DBH: Accident Prone - Becoming Human

by WayWardWonderer

Connor struggles to comprehend his newly found emotions and learns what it means to be human as Hank guides him along his journey of self-discovery as his deviancy evolves him into something more than a machine. Connor isn't indestructible and his impulsive, selfless nature to accomplish his mission will be the death of him, or even Hank, as he learns what it means to be alive.

203. Epilogue

=Epilogue=

Three years had passed since the loss of Hank Anderson and in that time many more changes had taken place throughout the city and with his surviving family. For the first time in history, Detroit had a mayor who was an android as Markus himself stepped up to the challenge and won the election with a rather impressive lead just the previous fall. Every police precinct in the city now had its own deviant division to help protect its deviant residence and to ensure deviants weren't taking advantage of their new rights as equal and free people. With the city at peace and everyone able to finally coexist without any tensions or plots of violence to undo the delicate tranquility of the population, Detroit had entered a new era of progress and prosperity that the world had noticed immediately.

With the end of fall and the sunset right around the corner, Connor found himself lamenting the decision to pull down the old basketball hoop from over the garage to put away for the wintertime. He had spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours playing basketball in the driveway with either Hank or Henry over a nearly twenty year long span, and it had become his daily routine to play a game as a means of destressing after a long day of keeping the peace as the Central Precinct's proud deviant Captain.

Making one final shot and watching the orange basketball soar through the hoop and then bounce on the driveway, Connor put his hands to his hips and didn't bother to stop the ball from rolling away as it passed by his foot and went down the driveway toward the street. Connor was now twenty-six years in age and for a prototype that was an impressively long time for him to continue to function. Age was affecting Connor as if he were a forty-something human and he knew it was beginning to show to those who knew him best.

"You still have a great jump shot, dad!"

"Henry?" Turning around Connor saw his twenty-two-year-old son walking up the driveway and now dribbling the basketball. His son adult son had a bright smile on his face as he returned home for an unexpected but very welcome visit. "You weren't supposed to come home until tomorrow!"

"I know." Tossing the ball into the air Henry watched as the faded orange sphere found its way into the hoop smoothly and bounced down on the driveway beneath the net without any obstruction. The college student's athleticism was as sharp as ever. "But there was something I needed to get before I graduate tomorrow."

"Oh?" Curious about what his son could be missing Connor picked up the basketball and threw his arm around Henry's shoulders as they walked into the backyard and up the back deck of the house together. The moment Connor was reunited with his son his advanced age seemed to fade entirely. "And what's that?"

"You'll see." Eyeing the aged basketball hoop with a grin Henry felt entirely at ease as he returned home from school. "I hope..."

"Hope?"

"I know you didn't do anything with Papa's things after... you know." Henry hated mentioning Hank's passing just as much as his father did. Even after so long it was still difficult to even acknowledge it. "And I wasn't sure if you managed to finally do anything with them after I went back to school."

"I see." Opening the backdoor Connor and Henry stepped into the kitchen as Connor cybernetically turned on the overhead lights. The old house had been kept the same after Hank's passing and after Connor purchased the home for himself, but it would never feel the same without Hank's presence. "I haven't thrown anything out or donated anything yet."

"Is everything still in his room?"

"...Yes." Connor stared at the entrance of the hallway as Opal jumped down from the back of the couch and readily rubbed against Henry's ankle to greet her favorite person in the whole world. While Henry picked up the purring cat to hold in his arms Connor nodded at the closed bedroom door down the hallway and didn't dare to enter the space as he was still trying to find the best way to keep Hank's memory alive. "I haven't touched anything in his room since the night before the funeral."

"It's been that long?"

"Yeah." Wrapping his hand around his opposte wrist Connor clutched at the old watch he had keep safe ever since Hank's passing three years prior. "It's been a struggle, I'll admit it."

"I guess so." Henry noticed that all of Hank's old books were still on the bookshelf and that his keys to the Oldsmobile were also left behind. The car itself had been parked in the garage ever since the night of Hank's heart attack and would surely need a lot of work before it could be driven again - if at all. "I just need to find one thing and then I can graduate tomorrow with no regrets."

"All right." The idea of entering the bedroom or going through Hank's things made Connor feel unusually tense and uneasy. Even so, he owed it to Henry to do what he needed to do in order to feel as if his big day was going to progress smoothly. "Go and find what you need, Henry. I won't stop you."

