This chapter took way too long to get out and I'm sorry for that, but on the other had was a lot of fun to write. I've got a special little place in my heart for Simon and I find him utterly adorable, but at the same time he seems so grown up and mature. He had the vibe of being the de facto leader before Markus showed up, not the 'let's storm the gates and get our freedom' sort of leader, but just the one who looked after everyone along with Lucy sort of guy. I think I read somewhere he's the one who'd been at Jericho the longest so I suppose that makes sense, especially given the caretaker role that he had in his program.

I have a feeling he often looks after the others, whether they think they need it or not, especially Markus who seems to always worry about others before himself. He just needs Simon to have his back. Their hearts are compatible indeed.

Chapter 3: Intermittent Interruption

There was certain advantages to being an android that couldn't be denied even when faced by the obvious disadvantages. The fact that they could not get tired was certainly a major one. It gave them with lots of time, no need to sleep or rest besides occasionally needing the odd reboot or diagnostic. In their times of slavery it had meant nothing but work for others benefit, to fulfill their needs and to just stand by always awaiting new directives or finding things to do during the night hours. In Jericho it had been almost maddening, sitting around in the dark and waiting for… something. Something and yet nothing all at the same time. Even shutting down temporarily though had been terrifying though, always scared that one day their hiding place would be discovered, that the humans would come and destroy what little the androids had. No one dared to even risk it, to lose what little time they had left in the world even as bleak as it could be at times.

These days though, time seemed to be much better spent and happier as well. Each moment was filled with hope for the future, dread and anxiety all but gone. There were still concerns of course. There would always be things to worry about, but Simon hadn't felt such hope in so long that he was more than willing to put them away and not them run his life any longer.

Time was better spent being productive than scared, and it was a good thing too, because there was still plenty to do.

Strolling down the hallway in the early hours of the morning, Simon had already been busy most of the evening cleaning. Things were still terribly dusty in this old apartment complex, the building a few broken pillars away from being condemned, but still serviceable. It was certainly better than what they'd had a month ago, which had been largely nothing after losing Jericho, and in much better condition since the androids had all claimed it as their new home. Many of them had been working around the clock to repair and clean the place up, and while there was still plenty of work to be done, it was a marked improvement from before.

At the beginning there had been large holes in the roofs and walls, the best they could do was cover it up with tarps and be thankful that they were not susceptible to the cold. It had taken a lot of work, much of it still ongoing to make the place serviceable, especially considering their numbers. A good sized thirty story building, it was still cramped for the thousands now free and housed there, but they worked around each other as best the could in order to make it work. True, it wasn't the best, but it was certainly better than living in the streets with nothing to their name. Simon had taken to cleaning a lot now that the building was more solid, wishing to get the debris still laying around, and there was plenty of it to take care of.

Still, unable to get tired or not, the android had the idea of a break firm in his mind, not for himself but for who he was currently looking for. He hadn't seen Markus for several hours but he had a feeling he knew where to find their leader.

Taking the steps slowly up to the top floor, his suspicions were proven correct when he saw the open door to the penthouse of the building. Markus hadn't claimed it so much for himself, but as a room for base of operations. It had the most space and the leader had almost single-handedly cleared it out and moved equipment inside to get his work done. There hardly wasn't a time when he wasn't in there anymore, at least when he wasn't out in meetings with the humans or working with his fellow androids to repair and build up their home.

It was one of the things that made him so beloved to everyone around him. He never asked anyone to do anything he would not do himself, and yet still pushed himself harder than he would anyone else for the sake of helping his people. It was inspiring in so many ways and yet worrying at the same time for Simon.

"I had a feeling I'd find you in here," he said when he walked in, rapping softly on the door with his knuckles. Markus rarely closed the door where he was, always leaving himself open to talk and consult with anyone who needed his help. He was currently perched on the couch, elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands linked together, watching the news. It looked downright sinister to Simon, the fact that no less than three screens were set up so he could watch various channels at the same time, wishing to keep up with all changes and opinions on androids.

Personally, Simon felt it wore on Markus more than their leader would admit, constantly trying to stay one step ahead of everything in order to be the best leader possible. They couldn't get tired, no, but even he seemed to have a knack for pushing his luck.

"Hello, Simon," the android replied, not looking away from the screens.

