetly exchanged looks of moderate confusion from Abby's declaration but didn't say anything about it. Connor was more puzzled by the admission while Hank just seemed almost casual about it while remaining mildly surprised.

"I'm Dr. Hill." The doctor introduced herself politely to the terrified woman. "I was the surgeon who operated on your husband."

Dragging her free hand over her eyes Abby sat upright and took in another calming breath. "How is he?"

"Gavin is alive." She confirmed without a shadow of a doubt. "He tolerated the surgery well and is in the I.C.U. recovering."

Abby leaned forward as best as she could over her big belly as she pressed both of her hands over eyes and took another deep breath as the good news seemed to instantly lift a ten ton weight from her shoulders and her heart. "Then why the hell am I crying?"

Also relieved Connor waited for Abby to make a move to get up before he pulled his arm away and helped her to stand up.

"Can I see him?" Abby finally asked as she put her hand to the front of her belly and tightened her arm around Connor's arm. "I know he's still going to be out of it from the anesthesia, but I need to see him."

"Of course. I'll show you to the room." Standing up from the floor Dr. Hill stepped away and showed Abby, still still leaning heavily on Connor for balance, to the correct corridor. "You're both welcome to join her, detectives. Detective Reed's partner is already waiting outside his room."

"Thanks." Hank stated in a stern voice as he too stood up and pulled his phone from his coat's pocket. "Connor, you go with Abby, and I'll catch up in a minute. I'm going to call Fowler and let him know what's going on."

"Very well."

Keeping his pace slow Connor escorted Abby to the correct room with Dr. Hill leading the way. As long as Gavin remained alive then there was no reason to worry about Abby being forced to endure the hard adaptation of parenthood solo, and Connor wouldn't need to worry so much about his friend or her unborn child more than he had been prior to the shooting itself.

Through the large observation window overlooking the private recovery room where Gavin was resting comfortably, Connor silently watched Abby as she held his hand between both of her own hands with a mixture of worry and relief in her teary eyes. Even as she rested her head down against Gavin's bicep, Abby was still shedding emotional tears of fear, relief, confusion and anger. Tina herself was freshly showered off and standing in the far corner of the room nursing a cup of coffee in a slightly trembling hand as she kept Abby company until Gavin finally woke up from the heavy anesthetic and massive blood loss. Neither of the women wanted to leave the emotionally stunted yet entirely lovable man alone.

Gavin himself was laying slightly propped upright on his back with a cardiac monitor still attached to his chest displaying his vital signs. A nasal cannula was under his nose feeding him fresh oxygen, an I.V. was running into the bend his arm providing him with blood and antibiotics, an oximeter was attached to his fingertip and the blood pressure cuff was still wrapped around his bicep.

Pale, motionless and disturbingly quiet, Gavin looked like a shell of his former self. Despite his grim facade he was still alive and more importantly his heart was continuing to beat on its own.

"Hard to believe that of all the people to get taken down by a bullet," Hank stated somberly as he joined Connor at the window and peered in at the downed detective through the glass. "it had to be the one who's about to be a father. Gavin was even the one to get the bad vest. The odds of that are just... fucked up."

"The vest was in fact faulty?"

"Yeah." The confirmation wasn't grounding, not that the detail was meant to be of comfort. "Two others were also compromised, but as a precaution all of the vests in the precinct are being replaced with a new stock and the manufacturer is being investigated for possibly cutting corners to save money."

"That was a wise decision."

"Anyone who'd think otherwise is a total jackass." Now that they were out of eavesdropping range Hank crossed his arms over his chest somewhat defensively as he nodded at the gathered group in the private room waiting for Gavin to wake up. "How's Abby holding up, really?"

"She was showing outward symptoms of early labor," Connor admitted as he turned to look at Hank directly as the senior detective stood beside him. "but she claimed that she was feeling fine, and I could not detect any further signs of labor when I scanned her recently."

"False labor. She must've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions." Shrugging his shoulders dismissively Hank knew she wasn't in any danger. "Stress will do that, especially when she's already so close to delivery."

"That appears to be the case, but I would feel better if she would allow a doctor to examine her while she is still in the hospital with Gavin."

"I can assure you that the hospital staff is keeping a very close eye on her without saying anything to her about it." As he spoke Hank noticed a nurse passing by who shot him a knowing glance as if to confirm everything he had just said. "She'll be fine."

