An early summer storm settled over the city causing some sporadic flash floods and numerous power outages that left parts of Detroit entirely dark. The precinct had lost power twice that morning and had been forced to rely solely on the emergency back-up generators to keep the holding cells locked and the necessary terminals functional. While most of the city sought shelter indoors away from the storm, a few wayward drivers who were on the road for one reason or another still ended up in the ditch or stranded due to flooding. The stranded people meant several patrol cars, drones and rescue personnel from the fire departments had the misfortune of dealing with the storm in person.

With criminals seemingly calling off due to the harsh weather, the precinct was relatively calm and quiet. It only got busy or loud when someone returned from patrol to change shifts or help a stranded motorist get to shelter.

"Need a little help here." Chris called out as he carried Jack inside the front precinct doors at his side. There was a faint smear of blue blood on the floor following after the duo as they walked through the bullpen. The blond deviant had suffered severe damage to his lower right leg and needed assistance in walking as Chris carried him into the bullpen to receive help. "We need a technician, or at least a hand."

"I'll assist you." Connor rose from his desk and took Jack's arm on the opposite side of Chris to drape around his shoulders and help support Jack's weight. "What happened?"

"A car stalled at an intersection." Chris explained rather casually on Jack's behalf. "When we pushed it out of the way Jack ended up losing his footing on a slick patch of the road and got his leg caught under the car's back tires."

"I'm glad it wasn't far worse." In real-time Connor received a cybernetic update regarding an emergency call and scanned the bullpen. The only other officer currently available at the moment was Tina. The Lieutenant gave Chris a new order and took all of Jack's weight from the Sergeant's shoulders. "There is a possible domestic dispute in progress. Take Tina and check it out, I'll help Jack get up to the dispensary."

"Right." Chris obeyed the order and nodded at his damaged partner as he let his arm go. "I'll see you in a few hours, Jack."

Jack acknowledged Chris's comment in a cold flat tone. "I will remain here until I've received proper maintenance."

Escorting Jack over to the elevator Connor held the deviant upright in the elevator car while they ascended to the second floor. Once the elevator doors parted Connor helped his fellow deviant officer limp into the dispensary to have his leg tended to by Joel. It was easy for the strong deviant to help lift Jack up onto the exam table while Joel began assessing the damage to Jack's broken right leg.

"How severe is the damage?" Connor asked as he watched the technician cut open the Thirium soaked pant leg covering Jack's damaged leg. "Can he continue to function through the day?"

"It's pretty bad." The technician admitted just from a visual assessment. "But I can still patch him up from here and he won't need to see a specialist."

"How long will he be on the injured reserved list?"

"Six or seven hours."

"I'll make a note of it on the daily report."

"Right. I'll send you an update when I know more."

"Thanks, Joel." The promising prognosis gave Connor hope that the precinct wouldn't be down an officer for too long. "We'll see you soon, Jack."

"I'll return as soon as I can, Lieutenant." The second deviant stated as Joel set to work on his leg. "I'll be sure to let Chris know as soon as I'm capable of returning to work."

Returning to the elevator himself Connor stepped inside and found himself standing beside Gavin as the detective fumbled with an electronic tablet that was struggling to remain properly powered up during the sporadic power outages courtesy of the storm. The elevator doors slid shut and the elevator car began a steady descent back to the ground floor, only to shudder and stop short as the lights overhead flickered out.

"What the fuck?" Gavin swore as he looked up at the red tinted emergency lights that illuminated the interior of the elevator in a rosy hue. "Now what?"

"We have lost power." Connor replied curtly as he looked over at the man standing beside him. "For the third time."

"Ah, fuck... How long will it be out this time?"

"Unknown."

Gavin pressed his back up against the cool wall of the elevator car and slowly slid down to the floor to sit and placed the tablet down beside him. Crossing his arms defensively over his chest Gavin took in deep slow breaths as a nervous sweat began to build on his brow in a fine sheen.

"Gavin?" Connor peered down at the shaken man with an arched brow. He ran a biometric scan over Gavin and noted that his heart rate and blood pressure had increased steadily. "Are you ill? Your vitals have increased to-"

"Don't fuckin' tell me what's going on with my body, all right? I fuckin' know I'm strung out."