"Anything interesting on?" he asked, feeling he should indulge the other a little before he tried to pry him away from the televisions.

"No, nothing besides the usual," he stated, "but that's what is worrying me."

"What do you mean? Is something the matter?"

"I'm not sure. I got a message from Connor a while ago. He said he found an android who had been attacked and got hurt. She needs new parts," he stated. "He didn't say exactly why, but he said he needed to talk to me about this personally as soon as he could, something about wanting to make sure whatever he said to me couldn't be tracked."

"Tracked? Tracked by who?"

"Didn't say. He sounded a little paranoid honestly. I was thinking maybe something had happened, but there's nothing on the news besides the usual," he stated before giving out a sigh. "I hate it when I don't know what's happening. It makes me nervous."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, an android getting attacked by someone is hardly new to us," Simon said. "The violence against us on an official level has stopped, but it doesn't mean that it will be the end of it. Maybe Connor didn't want to share something with you because it was just something personal about her? Did he say what model she was? Perhaps she was a Traci. They never like talking about their experiences."

"No, the part models didn't match up to a Traci," Markus admitted. "They're actually older schematics."

"Really, how old?"

"A little over ten years. I told him I'd be able to dig something up by the end of the day. I already sent a few to go to the warehouse and look around for anything that could match the description," he said. "It was a good thing we were allowed to evacuate our people from the junkyard. It gave us a lot of spare parts, and we were able to save a good few dozen that were still alive there."

"Yes, we've made good progress so far," Simon said before he went to sit down on the couch. His LED flashed yellow for a second as the televisions all turned off, figuring it was time to make his point.

"Hey, I was watching that," he protested.

"Markus, you're cooped up here looking for bad news that doesn't exist over one hurt android," he admonished gently. "It's horrible something happened to one of our people, but there isn't anything there to see. Connor will be here later to explain what's going on. I'm also willing to bet you've been here all night, haven't you?"

"There's a meeting with the mayor tomorrow I have to get ready for," Markus replied in defense of himself. "Ever since he granted us ownership to this building it's been important to maintain friendly relations with him. He's interested in trying to get some androids back to work in the city for volunteer work, repairing some of the damage our protests caused."

"Damage caused by their SWAT teams and police shooting us down, you mean," Simon replied. "That's not our place to clean up."

"You're starting to sound like North," he said, but there was full understanding and pity in his voice. "I know this isn't easy. We were given a broken building to fix up, we still have to scavenge and beg for parts, and it feels like we're relying on the humans more than ever. We can't even steal what we need anymore, since it might hurt our image. I really did-"

"Markus, no one, and I mean no one, blames you for where we are. We can walk freely in the city now, without worry of being gunned down by the authorities. We're making our way out of that dark place we were in," he informed Markus quickly, taking his hand in his own. "The mayor couldn't have given us a fresh empty building for free. We took one that no one was using anyway. We're making it a home, and humans come every day to help us. Volunteers who care about us, who donate biocomponents and blue blood, or cash so that we can buy our own. It's not much… but it's there. You said yourself we can work with humans to make a better future for the both of us, and it's coming."

Markus looked at him before glancing down at the floor, seeming unsure. Simon hated it, seeing the android like this. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and while he tried so hard to seem like the strong and capable leader in front of their people, he still had his own doubts and worries. It's one of the reasons Simon didn't like him being up here all alone, absorbing all the negativity in the world to try and combat it by himself. It left him in bad moments of self-doubt like this.

He suddenly reached forward and cupped Markus' chin, pulling him to meet his gaze. He could see in the mismatched optical units a tenseness he didn't like, a fear Simon himself had felt too many times. Markus had saved Simon from that horrible feeling and now he wanted nothing more than to do the same for him.

"It is coming," he repeated softly.

"Simon… thank you," he said before giving a gentle smile. "I guess I should just take this as it comes, huh?"

"There's no problem with being prepared, but overdo it and you'll only stress yourself needlessly," he stated before bringing the both of them closer and resting their foreheads together. "Don't worry so much, please."

Strong hands gripped onto Simon, hands that had held him close and reassured him during their revolution. They didn't shake or tremble, and he took it as a good sign that the other was starting to feel a little bit better. He was good under pressure, he always had been, but moments when he had to think by himself, that's when he couldn't help but notice Markus seemed to need someone the most. When he stopped and thought things over it always seemed ready to overwhelm him.

