The following morning at the busy precinct Connor was relatively quiet and seemed distracted by something other than his busy caseload. Even before he had arrived at the precinct to clock-in Connor had been quieter than normal that same morning and only engaged in conversation with Hank when it was the senior detective who initiated it. The odd pattern of behavior continued well after his arrival and Hank, knowing Connor better than anyone else in the entire bullpen, gave the deviant some space to think and to process whatever emotions he was currently trying to comprehend at his own pace. The unusual reactions would have to be addressed later on when they weren't in the precinct and back in the privacy of their own home.

Switching back and forth between his most recent case presented before himself and then over to android laws, the deviant was multitasking with an impressive efficiency that only a handful of people across the entire world could achieve. As he busied himself Connor easily ignored the ball of paper that bounced off of his shoulder and kept his soulful brown eyes transfixed on his terminal screen.

The second ball of paper tossed to his shoulder was rewarded with the same lack of response. As did the third and then the fourth...

"Hey!" Gavin rose from his own desk and planted his hand firmly down on Connor's shoulder. The deviant' didn't jump or even seem to react to Gavin's sudden presence and never even blinked. "Don't ignore me."

"I apologize, I was preoccupied." Turning around in his seat Connor looked up at the impatient detective standing beside him. "What can I help you with?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for watching Aria yesterday. Abby really needed a day for herself, and I had to go back to work, so yeah, thanks. They were both in a great mood when I got home last night."

"You're welcome."

"We're a small family, but we need all the help we can get, ya' know? Newborns are always a challenge, but it's a fun kind of challenge. A real tradition in the Reed household; making a small family that's a pain in the ass." It was rare for Gavin to get sentimental about anyone or anything. "But I won't be making the same mistakes my own parents did. Abby and I swore we'd do better than our own parents did for us."

At those words Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled with internal disappointment regarding his own familial shortcomings, but he didn't dare to say anything to Gavin about it. "I know that you will. Aria is very lucky to have such loving parents."

"Yeah..." Gavin gave the deviant a somewhat perplexed look at he stared at Connor's face. "Hey? You good?"

"I'm fine." Connor's brow furrowed with confusion at the question. Never before had Gavin shown any form of concern toward his wellbeing, let alone empathy. "May I ask to what you're inferring?"

"I'm not an expert on deviants or anything, but you look kinda' upset about something."

"I assure you I'm fine." Doing his best to hide his emotions Connor attempted to dismiss Gavin's concerns and resume a normal facade. "Thank you."

"All right, whatever. Take it easy, 'Tinman'." With one final pat to Connor's shoulder Gavin turned back toward his desk. "If we need another babysitter, I'll give ya' a call! Especially if you're gonna' keep workin' for free."

Returning to his desk with a yawn Gavin was met by Tina who handed him a cup of coffee as she took her own seat in the desk across from his own. The two partners were evidently close friends, and it was clear as to why Hank didn't want to split the duo up as a team. It took Connor some time, but he finally understood that Gavin's previously hostile attitude toward androids had originated from a painful moment from his past, much like Hank, and that he was just being protective of the few people that he had let get close to him in his life.

It was never a personal grievance against Connor.

Squaring his jaw a little Connor returned to his own terminal screen and was greeted by a message from Joel in the dispensary. A mandatory physical and check-up for all precinct personnel had been issued as a result of the change of command. All of the deviants on staff were required to report to the precinct technician to be cleared for active duty before the end of the day, and Connor had been postponing his own exam to ensure he could fully concentrate on his current interests.

Glancing up from his terminal screen toward Hank in his office Connor noticed that Hank was already watching him and made a silent gesture with his hand for Connor to go to the dispensary as instructed. There was no avoiding it forever, especially with Hank watching him like a hawk.

"Now I understand why Hank hates dealing with protocol."

Turning off his terminal screen Connor stood up from his desk and made his way down the corridor to the elevator to access the dispensary on the second floor as ordered without even attempting to put up a fight.

"It's quite interfering when it comes to other priorities."

As expected, Connor found several other deviant personnel obediently waiting outside the closed door of the dispensary as they waited for their required physicals before returning to work. There was the receptionist, Pamela, in the dispensary at the moment and two other deviants working as the parking garage security guards standing against the corridor wall when Connor arrived. Joel was attempting to keep to the essential deviant personnel moving in a cycle to prevent any one place of the precinct from being without supervision or functionality for too long. As a result, Connor knew that the physicals would be quick and efficient but were also a distraction nonetheless.