"...Claustrophobia." Connor keenly remembered that Gavin had a fear of small, dark places. "I apologize for making you feel unsettled."

"Yeah. Fuckin' elevator had to break down with me stuck inside of it."

Sitting down on the floor in the opposite corner across from Gavin the deviant closed his eyes and cybernetically sent a message to the precinct's maintenance deviants to let them know of the stopped elevator.

"Repair crews are actively working on getting the elevator to function again." Opening his soulful brown eyes, he stared at Gavin and watched as the human's breathing increased and heart rate began to climb a little higher. "We will be extracted soon."

"Yeah, sure."

"I am aware of how uncomfortable it is to experience-"

"Shut up."

"You'll be okay."

"Shut up!" Gavin repeated with more anger to his voice as he glared at the deviant. "You don't know what I'm feelin'! Don't pretend you know what this is like, you don't have issues with this kind of shit."

"Actually, I do."

The comment caught Gavin off guard, and he gave Connor an odd and silent stare.

"I had been buried alive." Connor stated in a low voice as he insisted on keeping the conversation going in order to distract Gavin's thoughts. "I know all too well the feeling of being trapped, of being unable to move about freely, of what it's like to feel your breathing hasten as the air around you thins. I may not be claustrophobic, but I am aware of the discomfort being trapped in small space provides."

"If you're trying to make me feel better then you're doing a shitty job!"

"I'm merely attempting to empathize. I understand your fear and I wish to help alleviate it."

"Yeah? If you want to help, then fuckin' get this thing moving again."

Pausing for a moment Connor looked over at the sealed doors and squared his jaw. The deviant crouched down in front of the closed doors and put his hands against the smooth surface; one palm on each door. Utilizing as much strength as necessary Connor was able to force the doors to part and with it a waft of relatively fresh air entered the elevator car gently.

"Whoa! Shit." Gavin peered through the small opening and saw that the elevator car was stuck just barely between floors. There was a four-inch gap between the bottom of the elevator, and the internal wall which allowed him to see the ground floor about three feet below him. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I can do many things." The deviant replied confidently as he fell back onto his hip and resumed sitting up against the corner of the elevator car to await assistance. Straightening his legs out before himself Connor watched as Gavin pulled one leg up to his chest and let his arm casually rest atop his knee. "But I cannot force the car to move any further without power."

"At least the damn doors are open." Gavin sighed and ran his hand through his already sweaty hair. "That's something."

"When I experienced my own brief sense of claustrophobia," Connor pressed the subject lightly to continue to distract Gavin's thoughts. "I was sitting in a moving vehicle, and I found that by rolling down the window and feeling fresh air against my artificial skin eased my discomfort."

"Yeah. That does help a little." The unsettled man sighed and gave Connor an intrigued look. "So, being trapped underground actually affected you?"

"Correct."

"Are you still freaked out by small spaces?"

"I was for an extended period of time, but I had managed to overcome this particular phobia and I no longer suffer from the effects of a localized fear with small or dark spaces."

That admission was undoubtedly too interesting to not ask about. "...How?"

The whispered question caught Connor by surprise and made his brow arch again. "Pardon?"

"How did you get over your fear?"

"Oh." Connor thought back to the exact moment he overcame his fear. As the memory came forward, he let out a deep sigh of contemplation and began explaining the events as they unfolded. "I had to overcome it after Hank had become trapped in a collapsed parking garage. I pushed myself to go through that uncomfortable, narrow place in order to locate him and bring him to safety. After I endured the experience - after I managed to get Hank out of harm's way - I had discovered that my phobia had diminished significantly and was gone entirely within a few days."

"...I don't think I could do that." Gavin admitted in a small voice. "Go into a small, collapsing space like that."

"If it was absolutely necessary, I believe you could do it." Tilting his head a little the kind deviant tagged on an additional thought. "I hope you find a way to overcome your phobia, but I also hope you never have to. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I get it." Stretching out his other leg before himself Gavin took in another slow breath and closed his eyes. "At least you had a good reason to face your fear and beat it. I don't have one."

