Chapter 2: Grounded

Hank rolled over in bed throwing his arm over his head, "ugnn" he groaned, he opened one eye to look at his alarm clock. The harsh red numbers stared back at him 5:12AM, he groaned louder. He wasn't due at the precinct until 9AM and even then he usually strolled in around 12PM, that is until Connor started getting on his case about professionalism mumbo jumbo.

He sighed and pulled the blanket up over his head when he heard a faint whine. 'damn dog' he thought crawling out of bed and opening his bedroom door, Sumo was stretched out in front of the bathroom door, he noticed Hank and whimpered again.

"C'mon Sumo" Hank said. Sumo whined again, frowning Hank motioned for the St. Bernard to come, reluctantly Sumo got up. Light seeped out from underneath the bathroom door, curious Hank knocked on the door "Connor?" he called out, no answer. He went to knock again when he heard an all too familiar sound of puke hitting the toilet bowl. Not bothering to knock again Hank opened the door, "Connor you alright in here?"

The android was sitting down slumped against the wall next to toilet, eyes closed, his tie was loosened and askew, his L.E.D cycling yellow in distress. "Connor?" Hank asked again. Connors eyes snapped open and he leaned back over the toilet, vomiting more liquid up.

Lifting his head up from the toilet Connor looked up at Hank. "Lieutenant, I think I've been poisoned" Hank walked over and sat down on the tubs edge. "Poisoned huh?"

Connor wiped his mouth with his hand "Yes, I've been vomiting this liquid and my memories are fuzzy from yesterday, they are distorted and don't make any sense. I've been trying to run a diagnostic but-" his L.E.D flashed red and Connor put his head in his hands, he sucked in. "My head, it hurts so much I can't run the diagnostic properly"

Hank smirked "Hate to break it to ya kid but you're not poisoned, you're hungover" Connor blinked in confusion. "That's not possible, androids can't get drunk"

"Well believe it kid, you were definitely drunk last night" Hank said standing up, Connor bent forward his L.E.D flashing red for a few seconds again, he held his head in pain.

Hank knelt down in front of Connor "Now I didn't think androids could get headaches that's for sure" he placed a hand on Connor's forehead as if to check his temperature. "We can't" Connor said through gritted teeth.

"Well Connor, I think you have one" Hank laughed rufling the androids hair. Hank felt a sharp prick "Ouch what the fuck" Hank said ripping his hand away from Connors head.

"What's wrong?" Connor asked, Hank looked down at his hand and the droplets of blood that were forming on his finger. "Your hair cut me" "That can't be rig-" Connor turned back to the toilet again and puked. Hank noticed a glimmer in his hair, turning around he opened the medicine cabinet and searched for some tweezers, he turned back to Connor. Hank moved the hair around where he saw the glimmer, he saw it, a shard of glass embedded in Connors skull. Taking the tweezers Hank gently pulled the shard out.

Connor leaned back against the wall, not noticing what Hank had in his hand he sighed "My head doesn't hurt as much"

"Because this was stuck in it" Hank held out the shard of glass, Connor took it and examined it. "It's from a beer bottle, I don't understand how that ended up in my head" he said frowning.

"You told me last night you got in two fights at Jimmy's"

"Jimmy's? I don't understand, was I there with you?"

"No Connor, I went home, you said you were going to work on the case a little more and then you didn't come home until midnight drunk as hell, cut on your face, a goddamn 40 ouncer that was basically empty" Hank scolded voice starting to raise a little.

Connor hung his head in shame "I'm sorry Lieutenant, that was not my intention of last night at all" he turned back towards the toilet and began to puke again

Hank crossed his arms, "Connor I've told you before, please call me Hank in my own house. Don't forget, this hangover might seem like punishment enough but you're still grounded"

"Grounded?" Connors voice was muffled as he was still halfway in the toilet bowl "I don't understand Hank"

"No going to bars, no leaving without telling me where you're going" Connor leaned back against the wall and wiped his mouth again, he was upset with himself that he had broke Hanks trust.