Putting Opal down on the back of the couch for a moment Henry made his way down the hallway to find something special. "Be right back!"

Patiently Connor stood in the middle of the livingroom and watched as Henry walked down the hallway and slowly pushed open the door to Hank's old bedroom. As the light was turned on for the first time in four years Connor saw the interior of the bedroom from the distance and turned his head away. He just couldn't bring himself to part with any of Hank's old belongings or even venture into the once private space just to clean. It felt like an intrusion or even an act of disrespect to do anything else beyond keep things exactly as Hank had preferred them to be.

Henry had slid open the old closet door and began rummaging through the items kept in storage. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for and pull it out of the closet with a mischievous smirk on his face and a light in his blue eyes.

"Found it!"

"What were you looking for?" Turning to look at Henry as his son walked back down the hallway Connor saw something very familiar in Henry's hands and laughed a little. "You came all the way back home just to get that?"

"Absolutely!" Holding up the bright blue and orange stripey dress shirt with pride, Henry proudly displayed it for the whole world to see. The shirt was one of Hank's favorites and he never had any qualms in wearing the loud shirt regardless of the situation. "I needed a dress shirt to wear under my graduation gown tomorrow and I knew this would be perfect."

"If you say so." The sight of the shirt brought Connor back to the day he and Hank investigated the Stratford Broadcast Tower after Markus and Jericho's peaceful hijacking of the station. Hank had shown no fear while in the field or when wearing a tacky shirt in public, and shown Connor genuine gratitude for the first time in their slowly budding friendship. "Why that one?"

"Because this was undoubtedly the ugliest one in Papa's entire collection, and I knew that he'd want to wear it for my graduation ceremony tomorrow. Since no one's going to see my clothes under that gown anyway, I figured I'd wear this to honor Papa's memory."

"What about your pocketwatch?"

"Right here." Henry reached for the gold chain around his neck and pulled the pocketwatch out from under his t-shirt. The golden watch rarely left Henry's side and had become his most valuable possession since it was given to him the day he began his college education. "I'll have this, too."

"Well, regardless of the situation I'm sure Hank would be honored to know that you'd wear his shirt on your big day."

"I hope so." Draping the shirt over his arm Henry sighed and gave his dad a somber glance as he finally acknowledged the source of the heavy emotions between them. "I still miss him."

"So do I." Connor admitted as he sat down on the couch and soon had Henry sitting beside him. "It's been so long since he's passed, yet it still hurts to even think about. Even so, I suspect that Hank wouldn't want us to focus on him and would want us to celebrate your accomplishments. Starting tomorrow you'll be a proud graduate from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's Degree in Forensic Science. You've come a long way, Henry. We're all so very proud of you."

"I can't believe it's been four years since I started college.' Henry admitted as he leaned back against the couch and neatly folded the shirt before letting it sit over his lap. "It felt so fast..."

"Not for me. Your four years in college felt longer than your twelve years in elementary, middle and high school combined."

"I know. You only had Opal and your aquarium to come home to at night and talk to." Picking up the cat again Henry held Opal on his lap and soon had her snuggling in and purring loudly against his torso. The lovable cat never knew a day where she wasn't loved and cuddled just as Henry promised. "I wish I could've visited more often."

"It's all right. You needed to be in school and not worrying about me being a little lonely from time to time."

"Dad, I'll worry about you as much as you'll worry about me." Having a close bond with his father let Henry feel entirely confident and like he could do anything in the world with support right behind him. "But now I'll be back home before the week is over."

"You're going to come back home to live in Detroit?"

"Yeah. Ann Arbor is a great city and all, but it just wasn't the same as Detroit and nothing like being home." Relaxing where he sat Henry looked about the livingroom and seemed to become entirely at ease with the world. He knew the house so well from growing up inside the loving home with his father and grandfather that he always felt comfortable whenever he visited. "Whether it's here in Papa's old house or our house next door, this is home."

"I'm glad you're back, son." Connor clapped his hand down on Henry's shoulder in a supportive grip. "I've missed you."

"I miss you, too. It's good to be back. I'm proud to have graduated and I'm relieved it's finally over." Henry was in high spirits and fearless about stepping up to his next challenge as a college graduate. "I can finally return home and begin my new career as a forensic scientist."

"Have any potential job opportunities waiting for you?"