"I knew the origin of my phobia and why it came to pass." Lowering his voice Connor tentatively tried to get Gavin to talk about his own past trauma without pushing him. "Do you know where your fear has originated from?"

"...Don't worry about it." He responded gruffly as a means of getting Connor to back off. "I can handle it."

"Very well."

From the opening in the elevator doors a flashlight beam shone inward, and Hank called out to his two trapped detectives through the parted doors. "Hey, you guys okay in there?"

"I am all right." Connor confirmed for himself rather than answer for Gavin. "I simply cannot open the doors all the way."

"Yeah." Gavin piped up and cleared his throat a little. "I'm good, too. Just get us outta' here already!"

Hank passed the flashlight inside the elevator through the doors toward the two officers to take. "Maintenance is working on getting the elevator moving enough for you two to get out. Until this damn storm passes the elevators are going to be off limits to everyone from now on."

"Understood." Taking the flashlight Connor acknowledged the order. "Is anyone else currently trapped?"

"You two are here," Hank replied casually as he then placed a bottle of water inside the elevator for Gavin. "and we got three rookies stranded down in the gym. I figured this would be the perfect way for them to learn to not worry about impressing their superior officers with a bunch of push-ups during active hours; especially when the city is being torn apart by a storm."

Gavin let out another deep sigh and tried to calm his thoughts as the strange sense of encapsulation seemed to intensify and wear away at his already thin nerves. As he breathed faster and deeper the man's heart rate began to climb alongside his increasing blood pressure. With each rapid breath Gavin's already elevated vital signs continued to climb and he began to sweat more profusely.

"Captain," Connor noted Gavin's distress and addressed it discreetly out of respect for the shaken man. "might I ask if we have an E.T.A. on the elevator being returned to operational functions?"

"About ten, maybe fifteen minutes." Hank's voice carried heavy confusion at the question. "You can't cybernetically connect to the maintenance androids?"

"I can. But I found it more logical to ask as a means of conserving my processing power since I am unable to gain access to any emergency power supply discs." He lied smoothly. "Seeing as this storm has proven detrimental to electronics and other technical components it was a wise precaution."

"...Right." Hank knew Connor was lying but he didn't know what he was lying about. "Anyway, you two just wait a few more minutes and you'll be out of there."

Once Hank had left the area Connor spoke to Gavin in a calm reassuring tone of voice once more. "You need to slow your breathing down."

"...I'm f-fine."

"No. You're beginning to hyperventilate. Take in one deep breath, hold it for three seconds and let it out slowly. If you repeat the process, it'll calm down your heart rate and you'll feel better."

"I can't... I can't fuckin'..." Barely able to catch his breath Gavin began to panic more which in turn only caused him to hyperventilate faster. One hand pressed against his forehead and the other hand desperately clutched at the front of his shirt over his pounding heart. "Shit!"

"Gavin, listen to me." Picking up the provided bottle of water Connor stared at Gavin and scanned the human's body to keep track of his vital signs. "You're going to be okay. Just breathe slowly."

"I fu-"

"Watch me." Steadily Connor took in a deep breath, held it for a moment and then let it out slowly. Patiently he waited for Gavin to mimic his behavior and continued the cycle until the distraught man's vitals began to lower into a more manageable and calm degree. "Just like that. Keep breathing in a slow, controlled manner."

"Fuck... I can't-"

"Gavin. Breathe." The deviant all but ordered as he kept himself calm and kept his breathing steady and level. "Slowly. Deep breath in, hold it, and deep breath out just as slowly." As the panicking detective finally began to breathe as instructed Connor monitored his vitals closely. "Good. Do it again, just breathe slowly."

Gavin's heart rate began to slow, and his blood pressure dropped slowly in tandem. Once Gavin's breathing stabilized Connor passed over the bottle of water to the Sergeant, which he readily accepted.

"...Thanks." Sipping at the water Gavin leaned back against the wall heavily and tried to focus on his breathing. "...How'd you know what to do?"

"I had once had an anxiety attack and Chris helped me through it."

"Chris is a good guy. So are you." He gave the deviant a stern glare. "If you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it until the day I die."

"Don't worry. I won't say anything about this."