The door slid open, and Pamela stepped out of the dispensary having been given the clear by Joel. Peering into the hallway Joel saw Connor and waved him in to be the next patient despite the other deviants waiting before home.

"It's best to get you taken care of as soon as possible and back into the bullpen just in case something happens, Connor."

Connor saw that the other deviants weren't offended and agreed with the suggestion. "Of course. I'll be right there."

Stepping inside the dispensary Connor slid the door shut behind him and slipped off his gray blazer. As he undid the knot on his black tie Connor sat down on the edge of the exam table and watched as Joel brought up his electronic chart on the terminal screen in the corner.

"How have you been feeling?" Joel asked as he went about the usual routine of checking Connor's vitals and running his own diagnostic by attaching one end of a black diagnostic cable to Connor's right temple and the other end over to his own laptop. "Any unusual activity in your software or programs?"

"Nothing of particular interest."

"Perfect. Be silent for a minute." Pressing the bell of his audioscope to Connor's chest Joel listened carefully to the deviant's heartbeat and ventilation. The bullet wounds Connor had suffered two days prior had since healed perfectly, and he wasn't suffering any ill effects from being shot. "Everything sounds good. Any issues with your replacement analysis filter?"

"None."

"That's good. Remove your shirt, please." Draping the audioscope around his neck Joel made more notes in the chart and waited for Connor to cooperate. "I want to examine your chest and abdomen to ensure your self-healing program has functioned properly."

Joel was still evidently still feeling guilty about what had happened to Connor as a result of the software update regarding Thirium Flux that had nearly killed him. Even though Connor insisted that the technician didn't do anything wrong and that he had been forgiven, Joel was still feeling down on himself. As he pressed his hands against Connor's left and right sides the deviant just breathed normally and waited for the technician to finish checking his healing injuries.

"Everything appears nominal. And your diagnostic readings," Joel returned to his terminal on the desk in the corner to check the readings on the screen. "are all nominal as well. You appear to be in perfect health."

"Thank you for the confirmation."

"Uh..." The dreary voice immediately raised a red flag in Joel's mind. As a technician he knew when a patient was suffering from both physical and emotional problems that needed to be properly addressed. "Is something on your mind?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about."

"As your friend," Joel reminded him in an even tone as he detached the cable from Connor's temple and stood before him that they were in fact friends. "I am going to be concerned whenever you're not acting like yourself. What's up?"

Rebuttoning his white dress shirt Connor slipped on his gray blazer and gave Joel an honest, albeit unusual, answer. "I have merely been thinking about the limitations that androids continue to face."

"Please tell me you don't want that Thirium Flux reinstalled." Such a prospect was one that made Joel's mouth go dry. "It still has a lot of bugs to work out."

"I do not want the Thirium Flux." Slipping the black tie back around his neck Connor proceeded to tie garment into a perfect knot and tighten it around his collar. "I was referring to the fact that androids replenish the population through mass production, rather than procreation."

"Oh, yeah, I can't help androids with that. At least, not yet."

Now it was Connor's turn to be intrigued by Joel's tone. "...Yet?"

"Those college students working on android programs are trying to develop additional software and biocomponents that would allow androids to aesthetically age like humans, to allow the 'YK' models of androids to grow from children into adults, and theoretically, it's even possible for androids to develop a form of reproduction akin to human gestation."

"That seems too incredible to be plausible."

"Well, yeah. That type of advancement is decades away, but it's still being explored." Joel was always up to date on everything regarding android advancement and upgrades in general. "In fact, it's very likely that CyberLife-"

"It's all right." Connor interrupted in an uncomfortable manner as he tucked his dress shirt back into his jeans and straightened out the lapels of his gray blazer. "It's not important right now. Thank you for listening."

"Not to get too personal but why don't you-"

"Androids are still forbidden from adopting human children or infants to care for."

"Oh. Well, that answers that. Anyway, you're cleared for duty, and I was asked to give you this." Walking over to one of the storage cabinets against the far wall Joel retrieved a black Kevlar vest that was contained inside. Tossing it over to Connor the technician gave him a coy glance. "Captain's orders."

"...Right." Slipping off his blazer once more Connor proceeded to wrap the vest around himself and sighed as he secured it over his chest. "I had yet to obtain a vest for myself."

"It's not a problem. And if you want to talk about updates again, you know where to find me."

"I appreciate the offer." Not wanting to linger on his own limitations Connor just politely nodded as he stepped out of the dispensary. "I'll keep that in mind."