"I've never responded to a call regarding an officer down when it wasn't you." Watching the emotional stress still present on Tina's face and Abby's face even as she slept, Connor was both intrigued and sympathetic. "I had seen similar stress on your person after I had become injured, but I have never actually seen it like this."

"You mean you've never seen other humans like this."

"Correct." The somewhat cruel fact was surprisingly blunt. "When North was dying, I saw the distress in Markus's eyes, and I could even hear it in his voice. The same could be said for North when Markus had been shot and was bleeding out in the hotel room and after he had been in the car accident. The stress and pain are one in the same. It's a singular pain that resonates deep from within the heart of man and machine, but why is it that humans can't see that deviants hurt as much as they do?"

"I wish I could tell you, kid. It's complicated to explain and humans in general are a selfish, myopic species." Lightly patting Connor's shoulder Hank leaned a little against the wall beside the window as he watched the recovering detective lying unconscious with his wife and best friend keeping vigil. "Try not to let to it bother you. Besides, we still got work to do."

"Yes, of course." Giving Hank a look of disdain Connor squared his jaw a little. "I take it Captain Fowler would like us to return to the precinct."

"With Gavin now out of action for the next two months, and Tina out for a week until she sees the precinct 'shrink', we'll need to pick up the slack for the next few days. That shooter needs to be found, questioned and charged."

"I understand."

"And we can check in on them after our shift." Hank knew that Connor was concerned for Gavin's wellbeing, but he was all the more concerned for Abby and her unborn baby. "It'll be fine, son."

"I know." Following after Hank as the senior detective took the initiative and made his way toward the elevator. "I just dislike leaving them behind."

"Me too, kid." Giving the window one last thoughtful glance, Hank took in the sight of Gavin, Abby and Tina with a heavy heart before he reluctantly stepped back. "I know exactly what you mean."

The Central Precinct felt heavy and tense.

Word of the shooting spread quickly, and every available officer went in search of the shooter to bring him to justice and to ensure a dangerous and armed man couldn't hurt anyone else in the city. Working well past midnight and at an impressive pace, the two detectives were absolutely exhausted but still willing to stop by the hospital one last time before returning home. Fortunately, the hospital staff had a soft spot for first responders and allowed the two detectives to check in on their friends one last time before leaving for the night. Tina met the duo outside Gavin's room with a tired yawn and informed them that he had regained consciousness two hours after they had initially left, but he fell asleep again four hours ago and had been asleep ever since.

Chris and Jack had also stopped by the hospital during their patrol and left some flowers behind for Gavin to not only playfully annoy the detective with the brightly colored flowers, but to make Abby herself feel better and laugh. It worked for a while and Abby began to finally relax a little, but she continued to worry for her husband as one would expect.

Arriving in the private room Connor scanned the room's occupants where he found everyone to be stable and calm. Abby herself was resting in a chair beside the bed with her hand resting on Gavin's hand, and her head again leaning against his bicep. Reluctant to wake her or ask her to leave to sleep in her own bed for the night, Connor simply draped his blazer over her sleeping form and let them alone without ever disturbing their rest.

"Connor," Hank whispered softly as he stepped inside the dimly lit room and stood just inside the opened door frame. "we need to get home."

"I'm coming." Connor replied quietly as he left the room just as silently as he entered. He didn't want to leave his friends alone, but he knew he'd be the most useful by getting some rest and covering open shifts for Gavin and Tina's sakes. "I'm aware that we have additional shifts to compensate for Gavin and Tina's time away."

"Tomorrow we'll stop by to see them on our break. Maybe we can bring them some clothes or books, or something else to make their stay more bearable."

"That is acceptable."

"Here," Hank handed the car keys over to the deviant as he rubbed his right hand over the back of his tired and tense neck. "I'm exhausted. You drive."

Connor accepted the offered keys and walked alongside Hank as they departed the hospital for the night and entered the elevator. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure. I haven't stopped you before."

"Did you know that Gavin and Abby had gotten married?"

"Uh, yeah... I did."

"When?"

"Remember when Gavin asked me to meet him at the precinct a few months back?"

"Oh." The time frame provided gave the deviant some clarity. "You helped him to get married in discretion." Connor realized as the two reached their floor and stepped out of the elevator together. Walking relatively quickly the duo passed through the less crowded waiting room to get back outside to the quiet parking lot. "Why did you not tell me this?"