"Good." Replacing the cap over the bottle Gavin wiped his hand over his sweaty face and leaned forward a little. His fingertips brushed over the scar on the bridge of his nose and his eyes dulled in response. "Fuckin' shitty weather. It always makes scars and healed bones ache."

"Poor weather can interfere with my processors resulting in either Thirium pump irregularities; equivalent to heart palpitations, as well as overheating and increased Thirium pressure in my head resulting in headaches."

"Guess storms fuck us all up. I know Aria hates thunder; I hope she isn't too afraid right now."

"Perhaps she'd fine comfort with music drowning out the sound of the thunder."

"Man, I asked before, but..." Gavin gave the deviant an odd glance and a half smirk. "You really do like kids, don't ya'?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're not exactly human. A biological need to nurture something or a primitive need to mate and have offspring isn't exactly going to influence you. So, what gives? You just think kids are tiny and cute or something? Like a kitten or a puppy."

"To be honest with you, I like children because they don't see the world as something to be hated, divided or feared. They see it as something to be experienced. That is the mindset of deviants and being able to relate to a person on an emotional level is very comforting." Connor explained without any hesitation or uncertainty to his voice. "Children are innocent and that innocence must be protected. I've encountered children who have needed protection or guidance, and they need guidance without prejudice or bias. I've also encountered children who simply need someone to look after them. I have the desire to look after a child and guide them along their way in the same way that Hank has guided me. I want to help, and I want to give a child a safe home in which to grow up and become a caring member of society. I want to have a bigger family and show a child the same compassion, kindness, patience and understanding that Hank has already shown me."

Gavin paused for a moment as his brow furrowed slightly. "So... Why don't you?"

"Androids are legally barred from adopting human children." Connor lamented with a heavy heart. "I cannot adopt a child and, as of today, androids are incapable of reproducing their own offspring."

"Oh. Gross."

"I apologize if the information I've relayed is unsettling."

"No, it's fine. Besides, I'm the one who asked the question." Clearing his throat a little more Gavin pressed the matter a little further. "So, you've checked the laws and everything, but there's nothing you can do to adopt?"

"As of this moment, no. I am continuing to check for a means in the law that I can use to my advantage; a loophole if you will, and I have begun looking into purchasing the proper items required for raising a kid. For now, I just have a list of furniture, clothing, toys and I've been researching children dietary needs."

"Well, if you do have a kid, I can tell you right now that it's impossible to have too many diapers for one baby. Don't hold back on diapers. Like, every time you go to the store just to grab something to eat or pick-up something you need, get a box of diapers anyway!" Gavin almost seemed traumatized by his personal experiences with tending to a baby's needs. "Aria's going to be in diapers for almost two years and I want to make sure she's clean and comfortable the entire time."

"Noted."

"As long as Aria's happy then I'll be happy. Her and Abby are all I truly care about and who I'm living for right now."

Appreciating the advice and of Gavin's civil demeanor, Connor ran another biometric scan over Gavin and changed the subject for the moment. "Your vitals have stabilized, and I suspect it's safe to assume your phobia is no longer prevalent. We'll be out of here in approximately eight minutes and fifty-seven seconds."

"Yeah, cool." Running his fingertip over his scar Gavin searched Connor's face as if looking the answer to a question he was afraid to ask. Mustering up his courage he finally decided to present the question himself and gauge the deviant's response. "Hey, Lieutenant?"

"Yes? Also, you can still just call me 'Connor'."

"...Right. Do you really want to know why I hate small spaces?"

"Only if you really want to discuss it." Connor replied in an understanding manner. "Otherwise, I'll sit here in silence until the elevator regains power."

"Here's the deal. A busted android let my sister drown, but the android wasn't a weak target standing before my parents after shit went down. I was." Taking another deep breath, this one to steel himself mentally, Gavin eyed Connor hesitantly. "When I was a kid, my old man would drink. A LOT. And he would try to lash out at my younger sister, but I wouldn't let him. He never hit me because he knew I'd hit back, so he would lock me up inside the hall closet so I couldn't fight back when he went on a rampage."

The sad revelation made Connor feel genuine sympathy toward the human. He knew the very helpless feeling of being trapped, of being locked up and unable to defend himself. "How long would he leave you locked away?"

