The fucker was standing outside his apartment door when Gavin got home that night.

Like, directly in front of his door. With his hands clasped in front of him, perfect posture.

Dude was huge and, from a distance, unrecognizable. As soon as Gavin got off the elevator he took notice and reached for his gun.

He approached the man slowly.

"I come in peace, Detective Reed." The man turned to face him.

Gavin blinked at his voice, at his face, and nearly ran back the way he'd come.

"Connor?! Y-you fucking died!"

No, this wasn't Connor. His face was too wide. His eyes were blue.

He was huge.

The imposter smiled gently - Connor had never smiled like that - and said in Connor's voice:

"Connor was my predecessor. I was modeled after him. With upgrades."

Gavin didn't know what the hell to say to that. So he just stood in place and stared at the fucker.

"Can we talk inside?" Not Connor said. "I did not want to damage your door again, but there was something… something Connor wanted to say to you."

Damage your door again, Gavin noticed. So this bot had Connor's memories.

"You've for to get out of the fucking way then, dipshit!"

The android chuckled. "Of course."

Gavin shouldered his door open more roughly than necessary, unsettled by the light hearted sound.

Was it a personality difference that made this Connor seem so weird? Gavin had technically met more than one Connor in the past. But they had been identical in every way.

And back then he didn't…

Gavin stood against his door, holding it open with his body. Mutely, he gestured for the android to come inside.

He should have just let the thing hold the door open for himself. Where he stood the android had to squeeze past him.

His arm brushed against Gavin's chest.

When he was inside Gavin turned the lights on and took note of his clothes.

He was wearing a green sweater vest and a white v-neck with black jeans.

They were form fitting.

Gavin gulped. "Wh-what does-" he cleared his throat. "What did Connor want?"

Those blue eyes were sharp. They scanned the room before landing back on Gavin, who tried not to fidget under his attention.

"He wanted to apologise," the android aaid.

Gavin scratched his head. "Uh, for what?"

"For the experiment, of course." Connor- Not Connor! New Connor? - looked confused. "Weren't you… inconvenienced? That night?"

Gavin scoffed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, glad he had pajama bottoms this time.

He tried to maintain a neutral expression. "The fuck? Is that what he thought?"

The android tilted his head in the exact same adorable way Connor had done that one time Gavin had asked for coffee and then rejected it.

The memory made Gavin want to cry.

"I apologize," Not Connor said. "I mean… I…"

He trailed off.

"Nevermind," Gavin said. "The hell am I supposed to call you now?"

Just kick the clone out, Gavin thought. He doesn't need a name!

Oh God. What if his name was still Connor?

"RK900," the android said.

"What."

"I wasn't given a name, technically speaking."

Goddammit. He looked like a lost puppy when he said that. The android glanced downwards and his bangs tilted into his forehead.

As if he were ashamed to not have a name? Or was it a show?

Fucking androids.

"Well, you gotta shorten it at least!"

"Shorten it?"

"Yeah. RK900?" Gavin paced around his coffee table, suddenly hyper. "A name like that… well, that's a goddamn inconvenience. It's a mouthful!"

RK900 tracked Gavin's movements while standing perfectly still himself.

Even his hands were still, which seemed odd for some reason.

"What do you suggest, then?" RK900 said.

"Ugh, I dunno," Gavin said. "Nines."

"Alright," Nines said. "Consider that my new designation."

Gavin stopped pacing and sat down on the couch. "Cool," he said. "Now sit down."

Nines frowned. "Shouldn't I… excuse myself? My social protocols suggest I have needlessly disturbed you."

Gavin snorted. "And I thought Connor was robotic. Listen tin can: you walked yourself in here. Technically you can leave whenever you want. But…"

Another head tilt. "But?"

But I didn't want Connor to leave that night.

Gavin crossed his arms in front of his chest. "But, uh, I have questions for you. So be polite and sit the fuck down. Shit."

Nines sat.

He placed himself on the armrest, Gavin noticed. As far as he could get.

"You had questions?" Nines prompted.

Oh yeah.

"Uh, yeah." Gavin searched for something relevant. "I thought all androids were banned from the United States."