"Because they asked me not to tell anyone."

"May I ask why they wanted to keep it a secret?"

"Well, that should be pretty obvious, shouldn't it?"

"No." Reaching the Pace parked a few yards away Connor paused as he put his hand on the door handle on the driver's side door of the vehicle. "I tend to not pry into other people's personal lives."

"It's like this," Hank pulled open the passenger side door of the car while Connor did the same from the driver's side. "both of them wanted to keep a low profile and avoid a lot of attention because they just want to be left alone to their own business. Gavin is estranged from his family for whatever reason he has, it must be good, and Abby doesn't have one. And with her being pregnant it just made it easier for them to get married in a small private ceremony and not deal with some elaborate bullshit or having to answer any annoying questions from nosy people."

"She did not officially take Gavin's last name."

"Nope." The two sat down in their respective seats and slammed their doors shut. "But again, neither did Barbara."

"Professionalism?"

"Discretion." Hank explained as he fastened his seatbelt and leaned back against the headrest tiredly. "Like I said, Gavin is intentionally estranged from his family for a good reason. If Abby took his last name, then someone in his crazy family might see their wedding announcement in the local news and try to pull something after they got married, or worse, after the baby is born."

"Crazy? How do you mean 'crazy'?"

"Uh... Shit." A part of Hank was jealous that Hank didn't understand the concept of a broke, dysfunctional and toxic family. "How do I explain this?"

"Honestly, I imagine." Connor quipped readily as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot to finally head for home. "It tends to be the most effective way of conveying truth."

"Yeah, yeah. Smartass." Clearing his throat a little Hank told Connor the truth about Gavin's family history. "You already know about Gavin's sister, right?"

"...I take it Gavin told you about the night I took care of him when he fell ill."

"Yup, and he swore me to secrecy. Anyway, after she died his mother became so distraught that she fell into a form of denial about the death and stopped caring about the rest of the family altogether." The heartbreaking story helped Hank to see Gavin in a new, far more understanding light. "And his father became an even worse physically and mentally abusive alcoholic who constantly blamed Gavin for what happened to his sister. His mom popped pills until it did some real brain damage and left her locked up in a mental health asylum and his dad died alone in the gutter years later. The death of his sister was just the breaking point for an already fractured family."

"What happened was a tragedy that the city was responsible for, not Gavin." Connor stated firmly as if needing to remind Hank that everything that led up to the death of Gavin's kid sister was all a stupid and preventable accident. "The lack of appropriately trained lifeguards are to blame for his sister's drowning."

"That's not what his father told him."

"His father was wrong." Connor felt a genuine pain of empathy toward Gavin and of the horrible childhood he had survived. "Now I understand why Gavin disliked androids so strongly and why he gave you such a hard time when you were still drinking. Neither of us were responsible for what befell his family, and yet he still targets his anger toward us."

"That's called projection, kid." Hank peered out his window and watched as the city slowly went dark as everyone settled in for the night. "It's an ugly thing but it offers insight into a person's soul."

"I imagine it's about as ugly as a bullet to the liver."

"Like you said before, he won't die." Rubbing at the back of his tense neck Hank tried to ignore the headache slowly gnawing away his dwindling resolve as the car idled at a red light. "He's already made it this far, right?"

"Yes." The deviant agreed wholeheartedly. His most recent biometric scan confirmed that Gavin was stable and well on his way to a full recovery. "You're right."

"And we both know that Abby isn't going to let him do anything stupid to hinder his recovery, right?"

"Correct."

"And we know that Gavin won't do anything that'll prevent him from meeting his unborn child. Right?"

"That's correct as well."

"Everything will work out find in the end, you'll see." Leaning back in his seat Hank closed his tired eyes and sighed as the vehicle pulled through the red light and the duo continued on their way home. They were both exhausted, but Connor always had the most energy between the two of them. "We'll find the shooter and make sure that they spend the rest of the years behind bars for what they did to Gavin."

"We should find a fresh lead in the morning."

"For now, get us back home so I can shower off, go to sleep and get up to go to work again in six hours."

"I'll be right there beside you."

"Never doubted you for a moment." Feeling surprisingly at ease Hank made sure the young deviant knew his return was greatly appreciated and very much wanted. "I'm really glad you're back in the precinct, son. I missed ya'."

"All thing's considered I am, too. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my instincts, dad."

-next chapter-