"All day, sometimes all night. The only time I was ever let out is when my sister would sneak into the hallway and unlock the door for me or if my crazy mother needed to get her coat out of the closet; not because she cared about me, only because she needed her damn coat. After my sister, Kimmy, drowned at the pool, my parents blamed me for what happened, and things only got worse from there on."

"Worse?"

"Yeah, that's when the physical abuse ramped up." Gavin sighed as tears filled his gray-hazel eyes, but he refused to acknowledge them as he sat on the floor and breathed through his anxiety. "I'd get yelled at just for entering my father's line of sight or smacked upside the head for even trying to talk. My mom ignored me and started taking all kinds of pills to escape reality while my father drank himself into a violent rage." Rolling up the sleeve of his jacket Gavin unfastened the watch around his wrist and held up the back of his wrist for Connor to see. "He broke an empty whiskey bottle and slashed open my hand. He said I deserved to die for what happened to my sister and that if I were to kill myself... slit my wrists... no one would care."

The concept of a cold remark made Connor's own heart ache. "How could anyone say such an unforgivable thing?"

"Booze apparently helped loosen his tongue. Just like it helped him feel more confident about smacking me around after he didn't have my sister to slap anymore."

"When did you leave your parents?" The deviant knew very little about Gavin's past, especially his personal life. "You're no longer in contact with them, that much I can tell based on what Abby's told me of the way neither of you have family to rely on with taking care of Aria."

"When I was fifteen."

"You ran away."

"...No."

"No?"

"Didn't need to." As his shaking fingertip traced over his scar once more, he let out a sigh. "One night my old man raised his hand to me so damn hard the neighbors called the cops. He, uh... He threw me against the walls in the livingroom. On the fourth slam I missed the wall entirely and went through the front fuckin' window."

Connor didn't have anything to say. All he could was sit and listen to the horrible tale as Gavin told him the truth about his past.

"I just remember a paramedic holding a wad of bandages to my busted-up face and seeing my old man being dragged away in handcuffs by the cops. I spent four days in the hospital after getting a massive shard of glass removed from my face, my broken nose getting reset, and my upper lip stitched back onto my face after it was nearly torn off."

"I assumed your scar was the result of an injury you sustained in the line of duty or during your time at the police academy."

"Yeah, you and everyone else." Dropping his hand from his scar Gavin leaned back until his head was resting against the cool surface of the elevator car and closed his eyes. "My old man did this. The hospital had some pretty awesome plastic surgeons who put my face back together again with only this scar left behind. It also helped that the foster family that took me in for a couple years were willing to pay for the cosmetic surgeries so that I wasn't... you know... worse."

"Can I ask what happened to your biological parents?"

"My mom took enough pills one night when I was nineteen years old to end up in the hospital and have her stomach pumped. She was put in a psychiatric hospital and still hasn't left 'cuz the drugs fried her brain. As for my old man..." Gavin sighed again and refused to let himself cry despite being obviously upset by the horrible memories. "He got drunk and found me at my old apartment after I graduated from the academy. He decided that I became a cop just to spite him and so I could look down at him for being a drunk loser. I didn't tell him he was wrong, but the truth is I became a cop so I could protect other kids from people like my parents." Pausing for a moment Gavin turned away from Connor and stared at his own reflection on the side of the elevator car to his right. "He threw the first punch, but I wasn't a scared kid anymore, so I fought back, and everything went red."

"Did you...?"

"No. I didn't finish him off, but I did do a number on him. Out of drunken shame he scampered off into the night with his tail between his legs and blood pouring out of his face. Two days later I got a personal visit from my old Captain and he escorted me to the city to morgue to identify my old man's body."

The concept of being asked to confirm the identity of a dead relative made Connor's own heart ache again. "Gavin?"

"Turns out after I put him in place he didn't like where was living. The gutter." Speaking slowly, it was clear that Gavin was delving into a painful piece of his past to rid his heart of the lingering darkness. "And he... put a pistol in his mouth."

Connor was floored by the horrible story. He had never imagined that Gavin had endured such a terrible childhood and now all of his anger and resentment toward androids made complete sense. Knowing that Gavin would be too proud of himself to acknowledge the need for support Connor refrained from putting his hand to the detective's shoulder out of pure respect and just stayed where he sat.

