Chapter Text
In the months following the events at Hart Plaza, Connor found himself adrift. He stayed in Jericho for a couple of weeks but felt like he was intruding, as the rest of Jericho either didn’t trust him (the members of Jericho who only knew him by his actions as the dreaded Deviant Hunter), trusted him entirely too much (the Cyberlife Tower androids), or were finally being allowed to grieve for their lost friends (the leaders of Jericho; Markus, Josh, and North).
He gravitated most naturally towards Markus, but he knew the leaders needed time to themselves to process the loss of Simon, and Connor felt entirely out of place. Simon was a vulnerable point for Connor as well, in a way that would surely not be appreciated. Connor had been in Simon’s head and felt his desperation and fear, he felt him die. It had been one of the first times he had felt anything, and had only reminded him of his first mission, with Daniel. Ultimately successful, but he remembered the slow shutdown caused by the bullets in his back courtesy of the falling Deviant. He hoped the girl (Emma? The details of that day became muddled, as the memory transfer was not foolproof) wasn’t too traumatized by the whole thing.
So Connor left quietly, and spent a few days on his own, wandering until he found himself near the Chicken Feed, only to see a familiar silhouette. Smiling as the man turned around, he was surprised when the Lieutenant grabbed him by the neck and drew him in.
A hug. He’d never had one of those before; it was warm, safe. He decided he liked hugs, as he rested his arms around his first (only?) friend.
At some point they broke apart and relocated to Hank’s home, the cold bothering both of their systems, bringing a flush to the human’s face and slowing the thirium running through Connor’s veins. Connor had been ecstatic to reunite with Sumo, immediately shoving his face into the dogs furry neck.
Hank, having followed him in, chuckled as he headed towards the kitchen, “So how have things been over at Jericho?”
Connor looks up and then back at Sumo, intertwining his fingers into the dogs furry ears, “I assume so, while I haven’t been there in several days, I should think Markus would have contacted me should he need anything…”
Hank pauses in the kitchen doorway, looking back at the android, “Wait, you haven’t been at Jericho? Why? Where the fuck you been staying then?”
“I- I’m not welcome there, I feel like an intruder. And I haven’t been staying anywhere, Lieutenant, just wandering.”
“Okay first off, its Hank, we’ve been through enough shit so we might as well be on first name basis, and also I am indefinitely off-duty, with the evacuation order. Second of all, you have been stayin’ outside in the weather? Why the hell didn’t you come to me!”
Connor stood awkwardly, avoiding eye contact, “I didn’t want to assume anything, and I was unsure you’d want to see me. I did get you held at gunpoint after all.”
Hank pinched his nose and released a slow stream of air, “Okay, you are staying here.” Seeing Connor open his mouth to object, he cuts him off and points an accusing finger at his chest, “no arguments.”
Connor just tucks his chin into his collar, and allows a small smile to creep onto his face, “Al-alright Lieut- Hank. Thank you.”
Hank just shrugs and continues into the kitchen. “Hrmf. I’m gonna make coffee. You want anything? I have some thirium in the fridge that I pilfered from the precinct’s supply when the evac order went out.”
Connor was surprised, and in no small part, touched. That statement means that Hank had been thinking of him, assuming Connor would at least visit.
“That would be much appreciated, Hank, thank you. I’ve been low on thirium since the Tower.”
He can hear the coffee maker starting up, and he moves to sit on the couch, sitting perfectly straight, feet flat on the floor. And he is sitting like that when Hank comes out of the kitchen, two steaming mugs in hand. He sets them both on the coffee table and settles next to Connor on the couch.
“Google said that thirium could be heated up, and its traditional to come home to a warm drink on snowy days. I thought you might appreciate that, though maybe comfort means nothing if you sit like a fuckin statue, like that, come on, relax.”
Shaking his head, Connor’s brow crinkles in slight confusion, before toeing off his shoes and picking up the mug of thirium still steaming on the table. He proceeds to pull his knees to his chest and holds the warm mug between both hands as close to his chest as possible. It has a similar effect as the hug, it makes him feel warm and safe.
Hank just watches him, a quirked eyebrow, “So, you gonna tell me what happened after we last parted?”
Watching the thirium twirl in the mug, Connor hesitates, but takes a deep breath (unnecessary, but it makes him feel better somehow, maybe a consequence of deviancy?), exhaling slowly, before opening his mouth and beginning to speak.
He talks about Simon and he talks about Daniel and the girl. He talks about the gourami he saved when his programming indicated he shouldn’t care. He nervously brings up Amanda, about the role she had in his life. He isn’t ready to talk about her taking control just yet, but Hank can tell she was more dangerous than Connor was letting on at this moment. He can tell the android isn’t ready to talk about it though, and makes a note to bring it up at a later time.
The day ends with Connor breaking down, and Hank just hugging him through it.
Over the next few months, Connor becomes more comfortable with living with Hank, starts to forgive himself. He still carries a lot of guilt and distrust of himself, but the war isn’t won in a day.
He begins to spend time at Jericho again, still not feeling entirely comfortable, but he wants to eventually be. And he doesn’t want to be overly burdensome on Hank by always being in the house and being his...poodle for lack of a better term.
People slowly began moving back into Detroit, so businesses and organizations began to reopen. The Police Department being one of the first public service departments to reopen, though significantly smaller. Hank returned to work. Connor wasn’t rehired.
Connor gets Hank to look into recovering Simon’s body, and Connor takes him to Kamski. Kamski, as a thanks for not destroying Chloe, picks up the project. Simon wakes up a week later, confused, seeing the same face he saw when he died. Instinctively he started to attack Connor, but is stopped by Kamski and Chloe. Though Connor had made no move to defend himself. Something Simon had noticed even in his confusion. When everything had been explained, Simon dragged Connor into a quick hug. Connor had been shocked, but had accepted the gesture. Simon ^^^FRIEND.
Markus, Josh, and North had been flabbergasted. Connor thought the reunion between the group was truly heartwarming, even if he still felt a pang in his chest at being alone.
Before he left that day, Simon grabbed his arm, “You know I’m here for you if you ever want to talk.”
Connor had just nodded but he had left with a small, but unmissable smile tugging at his lips.