As Connor returned to his relatively empty desk, he flicked his soulful brown eyes toward Hank in his private office and pulled on the fabric of his black Kevlar vest secured around his chest. Hank gave the deviant a small nod of approval at seeing him being cooperative as Connor casually returned to his terminal and found an electronic tablet with a new case already waiting for his attention. Sitting down behind his desk to resume chronicling his active caseload and his dedicated research into current android laws regarding adoption and childcare, Connor picked up the large tablet and swiftly read through the provided details that had been recorded with rapid and accurate speed.

The case was a recently reported possible homicide. The location of the potential homicide was in one of the bleaker locations in the city that Connor loathed needing to traverse.

"A single victim. Male. Signs of a struggle; robbery suspected as the motivation."

The case seemed simple enough and didn't require any special attention. It was also nearing noon, and soon enough the officers on call would begin dispersing for their afternoon breaks in turn.

"Hey, Connor." Hank exited his office and joined the deviant at his desk. "Are you workin' a new case?"

"Yes. It won't be nearly as perplexing as my previous case."

"Where's the scene?"

"Downtown at a halfway house."

"The one on the same block as the 'Chicken Feed', right?"

Quickly sensing an ulterior motive in Hank's question Connor knew there would immediately be a follow-up response. "...Yes."

"Cool. I'll join you and get lunch after we deal with the case."

"It's not necessary. I can handle this alone."

"I know that, but I hate being in that office all day long answering e-mails." The struggles of taking charge of an entire precinct unexpectedly included boredom. "So, indulge me on this. Please?"

"Oh. I understand now."

"Come on. You get to solve a case," lightly patting Connor's shoulder once Hank continued toward the front doors of the precinct knowing that Connor would follow after him. "and I can get out of that office for a while. It's a win-win scenario, so we better take advantage of it."

"Of course." Standing up from his desk Connor pulled his car keys from his pocket and showed them to Hank. "I'll drive."

"Damn right. The Corvette is a Hell of a lot smoother than the second Oldsmobile is. But that'll change after we tweak it and give her a proper tune-up."

Beginning his investigation with a professional demeanor despite his rather heavy thoughts, Connor arrived at the crime scene in a timely manner while Hank got his lunch just down the street. Upon his arrival Connor was greeted by Ben who was aiding his expertly trained C.S.I. team in securing the crime scene while the body remained undisturbed in the middle of the room under a white sheet to help preserve the unknown victim's remaining dignity. Cautiously Connor crouched down beside the shrouded body before he peeled back the white sheet that was draped over the victim and began his investigation with a simple scan of the victim's face to identify them and get a name.

The victim was a male in his twenties; he was very frail with prematurely aging skin from a history of rampant drug abuse. Due to his weakened stature, it wasn't a surprise to see that he had been overpowered and killed during a robbery. There were dark purple bruises around the man's throat that perfectly matched up with the two hands that strangled him.

Next Connor ran a scan over the handprints left behind on the victim's throat and found a perfect match to a known larcenist and junkie who resided in a neighboring apartment complex with a history of physical violence; a man named Ryan Zanderick. Something told Connor that it wasn't a coincidence that the victim was found living in the same building as a person with such a track record.

"Nicholas Olsen. His trachea and larynx were completely crushed." The deviant thought out loud as he pieced together the events surrounding the murder. "The force required for such an act would have rendered the victim unconscious within seconds from a lack blood and oxygen to the brain, and the resulting damage to the trachea would've made it impossible to call for help or breathe without medical intervention. The victim died from manual strangulation."

Replacing the sheet over the victim Connor stepped out of the room and addressed the female landlord and supervisor for the recovering addicts under her care. She was standing outside the opened apartment door and was visibly shaking from the ordeal.

"Excuse me, I'm Lieutenant Connor Anderson." Connor introduced himself politely to the shaken woman. "Did the victim have any friends or family?"

"His mom." The landlord stated sadly as she had already located the requested information on the victim and turned it over to the police. "She stopped by two days ago and left him some money and some food. That poor kid was just starting to get his life together after getting clean. He was her only child, too."

The information was carrying an emotional weight that Connor hadn't experienced before, and he had a hard time processing it. Remaining professional Connor resumed his line of questions regarding the victim and his fate.

"Aside from his mother did anyone else stop by to see him in the past two days?"

"Not that I saw. But it wouldn't surprise me if one of his old 'friends' didn't try to get him hooked on that 'red ice' shit again during a late night visit."

"Anyone of interest come to mind?"

"Yeah, uh... There's that Ryan kid, uh... Ryan Zander or something like that." As she spoke the landlady looked over her shoulder as if expecting to see Ryan just appear behind her and lash out angrily. "He lives next door."