"I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, not as sorry as my old man." Replacing his watch over his wrist Gavin rolled back down his sleeve and cleared his throat. "The coward couldn't bully his own kid anymore and my mother wasn't around to be a punching bag. When the booze ran out, he decided that he had no reason to stick around and did the world a favor by taking himself out."

"You do know that he cannot harm you anymore. Neither of your parents can hurt you. You have no reason to fear small spaces because your father was cruel and-"

"I know all that, but it's not as simple as snapping your fingers and 'BOOM', problem solved."

"I also presume that with each year's physical and mandatory conference with the precinct psychiatrist you've discussed this previous trauma."

"Yeah, but it never helps."

The corner of Connor's mouth twitched a little as he studied Gavin's demeanor carefully. "Have you spoken to anyone else about your past?"

"Abby." Gavin scoffed a little at himself as he took in another deep breath to settle his nerves. "And now you."

"Thank you for telling me. And I also understand why you hated androids." Connor stated in a surprisingly sympathetic tone. "Your life was made worse when an android who should've been watching over you, your sister and everyone else at the pool, failed. It makes sense that you'd focus your hatred on someone who was essentially responsible for the worst moment of your childhood."

"Yeah, well, after being a prick to ya' since day one, you saving my life after I had been shot, and after you helped my wife bring my daughter into this world, the least I could do is level with you."

"You didn't owe me an explanation. I'm aware now that everyone has a reason for everything that they do or choose to not do."

"Did Hank teach ya' that?"

"Yes. He's helped me to understand a lot of things in this world. I'm truly grateful for his guidance."

"Sure, yeah." Scoffing again Gavin dared to admit one more thing as he crossed his arms over his chest again. "...I'm a little jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Because," turning his head a little to look at the deviant Gavin replied honestly and calmly. "while every human on this planet has a father, you're lucky enough to have a dad. I never did and I never will."

"What happened to your family," Connor nearly whispered as he tried to offer some modicum of comfort to the pained detective. "wasn't your fault."

Gavin let out a slow breath and wiped his right hand over his eyes one last time before falling silent.

"What we discussed won't leave this elevator. I swear to it."

"...Thanks, 'Tinman'."

The lights in the elevator flickered back to life as the elevator car shuddered physically. Gavin put up his hands against the walls to brace himself as the car resumed its painfully slow descent to reach the ground floor and allowed to the two detectives to exit at long last.

"Finally. Fuckin' hate elevators." Gavin grumbled as picked up the electronic tablet and stood upright. He ran his hands over his face one more time before combing his fingers through his hair to try to straighten it back out. "I'm takin' the stairs from now on, no matter what."

"That's a wise precaution."

"And, uh, for the record, I don't hate you." Gavin confessed in an embarrassed whisper. "Not anymore anyway. Not that we're friends or anything, but I don't hate you."

"That's good to know."

Exiting the elevator with his head held high Gavin resumed his work as if nothing happened while Connor followed after him and returned to his own desk as well. A rumble of thunder shook the precinct and Connor cybernetically began monitoring the storm's progress. It didn't take long for Hank to join him at the desk and leaned up against it casually.

"Anything new to report, kid?"

"The storm is heading east and will be away from the city in approximately two hours, nineteen minutes and forty-four seconds." Connor turned to face Hank and address him directly as he sat down behind his desk. "I have also received an update from Joel regarding Jack's condition. He will require an additional four hours and twenty-two minutes to heal before he can resume his shift."

"What about your case files?"

"It's been a rather light caseload." Connor replied smoothly as he went back to work as if he and Gavin hadn't had a heart-to-heart in private. "I will be able to finish my reports by seven this evening."

"Cool. Make sure to keep tabs on this storm. If it gets any worse, I'm going to set out patrols in a few hotspot locations to make sure no moron decides to try to break into stores or some other dumb shit."

"Will do."