"So, the mayor wants us to do volunteer work?" he asked conversationally. Maybe if they talked the issues over together it would help. "I take it we wouldn't be getting paid for it."

"No, it's strictly free work," Markus explained as he stood up and paced around a little. "He explained hiring more humans would be impossible since the city budget is in shambles. All the money spent on androids who don't need to be paid to maintain the city suddenly walking away made them mass hire people in order to keep the city from grinding to a halt, but there's not enough to hire as many as they need. It would make us look good if we agreed, help further our cause but..."

"But you're worried if we go back to doing work for the humans for free, we'll just fall right back into our old roles," Simon guessed, to with his leader nodded. "Well, there's certainly up and downsides no matter what we do. It's just like the job market. With the lack of work being done by our kind, humans are getting jobs again, but it's leaving us with next to no options for ourselves. Until the law passes that says we have to be paid for our labor, they're going to keep asking us to do it for free."

"Right, and do we want to seem helpful and friendly… at the risk of them taking advantage of us again, or do we say no and risk making us look selfish and unwilling to work with humans despite our claims?" Markus asked.

"You know, I don't think you need to worry about that," Simon said with a smile. "Look at us. Look at our home. A month ago this place was nearly falling apart, but we've received help. Yeah, we've done most of the repairs ourselves, but humans have come. Not a lot, but some. They've given us tools, lumber, bricks and concrete. Some have even worked by our side to make it a better place to live. It might be small, but we have an image of androids and humans working together already."

He watched the other walk around a little more before he stopped and nodded his head.

"You're right, as always. Things are getting better, a little bit at a time. Maybe we can organize something, an event of humans and androids volunteering for some city repairs. It'll make it seem less like we're just doing it for free and instead helping our community," he stated as he rubbed the back of his head. "It could really help some morale too. I'll ask everyone if they want to help, but make sure they know they don't have to if they don't want to. It'll keep hostile feelings from getting to the group."

"Unfortunately putting aside anger isn't always easy, on either side," Simon noted as he trailed his fingers over the floral print of the couch. "Speaking of, that girl that was hurt. When did you say she was going to be arriving?"

"Connor said he'd be bringing her by this afternoon. Apparently she wasn't a deviant until he found her. He said he converted her just last night. I guess even now there are still those out there that haven't woken up yet. I'm glad he was able to find one more."

"There aren't many open spaces left, but I could find her a spot to stay if you want me to," Simon offered. "Is she going to stay here?"

"Don't know. As tight lipped as he was about all of this, I got the impression that Connor didn't want her too far from his side. He sounded really worried in his message to me."

"A worried Connor is a good reason for us to worry, granted. He's talented at finding trouble."

"I'll say," Markus agreed before shaking his head and falling back to the couch with a groan. "You think we'll get lucky and it really will be nothing? Maybe just some old model who got harassed or hurt by some punks or something minor like that? Connor could just be overreacting and there's nothing else to it?"

Even as he said it, he didn't sound all that hopeful.

"Well, humans have a saying. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst," he replied with a small shrug. "We can't really know anything for sure until he tells us, and until then we are in fact flying quite blind. Perhaps the best we can do is just get the parts he asked for and think of other ways we might be able to help her if she needs it. It could be that her owner was the one who abused her and she needs to be kept safe from them. Sanctuary would not be at all hard to do. We could easily keep someone safe from a few violent humans. This isn't like when the army was after us. We have numbers on our side now against smaller groups."

"Mmm, very true. Ah, you're right. Guessing and worrying without knowing everything won't do anything but cause me to go in circles. I suppose there are other things for me to work on anyway. In fact, I should probably-"

Simon's hand caught his wrist just as he moved to get up again and yanked him back down onto the couch. Before Markus could even make a noise of protest, he pressed a couple fingers to his lips in order to silence him.

"You've been working since last night or even earlier I'd be willing to bet," he pointed out politely but firmly. "Tell me honestly, when was the last time you had yourself a break of any kind? Don't lie to me either. I can tell when you're not telling me the truth."

"Simon, I-"

"Break, when?" he said a little more louder, just to cut Markus off. His tone was still polite, but he wasn't going to back down on this.

"A couple days back," he stated. "It's been very busy around here, you know that."