"Thank you." That confirmation told Connor he was on the right track. "I'll go and speak with him, you should go to your office for the time being."

"Don't be shocked if that kid is already high." The landlady warned with disappointment in her voice. "I've reported him countless times, but he won't kick the habit or even try. He's on his final strike as it is."

"I'll handle him. If you can think of anything else, please don't hesitate to inform anyone."

"Don't worry, hon'. I unfortunately know the routine."

Receiving a confirmation on the provided name through his scanner Connor proceeded to make his way over to the neighboring building to locate the prime suspect and resume his questions. The apartment complex in general was slightly rundown and needed numerous repairs to make the building look more inviting. As Connor set foot inside the building he addressed and flashed his badge to the male superintendent who was noting the extensive repairs that needed to get underway while in the main lobby.

"Excuse me." The deviant introduced himself quickly. "Lieutenant Connor Anderson, Detroit Police. Is a Ryan Zanderick currently on the premises?"

As the name was sounded off both Connor and the superintendent caught sight of Ryan himself bolting down the corridor and through the front door behind Connor and out to the sidewalk. Connor immediately gave chase and pursued the suspect while he cybernetically informed the other officers in the area of the ongoing foot pursuit.

"Stop!" Connor shouted as he quickly caught up to the suspect ducking down an alleyway. "Detroit Police!"

Grabbing on to Ryan's shoulder as he attempted to climb up a chainlink fence at the end of the alleyway, Connor pulled Ryan down and was met with a firm elbow against his right temple. Dazed but not deterred Connor continued to fight with the fleeing suspect and kept his grip on the human's shoulder to hold him back.

"Get the fuck off!" Ryan shouted and punched Connor in the stomach, only to have his hand blocked by the hard Kevlar vest over Connor's chest. "FUCK!"

"You're under arrest!" Remaining in control Connor shouted as he tried to restrain Ryan's arms behind his back, but once more a strong elbow stunned Connor forcing him to let go of Ryan's shoulder from being winded. "St-Stop resisting!"

In the blink of an eye Connor felt the human's hands wrap tightly around his throat and begin to squeeze. Grabbing Ryan's wrists with both hands Connor tried to force the human's hands away, but Ryan was under the influence of 'red ice'. He was high, angry and running on pure adrenaline that Connor couldn't overpower at the moment. The intense rage and adrenaline induced by drugs should never be taken lightly.

Slowly the human's hands tightened even further cutting off the supply of Thirium flowing to Connor's intracranial processor and his ability to draw breaths through his air intake line. The whites of Connor's eyes became pale blue from the pressure behind the ocular relay units causing the small Thirium lines to rupture and leak. Everything Connor saw turned red as warnings filled his visual processors and alarms sounded off in his head.

Losing his strength as his processor began to power down Connor choked for breath and tried to break the human's wrists in a desperate bid to escape.

"Fucking..." Ryan snarled as Connor collapsed to his knees and his hands fell from Ryan's arms to hang limp at his sides. "Android! Die! Machines... ruin everything!"

Connor's eyes slipped shut and his body went lax from his utter lack of strength. As he lost consciousness Connor sensed another person rushing down the alleyway toward where he and the dangerous suspect were fighting.

"FREEZE."

Ryan looked up from Connor's face to see a gun pointed at his own face and Hank's eyes glaring holes into his skull.

"Let him go or I will shoot."

"Piece of shit..." Ryan let go of Connor, the deviant falling onto his side completely unconscious, and bolted toward Hank who immediately opened fire and struck Ryan in his left shoulder. "FUCK!"

The gunshot rang out directing the other responding officers in the area to the alley and to where Hank was standing over the now bleeding suspect.

"DON'T. MOVE." Hank warned as he kept his gun pointed at Ryan's face. "You're under arrest for the assault and attempted murder of a police officer. I know you did more stupid shit than this, and you'll be charged accordingly."

"Fuck you!"

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that enough times to confirm it's lost all of its meaning. Take him into custody." Hank ordered as Chris and Jack rushed down the alley with their own weapons drawn and ready to arrest Ryan. They heard the commotion but missed all the action. "And call for a technician for Connor."

Chris quickly cuffed the bleeding suspect and dragged him out of the alley by his shirt collar while Jack cybernetically called for assistance to help Connor after being strangled. Holstering his gun Hank knelt beside Connor and lightly pressed his fingertips to the side of Connor's damaged neck. There were dark blue bruises forming around Connor's throat and Ryan's thumbs had caused his airline at the front center of his throat to collapse inward.