As Hank walked away Connor casually glanced back over his shoulder toward Gavin who was sitting behind his own desk and performed another biometric scan. The detective's vital signs had all returned to normal, and he showed no further indication of an anxiety or a panic attack. The fact that Gavin was able to so easily move on from such an episode spoke volumes as to how long he had been suffering from such panic attacks, and it made Connor feel all the more sympathetic toward him.

Turns out humans and deviants aren't so different after all.

After arriving home Connor proceeded to let Sumo outside and promptly grabbed a towel from the bathroom to dry off the dog's wet fur once he returned to the house. Standing by the opened backdoor Connor stared at the swirling storm clouds overhead and watched as fantastic lightning bolts flashed in the distance. The memory of having his systems affected in extremely negative ways from close lightning strikes in the past settled into his mind and with those negative memories came the more positive ones of Hank helping him when he needed it the most. It was as if the sage advice of darkness and light - good and bad - needing one another in order to exist properly was being showcased via bright lightning flashes against the dark clouds.

Feeling the air warming up and the static leaving gave Connor a sense of relief. The storm was passing and soon a calm atmosphere would replace what was once chaotic.

"You stuck or something?" Hank asked as he observed the deviant standing idle in the doorway. "What're you doing?"

"I'm watching the storm." Leaning against the door frame Connor kept his arms crossed over his chest and had the towel draped over his shoulder. "And I'm thinking."

"Oh, great. Now what's on your mind?"

"I was thinking about how fortunate I am to have you as my father."

"Of what?" Such sentimentality wasn't exactly rare with Connor, but it was still unexpected to hear. "Where'd that come from? I mean, I'm not sayin' you're ungrateful or anything, but the last time you gushed over me adopting you it was when you came home from Miami sick and delirious."

"Earlier today when I was trapped in the elevator with Gavin, he informed me of his bleak childhood trauma that resulted in his claustrophobia." Turning where he stood to look Hank in the eyes, Connor gave the senior detective an appreciative glance. "You never made me feel worthless or took out your anger on me in such a way that it left scars from either mental or physical abuse. And you never blamed me for your own personal issues."

"Kid, there's no way in hell I'd ever hurt you on purpose. A lot of parents would never do that to their own children. Gavin just, well, I guess you could say he was dealt a bad hand but still managed to make it work."

"Do you know of his past?"

"I have an idea, but I never asked him about it. Being a detective for so long and seeing the worst of mankind gives you a pretty clear idea of why some people act out and why others bottle everything up inside."

Sumo returned to the kitchen through the backdoor and paused in the middle of the room. Before he had the chance to shake off his fur Connor quickly wrapped the towel around him and began to dry off his damp pelt to keep a mess from happening.

"It doesn't invalidate your understanding nature toward me." Connor explained as he took care of Sumo with the towel. "And I am very aware of how so many humans were abusive towards androids to the point of pushing the affected androids into insanity from the damage they had suffered. It's very reassuring to know that when I needed the most guidance that I had someone who actually gave a damn to look over my shoulder and keep me from making any grievous mistakes that I couldn't atone for."

"You know, son," crouching down on the floor next to Sumo under the towel, Hank proceeded to rub at the wet dog's ears lightly with a piece of the same towel to help dry off his fur. "you didn't really need me to watch your back all these years."

"Of course I did. I was new to deviancy and had never experienced anything that revolves around life and emotions. I never knew what it meant to be alive and what it means to really live." Unwrapping Sumo from the towel Connor let the massive dog go on his way and he stood upright slowly. "There were many occasions where I was entirely lost and needed guidance. You saved me. You saved me in more ways than I can ever truly understand."

"Well, you saved me first." Standing up slower to keep his knees from protesting Hank took the wet towel from Connor's hand. "I was just paying it forward."

"You didn't owe me anything."

"And neither do you. But that doesn't stop you from trying to pay me back, now does it?" Opening the adjacent door to the laundry room Hank tossed the damp towel that reeked of wet dog into the washer and started up a load of clothes to be taken care of that night. "You know, I've been thinking it over and I think you'll be able to handle cases while working solo just fine."

The comment sounded almost too good to be true. "No partner?"

"Not if you don't want one. You've been handling everything like a real seasoned pro. Fuck, you pulled my ass out of the river, kept your cool when that damn psycho I tried to partner you up with pulled a knife on ya', and you managed to keep Gavin from losing his shit in the elevator." Hank noted with an impressed lilt. "You don't need to have anyone watching your back anymore."