"Yeah, actually." Beaming with deserved pride Henry rubbed Opal's chin as he spoke with his father about his plans for the future. "When I got my final grades and confirmed my graduation, I started looking around for potential job openings and found one right here in the city."

"Where's that?"

Henry's eyes lit up excitedly as he told his dad the good news. "At the Detroit Central Precinct."

"I see..." Connor's soulful brown eyes widened for a moment as a smug smile crept over his face. "There's been opening in the forensics department for the past six months. Why am I not surprised that you'd apply for it?"

"I think it's more surprising that I was given a recommendation by Dr. Forrest. I thought for certain he'd try to encourage me into becoming a technician in favor of being a forensic scientist."

"As of the moment Joel's focusing on making sure Sage doesn't have any financial situations as she begins her final year of college herself. He's managed to put all three of his children through college and he wants to make sure they all graduate without any issues."

"Man, I keep forgetting that we're all either in school or just leaving school." Henry laughed a little as he thought about his childhood friends and the friends from the precinct he played with while growing up. Aria, Jason and even Courtney were still good friends in Henry's mind. "It feels like I'm still a freshman in high school."

"Considering that I watched you grow up every day of your life and saw all the little changes that you didn't notice, I'm not at all surprised that your sense of time and age are vastly different than my own."

"You still look exactly the same to me." Henry countered as he gave his dad a mischievous, knowing glance. "It's kinda' weird that I have a dad who doesn't age."

"I do in fact age, Henry." As he spoke Connor pressed his palm over his chest and recounted all his close calls with a premature shutdown. The scar on his chest after being stabbed never fully healed, although it had faded considerably over the years. "It's just internal and not external."

"Feeling a little rundown these days?"

"Not as rundown as I should considering my prototyping and my rather exuberant history of errors, damage, glitches and close calls that had taken several months, if not years, off my estimated lifespan."

"Yeah, I know. You were shot when I was a kid, and even struck with an axe." Henry remembered those horrible moments and slumped his shoulders as he continued to pet Opal's side and reminisce the past with his father. He was fortunate that he didn't see the other serious incidents from his father's colorful past. "That scared me more than anything else."

"Those were unfortunately just two of the more serious incidents that I had endured in my lifetime. You would've had gray hair by the time you started puberty if you had witnessed the other misfortunes that came my way during my earlier years as a detective."

"Really? What else did you and Papa deal with as detectives?"

"There's... a lot of stories to go through."

"I don't mind." Henry insisted on hearing about his dad's past and pushed him to keep speaking. "You rarely talk about work anymore because it freaked me out as a kid. Now that I'll be working in your field, I want to know."

"All right, just remember that I survived them all and I've since learned to take more appropriate precautions every time I clock-in at the precinct."

With a breathy sigh Connor regaled Henry with more stories of his past as a detective and of how Hank had essentially pieced him back together after each horrid encounter. With every story he shared Connor swore he could feel more of his body breaking down and feel the intense pain of old age gnawing away at his joints and biocomponents. Acknowledging his past incidents made it all the more difficult to deny his age and undeniable mortality.

Henry was entranced by the stories and couldn't stop himself from suddenly seeing his dad as an older, more fragile being. The indestructible and always energetic dad that he had known his entire life suddenly seemed like a frail mortal just like the rest of the humans in the world.

"Dad?" Speaking up in a near whisper Henry's eyes dulled as he sought an answer from his father. "Are you trying to tell me something? Something about your own limited time in this world?"

"I assure you that, while I'm beginning to slow down and need more frequent recalibration to keep my system fully functional, I am healthy and will be around for approximately sixty-six more years. If future enhancements to my system come around, then I can add a few more decades on top of that."

"You swear to me that you're not sick?"

"Son, I promise you that I'm not sick; I am okay." Knowing that Hank keeping his own illness a secret had put Henry on his guard Connor remained entirely open and honest with his son. "If I do become ill or suffer from any serious complication, I will tell you about it. No secrets, no unfortunate surprises."

"Good. I'd hate to wake up one day and learn you were suffering in silence for years and just... You know. Are just suddenly gone."

Wrapping his arm around his son's shoulders again Connor held Henry close at his side. "It'll happen to us all eventually, but I will do my best to make sure you can prepare for the inevitable and not be as shocked as I had been when Hank passed away."

"You didn't know he was going to pass away?"

"I hadn't anticipated the heart attack and him choosing to stop his cancer treatment." Connor explained in a low tone. "I'm glad he was able to pass away with his dignity and when he was ready, yet I wish he could've held on for just a while longer."