"I do know that," he conceded. "I also know that we have plenty of androids in this building that are capable of lifting and putting down concrete. I also know North watches the news for any sign of trouble and that Josh is more than capable of fielding any questions anyone has about anything going on. You know how I know that? They do it all the time for you in an effort to keep yourself from burning yourself out. Century long power supply or not, you're pushing yourself too hard."

Markus actually let out a little chuckle at that, shaking his head with a mirthless smile.

"I'm starting to understand how Carl felt when I pushed him to try and take better care of himself," he said softly. "I don't mean to worry anyone, Simon, especially you. I just want to make sure I do all I can for our people. They need me."

"Of course they do. You're the face of our movement, but you have to live for yourself a little as well," Simon reminded him. "So, you're going to do me a small favor. Shut everything off. No emails, no planning meetings, no nothing at all, for an hour. Don't check up on anything and just relax."

The android looked over at him before giving a little grin and pulled Simon closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Deal, but only if you relax here with me. I always feel more at ease with you around," Markus confessed. "You always seem to know exactly what to say to make everything I face so much easier somehow."

"Well, I did have some practice before you came along," he stated. "You're the one who pulled us from the darkness though, who saved our people despite all the odds being stacked against you. I might have sound advice and know what to say at the right time, but you're the one who can take those thoughts and ideas and turn them into action for the cause. If anyone is helping out here, it's you."

"Don't sell yourself short. You have a real talent for holding people together," he said. "I'd be lost without you. Really, I would."

"Markus," Simon breathed, but this time he was the one cut off as a thumb dragged over his bottom lip. The simple move silenced him easily, in fact it suddenly seemed to quiet down everything around the two of them, as if his audio circuit had suddenly decided to shut itself off. Moments like this always left his senses muffled, but he liked it too much to mind in the slightest.

"You make this bearable. I knew that the moment you came back to Jericho. When I saw you again, the fear I felt about my decision… leaving you behind… I hated doing that. I was so scared my plan had cost you your life, but when you got back to us, I knew it would all be alright," he said softly. "You're my light in the dark times, Simon."

He drew closer and if Simon had to breathe, he would have been holding it for dear life. Their lips almost touched before the sound of foot steps caused them to pull apart suddenly.

"Markus," Josh said as he came in. "Hey, you have a minute?"

The blonde android shut his eyes for a second and forced himself to count to ten. There were nice things about this place they were living in now, but privacy was certainly not one of them.

"Yes, Josh?" Markus asked, back to the leader role in no time. So much for taking a break. "Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing's the matter. It's just the guys are back with the parts you requested and wanted you to take a look at them, make sure they were serviceable. They looked alright to me, but you were the one who knew exactly what we needed. I figured I'd let you know that they were asking for you," he explained.

"I'll be right down," Markus promised. "They're probably going to need to be cleaned up first, even if they are right anyway. I'll be right behind you."

"Right. sounds good," he said before heading back down the stairs.

"Never stops, does it?" the man asked.

"No," Simon admitted. "I guess it never does."

"Thanks for trying though. I do appreciate it," he said before getting up to leave. Simon suddenly leaped up and grabbed the man, pulling him into a needy and hungry kiss. Though shocked by the action, Markus slowly eased into it, kissing back after a moment or two. A mixture of tongue and teeth held both their attention for a few brief but intense moments before he finally let Markus go and stepped back.

"Sorry. I just figured you should have a little morale boost yourself," he said, his face a little hot at his own boldness. They'd already kissed and cuddled a lot before, sharing moments with one another whenever they had a chance, but it was rare of him to be so forceful. Then again, they had been interrupted at a pretty bad time. "I guess I did that a little for myself as well."

Markus looked a little dazed, but after a moment he smiled as he licked his lips slowly.

"No, I think that's exactly what I needed to face the day," he said. "Tell you what, stay up here for now. It'll give me a reason to come back and relax more. Just give me fifteen minutes."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Please do," he replied with a grin.

End of Chapter 3

A little shorter than normal, sorry. I hope you guys don't mind. Honestly, I'd wanted to try and get this out last night but I finished it literally an hour before I had to head to work and I knew it probably had a ton of errors that needed cleaning up first before posting it. Hopefully you guys will forgive me the extra wait and feel that the fluff of these two was worth it.