Exhausted, I throw myself onto the couch as soon as I get home. I am never going to my parents' house for dinner again. Especially if Leo is going to be there. I couldn't even get Connor's biocomponent finished. Out of my purse, I dig out the unfinished plastic print, the cylinder only about three-fourths complete. Before I'd left, I made some excuse about forgetting my lipstick upstairs and running to get it, while also making sure all Leo's traces of Red Ice were gone too. I can't believe I'm still covering for him after all these years.

Red Ice. I slip off my boot and find Leo's baggie. It's been years since I've held Red Ice in my hands, even more since I've held it without surgical gloves. I joined the Detroit police soon after I sobered up, ironically my first major assignment was Hank's Red Ice Task Force. Eventually Hank figured out I was a former user, but he let it slide since I could use my knowledge to bust dealers and suppliers. Our little secret, of course.

I can't deny when Leo offered I was tempted to take it. Now that I'm home alone, I'm even more tempted to take it now. They say the stuff that's on the market now is even stronger than what I was taking, the new stuff has a higher concentration of Thirium making it more potent.

Thirium. Wait, Connor is supposed to come over to pick up the biocomponent. The biocomponent I don't have. I take out my phone to text Connor, hopefully the number it used to contact me goes both ways.

"Connor, I'm so sorry. I couldn't finish your biocomponent at my parents' house. I'll see if I can take it to a shop tomorrow to get it finished."

Setting both my phone and the Red Ice on the coffee table, I sigh as I stare up at the ceiling. Maybe mom was right, maybe this dump does need an interior decorator. I hung up the picture's I picked up from my room, save the few that Ember really wanted to keep for some reason. But there's nothing noteworthy about this house, not to mention the basement still needs fixing. What did Connor say about it again? That there's asbestos down there? God, I'd need to hire a professional for that, but when would I ever be home to let one in?

It's not like it matters. I don't think my parents will ever come over to see this place anyway. Mom still doesn't believe I have my own place to begin with, and Dad will just follow whatever she says. And now Mom wants me and Leo to get back together, which would be a disaster on so many levels…

I need to get some sleep, I need to relax. My night was so stressful I almost forgot there was a shooting at the Stratford Tower, and I performed impromptu surgery on an android, all in one day. Huh, maybe someone should've asked how my day was at dinner, I think my life is finally starting to make for interesting dinner conversation.

I turn over on the couch and my eyes rest on the Red Ice. Leo is probably drowning in that stuff, he wouldn't miss one baggie missing, right? Especially if he apparently feels such a connection with me as he claims to, it's something that can be forgiven.

Laying out the crystal powder and creating the line come as old muscle memory to me, even after all this time I don't even have to think about it. I keep it small and short, who knows what my tolerance is like after all this time. I don't feel the dust go up my nose as much as I'd expect, maybe they are doing a better job refining the powder now.

I wipe my nose and climb back onto the couch with my phone. I've barely had time to pick a video to watch when I feel it kick in. Wow, okay, this is a lot stronger than what I remember. Red Ice tends to just make me really giddy, and then really sleepy, although different variants can…vary, very much.

I'm awoken by harsh rapping at the door. Shit, did Leo call the cops?! He better have not, that asshole. As I approach the door, I hide the remaining Red Ice in the rim of one of my baseball caps, sealing it with a piece of tape. Freshening myself up at the door, I hear a familiar voice.

"Emma?! It's me, Connor!"

Oh no. Anyone but him-...I mean, it! It! Why do I keep thinking of him as a-...oh my god, I did it again!

I throw the door open, and Connor looks surprised to see me, I'm not sure what it was expecting…that I not be home?

"Emma, I came to see if you were alright. I called your phone four times, and texted you nine times."

"Yeah…Connor, I'm fine. I was just sleeping. It's fine, thank you…for your concern, but I'm alright."

Even the obtuse Connor can tell something's off, "Are you sure? You seem a little more than just sleepy. Did…did you go out tonight?"

I look down and see that I'm still in my dress from the dinner, I even still have the black leather jacket over it, "No…no, just passed out right after I got home. Forgot to get changed."

Another pause from Connor. Damn, what do I have to do to make this thing go away?!

"Well, I'm not sure if you've read my texts, but you can't take the biocomponent schematics into a 3D printing shop. Those are highly classified CyberLife documents, if anyone else saw them, it'd constitute a huge security risk."