"That is not a question," Nines said. "You are correct. That is the case."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?!" Gavin said. "You know they told us to shoot on sight? Any android, deviant or not, with humans or without. Legally, I'm supposed to shoot you."

Nines smiled. "But how did you know I was an android, Detective?"

"Duh, because…" Gavin paused. "Holy shit. Let me see your head!"

Nines dutifully tilted his head this way and that, revealing his realistically wrinkled, but otherwise unmarked, forehead.

"So that's how you get away with it," Gavin said. "And unless you're with someone who's met Connor…"

"I appear as any other human would," Nines agreed. "It's quite the advantage."

"Jesus," Gavin said. "The hell are you still doing in Detroit? This is like… the worst place for you to be."

Nines lowered his eyes again and studied his own lap. "I'll be leaving soon," he said.

"Y-yeah? That's… yeah," Gavin said. "Good, I mean."

Was this another goodbye?

"Where you going?" Gavin said.

"Anderson insists on Canada," Nines said. "But… algorithmically, South Texas seemed an optimal choice."

"You're leaving with Anderson?"

Unfair, was his first thought.

Completely fair, you idiot! Was his second.

Can I come? Was his third.

Stupid. Look how that turned out last time.

"Detective Reed?" Nines said.

"I thought I told you to call me Gavin!" Gavin said, voice cracking.

Those blue eyes were staring directly at him now. There was blatant confusion in his expression. "When was that?" He said.

"Fuck!" Gavin stood and paced away.

Nines began to stand too.

"Sit down!" Gavin said.

Nines remained seated.

"Shit! Look," Gavin stood facing a wall, hands clenched at his sides. He didn't want to see that face anymore. That almost perfect face.

Almost like the one he missed.

"Look," Gavin repeated. "I know you're a different model or whatever. But…"

"Yes?" Nines said.

"You have all his memories don't you?" Gavin said. "All of them? Don't you?"

Nines didn't say anything.

Gavin turned around to find Nines staring at his hands.

"Nines?"

"Not quite," Nines said. "I am missing a critical fragment of footage. Leading up to RK800-53's death."

"That was Connor's number?" Gavin said, stupidly.

Duh! Of course it was.

"Yes," Nines said. He didn't sound annoyed or impatient.

He looked sad, glancing up from his hands and then away. "I don't know how much is missing, exactly. Gavin. I apologize."

Gavin took a few steps towards him and almost tripped over the coffee table. "Shit!"

Nines chuckled.

"Dipshit," Gavin said. He kicked the table out of his way and sat back down, trying to lean back into the cushions as casually as possible. "You know what? I can fill you in. What's the last thing you remember?"

Nines looked surprised. "You know how 53 died?"

"You mean Connor," Gavin said, glaring at the bot.

"Yes, yes," Nines said. "But how would you… you were there?"

"Of course I was fucking there!" Gavin's eyes widened. "When was the last time he saw me?"

"That night. In this apartment."

Ouch. So then the entire trip was gone.

And Gavin's screw up along with it.

He gulped. "It was my fault," he said. "Connor would have made it to Canada if it weren't for me."

"Are you crying?" Nines ran a finger over Gavin's cheek.

"N-no!" Gavin said.

Nines put his finger in his mouth.

"The fuck-"

"Water, mucin, lipids, lysozyme-"

"You creepy piece of plastic-"

Nines grinned as he continued: "Lactoferrin, lipocalin, lacritin-"

"You know how fucked up-"

"Immunoglobulins, glucose, urea, sodium, and potassium." Nines had teeth that were way too white. "All these make up the chemical composition of tears."

Had Connor's teeth been that white? Had he ever smiled that wide?

Not in front of Gavin.

"Detective… Gavin?" Nines said. "I was only teasing. Are you… alright?"

"I'm fine," Gavin sniffed. Fuck, his nose would start running if he wasn't careful.

Nines stared at him.

"Last thing you remember," Gavin barked.

"He was with Anderson," Nines said. "They had decided to leave Detroit. Connor suggested they rent a car-"

Gavin groaned.

Nines paused.

Gavin put his head in his hands.

Nines put a hand on Gavin's shoulder. They sat like that for a few minutes. Then Gavin lifted his head.

"I wanted to help them get to Canada," he started.

And Nines listened.