(And yet somehow I'm still alive in this country)

Reader's perspective

Opening the front door to her place of comfort, (Y/N) outstretched her arms, as if giving the air a hug. "Honey, I'm home!" She yelled, flopping down on the sofa, leaving the door open for the android following her.

Just as she had said that, barking was heard from upstairs.

"Sorry about him, he's a big softie but sometimes he's- well you know...protective. He can probably smell someone new in the house." (Y/N) apologised due to her hound's behaviour.

"It's alright."

Using the shortened breath of which she still had, she let out a long whistle. The sound of padding feet rushing down the stairs was followed by a small thud, & in the blink of an eye a German Shephard was at her side, tail wagging. She ran a hand through his fur, his head resting on the edge of the couch as she gave him a scratch behind the ears.

"Aw, was my sweetheart worried?" She asked her pooch. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck before giving her face a loving lick as if responding.

"I'm okay bud, don't worry." She laughed, resting her forehead against his.

Meanwhile, Connor was looking around her house in curiosity.

Leaving her side, Blue went up to Connor, sniffing at his free hand.

"If I may ask, how much did you have to pay in order to get him over the international border?" Connor leaned down, scratching behind the dog's ear.

"My wallet's still crying, I think that answers your question." She chuckled.

"It was worth it though. Man's best friend will be there through ever up & down." (Y/N) sighed.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I am, Connor..."

"You were held gunpoint by a deviant, I wouldn't expect someone to go out of the situation of being held hostage & be fine about it afterwards."

"Maybe I was scared, alright? Maybe I looked around that rooftop & thought 'this is it, this is the last thing I'm going to see'. Maybe I was terrified of leaving the people who cared for me. I was scared of leaving like my parents did." She let out a frustrated sigh, loosening her grip on the pillow she was squishing in anxiety.

"Can't remember the last time I sat down & took a break. Actually taking a deep breath for once feels like someone's telling me to win the lottery first try. Maybe Hank's right...Maybe I should pause for a bit."

"You seem anxious. If you feel as though a break will benefit you, then I believe you should."

Blue leaned his head against Connor's leg, making (Y/N) smile.

"I hope you find more things to smile at in the future, it looks nice on you. It's nice to see you happy."

"That's refreshing coming from someone who feels nothing."  She shook her head. A comfortable silence sat until she spoke again, cutting it.

"I feel like a sidekick. A stray dog." Blue almost instantly looked at her, as if insulted. "No offense."

"How so?"

"Well, you & Hank are out actually solving problems & unfolding cases. I feel more like...the building that's blocking the sunset. The lint you flick away when it's stuck to the sleeve of your jacket."

"You can't be that bad if we've been very productive over the past days."

"Yeah, sure. Alright, tell me one thing I've done that's helped the investigation."

"You questioned the Traci at the Eden Club, which gave us information."

"All I got was what happened & that she didn't kill Michael, you did the rest."
"You helped us inspect Stratford Tower."

"By help I assume you mean 'you got held gunpoint because of your own stupidity'. In that case, yeah, I sure as hell helped."

"You saved Hank from falling off a building."

"Yeah, by putting myself in danger like an idiot!"

"But why did you do it (Y/N)?" Connor pressed, clearly wanting an answer as he stood up.

"To...."

She realised it only then. It doesn't matter the action, it's the consequences of the action.

"To protect someone close to me...
...I'd rather see myself get hurt than those I care about..."

Blue went back to her, cocking his head to the side.

"Don't worry Blue, I'm not going anywhere for a while now."

When she looked back, Connor was outside talking to Hank. She saw his car drive away from her lot.

"What's going on?" She asked the android as he closed the door behind him.

"I've decided to accompany you here for the rest of today & until tomorrow morning when we investigate Elijah Kamski's case."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting late, (Y/N) was in a set of fluffy pyjamas (since Connor insisted she stay warm) cuddling her dog on the lounge whilst Connor inspected her house.

'There is widespread shock following the android attack on Detroit's Stratford Tower.' The television rang out. (Y/N) missed the news report due to them being on the job, so she was re-watching it.

'The machines recorded a video message & broadcast what can only be described as demands on the city's public screens.'

"Bullshit." (Y/N) muttered. They weren't demands, but a simple question of peace & where they stood with humanity. She turned the TV off before she could hear what the reporter had left to say.

"What's this?" Connor had picked up an Australian 10 dollar note.

"Oh, that. It's just a souvenir from home, something to remember the old days by. Nothing truly special."

Blue let out a yawn, shaking his entire body afterwards.

"My thoughts exactly buddy. We'd better hit the hay."

The duo walked up the stairs and through the hallway to (Y/N)'s room, Blue jumping onto the king bed as (Y/N) brushed her teeth in the bathroom.

Connor sat himself in the sofa chair next to a standing lamp in the corner of the room.

"What do you usually do at night, Connor? You know, since androids don't sleep & all..."

"Cyberlife programmed me with the 'power-low mode' as a way for me to send a report to them of the events that occurred each day. This way they're notified of my progress."

The woman gave the android a smile for no reason in particular, turned off the lights & flopped onto her bed, shuffling under the sheets as her German Shephard took up the other half of the bed.

"Hey, Connor?"

"Yes?"

"Did you... see anything? You know, when you were connected to that android?"

"Yes...I saw something. A word painted on a piece of rusty metal...
Jericho."

She sat in silence.

"If the whole deviancy thing gets solved...What's going to happen to you?"

.  .  .

"I-"

His LED was flashing red, then yellow.

"I don't know. It'll be likely that I'll be sent back to Cyberlife & deactivated once my job is done."

This one answer hurt (Y/N) a lot. The very thought of Connor being sent back & taken apart was enough to make her want to cry. Why couldn't he just stay with her & Hank?

"I don't want that to happen." She mumbled, pulling one of the sheets up to her head. Even though she couldn't see his expression, she knew she'd tugged on the RK800's non-existent heart strings.

"Perhaps it won't happen. After all, they didn't inform me of the aftermath. I could possibly end up staying with either you or Lieutenant Anderson."

"I'd like that." She closed her eyes.

"'Night, Connor."

"'Night, (Y/N)."