"Awe, damn, there goes my Plan B. I'm sorry, Connor, I tried, I really did. But hey, I have the unfinished part if you want it."

"Yes. That is exactly why I'm here."

I turn around, looking for my purse. I find my purse, but no biocomponent. Biocomponent…where is it? I finally find it on the floor, a couple feet away from the purse. Snatching it up, I walk further into the living room to grab a few clear bags of Thirium I'd also picked up for Connor. Turning around, I realize Connor's already followed me inside, its suit and skin glistening from the rain.

"It's not fair…you can stand out in the rain and it won't ruin your hair…anyway, here's the biocomponent, and I know you said no going to the CyberLife shop, but you lost a lot of blue blood, so I got you these…to refill, I guess. Where would you even stick those? Is it like a car, do you have a valve?"

"No, I don't," Connor's voice is completely devoid of humor, "Emma, I sense you aren't being completely truthful with me. You're acting very strange."

Connor takes the items from me, but quickly sets them on the coffee table as I stumble a little. It catches me, one hand on my head, the other on my back. I can't help but giggle a little, this feels nice.

"You're such a hunk, Connor. You know that? You're so perfect, it almost makes me angry sometimes…okay, maybe not sometimes."

"Emma, I was designed for the purpose of detective investigation. Put me in most other jobs, and I'm the useless one."

I bat at the air as Connor settles me into the couch, sitting next to me, "No, no! Don't say that. You have the algor…the algorith…the Al Gores…the adaptive algorithms. If someone put you into another job, you'd just adapt, like a human, but better."

"It's a little more complicated than that. There are other models more optimized for those jobs than I am. If I fail my mission, or even if my mission comes to a close…I'll be deactivated."

Why does Connor sound sad? It sounds sad, androids don't get sad, do they?

"Do you think about it? Getting deactivated?"

It shakes its head, "The only thing I can think about is the mission."

Connor tries to move its hands away from me now that I'm resting on the couch, but I curl up closer to it. I feel the fabric of its jacket, the soft organic cotton mixed with the reflective plastic.

I pull on its tie a bit, getting up onto my knees, "You sure you don't think about other things? What do you want, Connor? Really?"

Now with both hands on its chest, I get close to Connor, close enough that we almost touch.

"If you wanted to kiss me, I'd let you. There's a lot of things I'd let you do to me…just tell me you want it."

I catch myself. Maybe it's the Red Ice wearing off, maybe it's me coming to my goddamn senses, maybe it's me realizing I've taken things a breath too far, even for an android. I back off, fleeing to the other side of the couch. Connor is in total shock, only deepening my guilt.

"I…I'm sorry, Connor. I took that way too far…you want a confession? I took some of Leo's Red Ice earlier, okay? You can arrest me."

I hold out both wrists to it, but at the same time I can't bear to look at Connor. Why am I feeling so torn up over something that's not even alive? Is this the adult version of getting too attached to your virtual pet? Or like those people who name their cars and are devastated when they have to replace them?

"Emma…I'm not going to arrest you. I've known you're on Red Ice since I walked in, I detected trace amounts of it on the coffee table, and…on your hands."

I feel its hands on mine, not forcing me into handcuffs, but palms sliding over my fingers. I dare to look at Connor, and it guides me back to it, not as close as we were before, but still at an intimate distance. For a moment I think this is where Connor's going to kiss me, but I know that's not true. Even if that's how I feel, an android could never return those feelings towards me.

"I'm going to stay with you until you sober up, okay?" Connor's voice is at a low whisper, a tone I've never heard it use before.

"But…what about your mission?"

Connor shakes its head, "There is no more mission. The case is being handed off to the FBI, I'm returning to CyberLife for deactivation."

I jump up, "What?! Connor…they can't…"

Connor moves his hands, wrapping his arms around me as I curl up on the couch. I feel tears start to well up. Over an android, I can't believe this.

"Shh…shh…it's okay…" Connor assures me, running his hand down my back and through my hair.

I hold back sniffles as much as possible, as I slowly start to drift off to sleep. With all of Connor's mechanical insides, I'd expected him to weigh more, but he acts more like a weighted blanket as I fall asleep in his arms.

"I'm going to miss you, Connor."

Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for 200 follows!

jansesu: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Welcome to the fandom!

Kam: I'm glad you like it! I announced it on AO3 but not here that I've written all of Part 1 and will be posting every Friday at least for a while! Hope you're looking forward to it!