"Yeah. I would've loved one more weekend at the cabin or another trip out to Boston to see Uncle Luke with Papa."

"I understand what you mean. Which is why I've chosen to retire from the precinct so I can spend more time with you."

"Retire?" Henry was stunned by the admission. He knew his father loved being a detective and had been a detective for almost his entire life. "But I was hoping we could work together at the precinct for a while. You know, as a team."

"A team?" The idea of working alongside his son to protect the city made Connor smirk with pride. He hadn't worked with a partner since he and Hank had been promoted within their own precinct. "That would be interesting, I can't deny it."

"Yeah, we could solve crimes together and help protect all the deviants and the humans in Detroit."

"While I love the idea of working with you to protect the city, it's just not one that I can bring to fruition."

"Nepotism?"

"No. It's just my turn to step aside so another detective can step up and take my place as the Captain. Besides, with Markus now as the mayor I won't have to worry about corrupt politicians abusing the law to their own advantages."

"Well, that's a first!" Leaning back a little Henry locked eyes with his dad and gave him a small frown. "You're really going to retire?"

"Yes. In six weeks, I'll be officially retired. I'll also be able to spend more time with my son. That is, when I'm not traveling."

"Wait, now that I'm home from school you're going to travel the world?" A little jealous of his father Henry gave Connor a playful shove to the shoulder. "Why didn't you do that before I graduated?"

"Because if something had happened while you were at school and you needed me, I could've been exploring the Australian Outback or walking the beaches of Hawaii and would've been too far away to support you. It just wasn't the right time to go. Now, I'm ready and you're ready to live your life without needing to rely on me to watch your back at all hours of the day."

"Sounds like you've been planning your travels already."

"I have been. I want to see the far corners of the world and walk as many shores as possible." Connor admitted as he preconstructed his impending tour around the world. "I want to see every monument on this planet and venture into every country at least one time."

"Papa wanted you to travel and leave the city, so I think he'd be proud to hear you talking about traveling."

"And he wanted you to be a happy person with no fear in the world. As long as I finally take that first step beyond the city's borders and begin traveling, then we'll both be able to keep our promises to him."

"Well, you can begin your travel plans starting tomorrow." Henry insisted as he stood up from the couch and held the old shirt to his chest. It still smelled of Hank's cologne and musk, but Henry didn't mind the lingering scent. "You can see me graduate, help me pack up my stuff at my dorm and bring it all back home. After that, well, the rest of the world awaits you."

"And you'll really be okay without me being close by?"

"Yeah, I could rent an apartment with Jason or maybe even afford one by myself." Showing his fearlessness Henry made it clear he had his own plans in mind and ready to go. "After that, I could-"

"Or..." Interrupting his son in a gentle manner Connor stood up as well and planted both hands on Henry's shoulders. "You can just stay here with Opal. I own both houses and you're welcome here no matter what happens. You can stay home with me while you find your place in the world and get your own money saved up." A strange sense of Deja vu flashed over Connor's eyes as a weak grin graced his lips and faint tears filled his eyes. "...Just as I did when I first deviated."

The emotions in Connor's eyes we unmistakable and Henry knew what his father truly meant. "You mean when Papa first took you in as his son."

"Yeah, that's what truly happened." Glancing about the livingroom Connor sighed and realized that it was finally time to let the past rest and to face the future head on. It was time to prepare the house the welcome the next generation of Andersons. "And in time, if you have kids of your own someday, then they too will also have a home to call their own."

"When I do have a family someday, I want them to have a safe place to be their second home." The sense of family was strong with the Andersons and Henry wanted his dad to know that the bonds he forged were going to last a lifetime. "This place always feels welcoming, safe and warm. It hasn't changed since that day three years ago and it still seems like Papa is here."

"He is, Henry. It's taken me some time to fully grasp the power of emotions and of the bonds that forge from the heart, but now I understand it. As long as we remember those we truly love and care about, then they'll never leave us. Your Papa is still here in some way, I can feel it."

"I can, too." Glancing about the livingroom Henry relived so many Christmases, birthdays, Father's Days and countless hours of just hanging out with Hank and made his heart warm with those loving memories. The house would forever be his and Connor's home. "I want my future children to meet their own Papa by meeting you."