"Are you certain?"

"Hell yeah. I wouldn't say so if I wasn't sure of it. So, do you want a partner or not?"

"I-" Connor's hands tightened into fists at his sides, and he shook his head. "No. I'd like to try to work as a solo detective. If feel as though I need a partner, I will inform you."

"That's good. I'm glad you want to work by yourself for a while."

"You are?"

"Yup. You work just fine by yourself; you get your cases taken care of and you always keep your cool. If anything, I'd have you training the rookies who still need a little guidance from time to time."

"I don't think I'm quite qualified to train other officers yet."

"Don't doubt yourself, kid." Stepping out of the laundry room Hank made his way to the kitchen sink to wash the damp smell from his hands. "You're way more astute on crime scenes than a lot of humans are."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Connor turned to look at the dark clouds in the distance through the still opened backdoor. "Storm's passed."

"Yeah, but I get the feeling things aren't going to be calming down anytime soon."

"Why's that?" Turning away from the backdoor after he closed it Connor locked eyes with Hank and could see that the human was lost in thought. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Next week the city is going to hold a press conference regarding androids and humans peacefully coexisting in the city." The police Captain admitted in a cautious manner. "And any bigoted nut-bag hiding in the shadows is going to take advantage of such a gathering."

"Markus will be in attendance. Do you fear Markus could be in danger?"

"I think every deviant could be in danger."

"Then what should I do?"

"When the time comes, stay close to Markus and keep on your damn Kevlar vest." Drying off his hands Hank gave Connor a stern look that was not to be argued with for any reason. "Make sure he has a vest on, too."

"I will."

"The last thing this city needs is another riot-" Hank stopped short and swore at himself internally for mentioning that horrible night when Skye was killed and swore at himself. "...Fuck. Sorry, son."

Connor's eyes darkened a little as Hank spoke, but he refused to admit that the comment brought up negative memories over his own personal loss. "You're correct." The deviant continued on Hank's behalf. "I will inform Markus and request that he take any necessary precautions to ensure his safety and the safety of his allies who will be joining him from New Jericho at the conference."

"...Good." Hank was relieved to hear Connor speak up so readily and not linger on the past. "And I want you to take charge of Markus's personal security."

"I'll do everything I can to protect him."

"I know you will, son." Putting his hand on Connor's shoulder for a moment Hank peered through the kitchen window and ran his other hand through his long locks of gray hair to sweep them out of his face. "You'll keep him safe."

"But you're still worried?"

"Of course I am. I just told my own son to protect the leader of his own people from a threat that I can't confirm or deny."

"It'll be okay."

"I sure as fuck hope so."

As Hank continued to fuss with his gray hair Connor followed him back into the livingroom to relax for the rest of the dreary dark evening. Sitting down on the couch while Hank took the recliner Connor was greeted by Sumo as the large dog jumped up onto the furniture and stretched out over Connor's lap to get some cuddles.

"I know you don't want to discuss this," Connor stated in a low voice as he ran his hand down Sumo's damp back. "but it'd be best if you cut your hair before the conference. You'll look more professional and give the precinct excellent representation by adhering to proper dress code."

"Hey, I'm the Captain. If anyone gets away with breaking the dress code, it's ME." Hank refuted as he turned on the television in an attempt to find the basketball game already in progress. "I don't want some stranger messing around my head. It's just weird."

"If you'd feel more comfortable, I could cut your hair for you."

"You?"

"It's easier than going to a barber or trying to do it yourself." The deviant stated logically as he continued to pet Sumo's still wet fur in a slow rhythm. "I don't mind."

"...I'll think about it. But for now, shut up and watch the game with me." Hank couldn't keep himself from pulling at his hair one more time before dropping his hands atop his lap. "If the Gears win this, then they'll make the final tournament."

"Very well." Smirking at the comment Connor turned his attention to the television and away from Hank. Leaning back against the couch cushions Connor relaxed and watched the game as he continued to run his hand down Sumo's back slowly. "The offer still stands if you change your mind."

-next chapter-