The deviant had a weak pulse and he wasn't breathing.

"Connor, come on." Taking hold of Connor's shoulders Hank rolled him from his side and onto his back. Tilting Connor's head back a little Hank made sure his air intake line was as clear and opened as wide as possible to ensure he could start breathing on his own. "Breathe. I know you can hear me, you need to breathe so you don't overheat."

Jack knelt down at Hank's side and ran a scan over Connor's body. "His air intake line has been compromised."

"What do we do to help him?"

"The intake line needs to be stabilized." Placing his own hand over Connor's throat above his crushed airline Jack applied pressure at both sides and forced the caved in line to open back up. As he held his hand in place Connor took in a weak gasping breath and coughed a few times. "Keep your hand where mine is, Captain. It'll allow Connor to breathe until technicians can intervene."

"Kid?" Moving his hand in place as Jack instructed Hank maintained Connor's airway until help arrived. "Open your eyes."

Brown irises slowly reappeared between heavy eyelids as Connor fought to look at Hank while he took in deep gasping breaths.

"You're okay, son. You just need your throat taken care of, that's all."

Connor reflexively swallowed and tried to speak but Hank held up his free hand in front the deviant's face to silence him before he began.

"Don't talk. Just focus on your breathing and run a self-diagnostic to make sure nothing else was damaged."

Resisting the urge to say anything or nod Connor simple began running the self-diagnostic as instructed and cybernetically spoke with Jack before the deviant exited the alley.

"Captain," Jack turned to his superior officer and informed him of what Connor had said. "Connor wishes to inform you that the Kevlar failed to protect him from being strangled today."

Shaking his head a little Hank gave Jack a dismissive wave of the hand. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Jack. I got him." As the deviant stood up to rejoin Chris out in the alley to apprehend the arrested killer, Hank gave Connor an amused smirk. "Smartass."

Weakly Connor's hand reached over to the pocket of his blazer as if looking for something in particular. Hank noticed the gesture and watched as Connor pulled out the small inhaler that he had received from Dr. Hetfield a few weeks prior after having an 'asthma' attack and knew that the stabilizing compound in the inhaler would help his air intake line to remain open. Putting the small device to his mouth Connor took in a slow breath and used the medication to ease the discomfort in his throat as Hank held his airway open.

"Good move. Can you breathe okay?"

Connor gave a very subtle nod as he pocketed the inhaler and tried to lift his head up from the ground.

"Hey, come on." Remaining calm Hank encouraged Connor to stay down in a level voice. "Lay still and wait for the technicians."

Visibly annoyed and impatient Connor laid back and waited for assistance just as Hank had ordered him.

"I take it that guy you chased after was responsible for the victim's death, right? Blink once for 'yes' and blink twice for 'no'."

Unsurprisingly Connor blinked once to confirm that Ryan was in fact the killer.

"Well, you figured out the case, caught the killer, and I got my lunch. Too bad this didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped."

Offering another single blink Connor silently agreed with Hank and noted the approach of the android unique ambulance racing to the scene.

"After you're patched up we'll head back to the precinct and you can clock-out early since you solved your case and got injured in the line of duty. And yes, that IS an order, not an offer. No arguments or debates."

Offering Hank an annoyed glance Connor acknowledged the new order and just laid as still as possible until the requested E.F.T.'s got to him in the alleyway.

"You know, I think I'm going to like being a Captain. You have no way to argue with me and win while we're still on the clock."

With a white foam neck brace secured around his damaged throat Connor sat on the stretcher in the back of the android-unique ambulance with a temporary external air intake line inserted down his damaged throat to assist his breathing. While the two field technicians checked his vitals and found them stable despite his injury, Connor just gave Hank a somewhat irritated stare as he waited for his examination to come to an end. Ever stubborn and loyal Connor hated being on the sidelines while everyone else continued to work. He especially hated being expected to stand aside and do nothing when he had something very important in mind that he wanted to tend to as quickly as possible.

Hank stood outside the back of the ambulance and watched as the two technicians carefully removed the brace from around Connor's neck and checked the supportive external air intake still snaked down his throat. It wasn't a pleasant sight, but it was better than seeing someone trying to strangle the deviant to death.

"How's he doing?"

"He'll be fine in a few hours." The male technician confirmed as he monitored Connor's breathing carefully. "The damage was minimal, and his self-healing program has already repaired the worst of it."

"How long until that tube thing can be removed?"