"They will." Connor let out a small breath as he fought to keep his emotions in check for a while longer. "It'd be my honor to hold such a title. For now, I'll settle for 'proud father of a college graduate'."

"Thanks, dad. I mean it."

"I know you do." Connor replied in a humble tone. "You've never lied to me before."

"No, I mean, thanks for everything you've done for me." Henry gave his dad a sincerely appreciative glance as they sat together on the couch. "While I was at school and hung out with new people and heard their own stories of life and their struggles, I really had my eyes opened at how much you had to do to raise me as your son. Being a parent is already tough, but you were a single parent with no childhood of your own to draw experience from."

"Your Papa helped a lot." Modest as ever Connor reminded Henry that he wasn't entirely alone while he was raising his only son. "Whenever I was confused or simply didn't know what to do, he'd offer me invaluable advice and helped us both to be happy. I wasn't alone thanks to you and your Papa."

"Yeah, and you're the one who managed to find time after work to go to every parent-teacher conference, see every one of my basketball games, help me with homework, help with my guitar lessons, taught me how to tie my shoes, how to ride a bike, how to drive, always made sure I never went hungry or was cold or sick, AND you paid for my college education without ever complaining. You never even asked for a 'thank you'."

"You being happy and successful is thanks enough. Besides, everything I had done for you was the absolute basics of being a father." Connor stated without any doubts behind his claims. "Anything less or any single complaint would've been inappropriate and out of line. I'd happily do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"Did you have only one child because it was so difficult to raise a family as a deviant?"

"No, I only had one child because you were all the family I needed." Keeping a grin on his face Connor made sure Henry knew he had no regrets in his past or his decisions along his way through life. "And I couldn't have hoped for a better son or a happier lifetime because of you. I know your Papa felt the same when we entered his life. It's so strange to think how Hank could barely stand to be in the same room as me when I first arrived at the precinct, and in the end, he saved my life and brought me into his family and helped me create a family of my own."

Sitting quietly for a moment the father and son duo bonded even closer as they exchanged their mutual respect, love and admiration for one another. To overcome so many obstacles and still be willing to face new challenges head-on spoke volumes of their closeness as a family, regardless of what strange or unexpected events may happen during their journeys through life itself.

"Think we should head out to Ann Arbor tonight, or leave early in the morning?" Henry knew his dad was deflecting a little to keep himself from having an emotional breakdown and he played along as he broke the silence between them. "I took a cab to get here, so we can share a ride back to the city. We'll even take the Camaro to honor and show off Papa's hard work."

"I think we should leave tonight so you can have plenty of time to get ready for your graduation in the morning. But first..." Walking over to the mantle above the fireplace that held the family photos of Hank and Henry, Connor smiled and gave his son an approving nod of his head. "We should get a few more of your Papa's things packed up and put into storage. He wouldn't want us keeping this house as a time capsule of his life, he'd want us to make this house our home for the rest of the future family that he'll be watching over."

"Sure, dad." Relieved to see his dad finally taking the steps to move forward with his life Henry supported his decision entirely. It wouldn't be easy to pack up Hank's items and put them aside, but it was better than letting them decay or simply throw them away. "How do you want to do this?"

"One day at a time. We'll start by packing up Hank's bedroom and getting it cleaned up and ready for anyone who might join our lives and need a place to stay." A part of Connor wanted to keep Hank's room as it was, but he also knew Hank would tell him to stop moping over old furniture and move on with his life. "After that, we'll work our way through the rest of the rooms - ending with the garage - and make sure we keep all of the family photos safe and on display to ensure we always have our family with us in some way."

Henry liked that idea very much and joined his father by the fireplace. Opening up his pocketwatch Henry looked at the photograph tucked away inside and let out a small laugh as he remembered the origins of the priceless trinket.

"Papa was right." The college graduate admitted with genuine joy in his words. "He was right about everything."

"Hm?" Tilting his head a little Connor was intrigued by his son's oddly bold statement. "To what are you referring, son?"

"Just this." Letting his dad read the inscription inside the watch again Henry laughed and admired the photographs of himself as a baby being held by his father with his proud grandfather standing beside him, and the photo of the three of them from Henry's high school graduation. It was one of the few photos where all three of them were smiling at their brightest and happiest. "See? Papa was right. Time is fleeting..."

Looking at the old watch ticking on his wrist Connor smiled as he put his hand over the pocketwatch to close it up and keep the photographs inside safe. "...But memories last forever."

-End of Story-