"About six hours. Have a technician remove the tube and he should have his voice back within the following hour afterward."

"Thanks, I appreciate your help."

Connor rubbed his hand along his sore neck and over his bruised throat as he carefully got up from the stretcher and stepped out the back of the ambulance to take his leave of the scene. Hank walked alongside Connor back down the sidewalk and to the Corvette parked just down the street.

"Six hours, huh? Guess you're on desk duty for the rest of your shift. And don't say 'sorry'." Hank smirked a little to himself. "Not that you can right now, anyway. Once you have the tube out of your throat, I want you to go home and rest."

Unable to speak Connor motioned to Hank's phone in his coat pocket as he sent the senior detective a cybernetic text.

Fishing his phone from the pocket Hank hastily read the message and gave the deviant a sympathetic pat on his right shoulder. "No, kid. Even if you had an assigned partner, I'd have benched you."

Another text appeared as Connor asked about the case at hand. 'Has the killer confessed to the murder?'

"Not yet. Chris is working him over in interrogation, but there's plenty of evidence to convict him even without a confession. Besides, he assaulted and nearly killed a police officer. He's going to prison for a long time no matter what happens."

'Do we know why he killed the victim?'

"So far all we know is the killer wanted money." Hank pulled open the driver's side door of the car while Connor did the same to the passenger side opposite of him. Passing the key over to Hank to take for himself Connor fastened his seatbelt and listed to Hank telling him additional details. "And the victim didn't give him any money or drugs. My guess is the killer was trying to get the victim to buy some 'red ice', but he wouldn't do it, and the killer got pissed off."

'The victim was killed because he refused to do drugs?'

"Yup. What sick twist of fate."

'I hope his mother knows her son died clean and sober, and that he didn't relapse into his previous life of abuse.'

"She will, kid." Turning the key in the ignition Hank pulled the Corvette onto the street to head back the precinct while keeping his eye on Connor's breathing during the journey. "We'll make sure she knows her son fought to stay clean until the very end and that he died because he refused to fall back into his bad habits. He died a good person who just made a few bad decisions, that's all."

After the six hours slowly passed by Connor found himself in the precinct dispensary for the second time that same shift to have his throat reexamined. Laying back patiently on the exam table Connor watched as Joel examined his damaged throat with his hands and listened to his overall breathing with his audioscope against both of his artificial lungs and directly over his bruised throat to ensure the air intake line wouldn't collapse on him. The stubborn deviant detective wasn't in any pain, just uncomfortable from having the external air intake line inserted down his throat for so long. It didn't help that the bruises around his neck were large and still painful to the touch.

Joel was satisfied that Connor was stable and not in need of technical supervision. The injured deviant would be able to fully recover on his own.

"Your breathing is normal, but I want to check your throat more closely before I remove the line. Okay?"

Connor nodded and watched as Joel moved the audioscope up to his bruised throat and listened to the structural stability of his airway. The pressure was light enough that it didn't affect his healing bruises, but firm enough to listen for any faltering.

"You're good. But this part won't be pleasant." Placing his hand against Connor's forehead Joel tipped the deviant's head back as Connor opened his mouth. The end of the line was designed to be visible just behind the deviant's teeth and more importantly, it was designed for easy extraction. "When I start to pull on the line you need to cough a few times, it'll help it slide out easier. Ready?"

Ready to be free of the line Connor nodded very slightly and prepared for the extraction.

"Okay, one, two... three!"

As the tube was steadily slid out of his throat Connor coughed as instructed and watched as the transparent line, covered under a thin, pale blue layer of Thirium, was removed from his damaged airway. Coughing a few more times Connor sat upright on the table and returned his hand to his aching throat as he ran a self-diagnostic to check on his self-healing program's progress.

"Try speaking a few words for me." Joel instructed as he put aside the extracted line for proper disposal. "Better yet, try whispering to ease the strain on your voice modulator."

Connor tried but failed to make a sound at first as his mouth moved and his throat flexed in natural response to his communication program. Pausing for a moment Connor carefully cleared his throat to try again. "...What do... I say?"

"That works." Joel gave the deviant an amused grin. Placing his hand on Connor's chin Joel lowered his jaw and shined a penlight inside his mouth to check for any additional injuries or sign of irritation. "The back of your throat is dark blue from inflammation, but that should clear up in a day; maybe two."

Relieved to know he wasn't in any danger Connor nodded again as he cleared his throat for a second time. "Can I... work?"

"That's up to Hank. You're not in any danger and you're functioning at optimal parameters except for your voice, and that'll return soon enough."

Climbing off of the table Connor found himself fidgeting with his black tie to loosen it from around his shirt collar as he walked toward the dispensary door to take his leave. "...Thanks, Joel."

"By the way," Joel stopped the deviant just as his hand reached the electronic panel to open the door. "I was looking into those updates I told you about earlier and it might actually be possible for androids to-"

"...Joel." Fighting through the hoarseness of his voice Connor turned to look at the technician over his shoulder. "I'd rather not... think about that... for now."

"Yeah, okay. But if you're still curious about any such updates just let me know."

Nodding in response to save the strain on his voice Connor proceeded through the doorway as it slid open and returned to the bullpen on the first floor via the elevator to check in with Hank. It wasn't that unusual to report his condition to Hank as his superior officer, but it was still unusual to work without Hank as his partner out in the field. Fortunately, the two were still working in the same precinct which made the adjustment easier to handle as their careers progressed at a steady clip.

"Hey, kid." Hank greeted as Connor stepped into his office to give him an update. "I just got Joel's report. You can finish off your shift behind your desk."

"What about... tomorrow?"

"Jeez, you sound awful." Despite his best effort to restrain his reaction Hank outwardly grimaced at the sound of Connor's hoarse voice. "If you sound like that tomorrow then you're staying benched. You sound worse than Ben when he caught strep throat the first winter that he was a rookie officer."

"But I-"

"You can still function, I know. But if you can't communicate clearly or talk without any pain then that could be a risk."

The logic was sound and couldn't be refuted. "...I understand."

"Good. Now go file your report so we can both get outta' here by seven tonight."

With no reason to argue Connor returned to his desk and switched on his terminal screen to file his report accordingly. As he did the information regarding android rights and possible adoptions returned to his vision, and with a heavy heart he dismissed the information in favor of his case and the subsequent report he needed to file.

It was too much to think about right now and the idea of the young kid being found dead for trying to do the right thing had left an unexpected and raw wound on Connor's psyche. The idea of someone losing their child made Connor fear that being a father could bring him only pain and suffering, and that maybe his struggles to succeed were just a vanity project.

Unable to really talk, not that he was in the mood to do so, Connor retreated to his bedroom to fidget with his guitar while Hank showered off and watched the end of an old horror movie regarding an alien and a crew stranded in the depths space. As he strung a nonsensical melody of sporadic chords and notes with Sumo laying over the foot of his bed, the constantly thinking deviant suddenly felt the presence of someone lingering in his door frame staring at him. Turning his head Connor noticed Hank watching him and gave the senior detective a quiet stare as he continued to play his tuneless song as if needing something, anything, to distract him for a while longer.

"I know there's something bothering you."

Connor tapped his fingertips dismissively against his throat and tried to go back to his guitar. As his fingertips pressed down on the strings Hank's right hand reached over and took the pick from Connor's right hand.

"Come on, I know you can't talk but I know you have something you need to say."

"...It's nothing." The hoarseness of Connor's voice was still as thick as it had been all afternoon. "I'm okay."

"Kid, I know you." Tossing the confiscated pick into the air once Hank caught it in the same hand and proceeded to fold his arms over his chest as he remained steadfast in front of the opened doorway. "You were quiet all the night before, you were quiet this morning, and when I tried to get you to go on break with me you tried to keep to yourself. You only do that shit when you're thinking, and we both know you obsess over things. What's on your mind, now?"

"...I thought-" Connor briefly paused as he tried to collect his scattered thoughts. "I thought I... wanted... kids someday. Now I'm not... so sure."

"You thought? What changed?"

"...That victim. He was still a kid and he... made a mistake. He was trying to... fix it and he was murdered for his... efforts." Connor explained as best as he could with a weakened voice. "His mother... will never know how her... son's life would've turned out... after he got sober. That kind of... pain is something... I know I wouldn't... be able to... handle."

"It's hard to accept but you can't let that kind of stuff get to you. Raising kids is really tough, but it's also rewarding in a way that's unlike anything else in this world. It hurt beyond anything I could've imagined when I lost Cole, but I wouldn't give up the years I had with him for anything."

"It's not just... that." Despite the pain in his throat Connor was able to find the strength to talk. "The laws won't... change. Not for many years." Connor was struggling to speak but he was determined to tell Hank what was on his mind. "Despite our... efforts. Despite deviants already taking... care of humans and being... seen as living beings, we aren't seen as... alive. No matter how much... we protest and... try to reason, no one... listens to us."

"We don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. Fuck, you could get a message from Markus right now saying that the laws did change two seconds ago and now deviants can take care of families of their own, or you could go your entire life with the same laws in place. But you can't let that kind of shit dissuade you from at least trying to change things for the better."

Shaking his head a little Connor sighed and immediately put his hand back to his pained throat. "This... is what happened to me just today. We both know that... this line of work makes anyone's chances... of adoption dwindle. And I no longer have a... spouse. Single parent adoptions are... extremely rare unless it's a private... adoption. And I don't-"

"Stop right there. You're worrying about shit that hasn't even happened, son." Sitting down on the edge of Connor's bed Hank's brow furrowed and he gave the deviant a lost stare. "Where is all of this coming from?"

"I don't want to be... alone. You're the only family-" Connor stopped short and pressed his hand to face as he leaned into his palm to hide his eyes as he tried to resist the urge to cry. "You're all I have."

"Oh, I get it." Reaching out his hand Hank pressed his palm against the back of Connor's head and pulled him in against his shoulder. Sumo whimpered once and wagged his tail as the dog put his paw on Connor's leg as if he too were trying to give the deviant some comfort. "You're scared that when I die that you'll have no one left in your life."

Nodding against Hank's shoulder Connor admitted the root of his true fear and reasoning.

"When did this little fear of yours start?"

"First with... Lucas. It got worse... after Skye."

"Okay, now I really understand. And I'm going to go ahead and assume my brief visit to the hospital for my kidneys is what made you think about how much you're going to outlive people and all that other fun stuff."

Connor nodded again while keeping his forehead against Hank's shoulder.

"You do realize that you don't need to have a child to have a family, right? I mean, come on. You may only be a few years old but you're not a kid, yet you're still my son all the same. And I'm way too old to be your kid," Hank felt Connor laugh a little as he remained pressed up against his shoulder. "but you take care of me all the same. And despite being a grown adult you still let me take you in as my son and I became your father. You get where I'm going?"

Leaning away from Hank's shoulder Connor nodded again and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"There's all kinds of families out there. A 'traditional family' unit; mother, father and kids, doesn't make any other family less important. Like us."

"...And like the way Carl took in Markus."

"Exactly. You can have a family with two parents and one kid, or one parents and two kids, or a family that has two parents with biological children and adopted children from different races or religions altogether as one. Hell, you don't even need to be all crammed together under the same roof to be a close family. And more importantly, you don't need D.N.A. or matching blood to have a loving family, son. As long you have someone in your life you care about, you'll always have a family. Markus is your family, too. Even friends can become siblings, just look at Gavin and Tina."

"...We needed each other." The deviant hoarsely repeated as he found himself emotionally grounded. "And became a family. Markus and Carl needed... each other, and they became a family. The same happened... to Gavin and Tina. As long as... I have good people in my life... I will always have a family."

"Yeah, kid. You got it." Rubbing Sumo's ears with his free hand Hank gave his deviant son a nod of approval. "You can bring other people into your life to be your family. It doesn't matter who they are or where they come from as long as they're loved. Don't forget that."

Connor reciprocated the nod as he began to feel better about the prospect of still having a family down the line. "...I won't."

"Good. Now, please stop obsessing over the future 'what ifs'. It's driving me crazy."

"I will do my... best. I promise."

"Wow." Hank patted Connor's shoulder proudly at the reply. "Good job."

"...What?"

"You didn't apologize for thinking too much." The deviant was finally progress on an emotional level, and was finding confidence in what he was thinking, saying and what he believed in. "It's about damn time you stopped doing that."

"I guess I'm... learning to not worry as much."

"Well, that's yet to be seen." Hank handed Connor back his guitar pick, and watched as the deviant casually tucked the pick under the strings of the neck of the guitar for safekeeping. "Don't say anything because your voice just sounds so painful right now, but do you want to watch a movie with me?"

Connor's brow arched slightly as he rose from the bed, Sumo jumping down right alongside him, and placed the guitar back in its stand in the corner of the bedroom where it belonged for the remainder of the night.

"Relax. It won't be a horror movie like 'Alien', the last thing I need is for you to start having nightmares again. We'll watch a comedy."

Nodding with a slight smirk on his face Connor agreed to the idea and happily followed Hank out of the bedroom and into the livingroom to relax for the rest of the night on the couch. Though he couldn't speak Connor was still able to let Hank know how much he appreciated everything that he had told him and how Hank had never once made him feel like a stranger in their home. In fact, he made Connor feel like he had a home, period.

Traditional or not, Hank and Connor were in fact family. No law would ever change that.

-next chapter-