"Okay"

Connor straightened his tie and began to put on his shoes

"I'm taking Sumo for a walk okay Hank?"

"Okay, be back in ten minutes" hank called from the couch

"Okay" Connor set a timer for ten minutes and walked out the door, Sumo happily tagging along.

It had been three days since Connor had stumbled home drunk and been grounded by Hank. The no bar rule was fairly easy, as Connor had no intention on going back but the ten-minute walks with Sumo had dampened Connors mood, he liked to walk along the whole neighborhood, there was a lovely flower garden that Connor enjoyed but it was a ten minute walk just to get there.

He frowned as Sumo started to sniff a fire hydrant, he could only blame himself, and he did not want to break Hanks trust again. Maybe he could ask Hank to come along and then Connor could see the flowers.

Connors L.E.D flashed yellow, Markus had sent him a message
"Urgent meeting at New Jericho, need you there"
Connor replied "Have to ask Hank first"
Markus replied instantly "Tell him it's very important"

As soon as Sumo was done his business Connor walked back home, in his head he ran over 1,000 different conversation scenarios to get Hank to let him go to the meeting.

He came back into the house, Hank was sitting on the couch watching tv. Connor looked around nervously "um Hank?" Connor said aloud standing next to the couch. Hank grunted in response, Connor shifted balance from leg to leg.

Hank turned to look at him, "Ya got something to say, say it" Connor scratched the back of his head "Well you see, Markus is having uh a meeting at New Jericho and I was um wondering if I could go?" Connor looked down at the floor, afraid to look at Hank.

Hank inwardly sighed, he was a stubborn man, but the look on Connor's face and the abnormal stuttering showed just how nervous the android was of Hanks response.

"Be back by 8'O'clock"

Connor was practically beaming "Will do Hank!" he called as he strolled out the front door

The meeting at New Jericho had been successful, Markus had wanted to discuss new deviants, the employment rate, and his work with the government on letting androids become proper registered citizens.

Connor mostly kept to himself, he felt out of place sometimes being so slow to become deviant and being Cyberlife's tool. He was lost in thought when Markus tapped him on the shoulder,

"Something on your mind Connor?" he asked, most of the other androids had dispersed after the meeting, which left Markus, Connor, North, Josh, and Simon.

"I have made Hank angry, I am still trying to deal with what happened" Connor replied, Markus pulled up a chair and sat down "Well, what happened?"

"Hank said I arrived home drunk and was very difficult" Connor began to explain, North over hearing this came over "Hold on, you got drunk?"

"That's what Hank deems"

"I didn't think we could get drunk" Simon said venturing up behind North

"Neither did I, Hank said it must have been the deviancy, I don't remember much. I was informed I drank enough to kill a small man" North looked impressed,

"Y'know, we never did celebrate the freedom of our people, I Think we should go get a drink" She suggested.

Markus nodded his head in agreement "Where was the bar Connor?" "It's called Jimmy's, it is very close to the police station"

Josh spoke up "Well that's not very far away at all, lets go!"

Connors L.E.D flashed yellow in alarm, "Right now?" North patted him on the shoulder "Of course right now! While we're all here"

Connor checked the time, it was 6:35PM and Hank wanted him back by 8:00PM

He adjusted his tie, "I'm not sure if I can accompany you guys, Hank wants me to come home by 8:00PM"

North frowned "What is he your-" Markus raised a hand to motion her to stop, he smiled, "We'll get you home by 8:00PM Connor, we wouldn't want Hank to worry"

"Yeah" Simon chimed in "You helped with the android revolution too Connor, we'd like you to be there"

Connor smiled "Okay, I'll have to join you then"

Getting out of the autonomous taxi Connor stepped in front of the familiar door of Jimmy's bar. Connor then remembered a condition of Hank's grounding was to stay away from bars, he turned around to tell his android friends that he should be returning home when they linked arms around him and dragged him into the bar.

'If I return home by 8:00PM Hank will never know' Connor thought, sitting down into a vacant booth Connor set a timer for 7:30PM so he knew what time to head out.

"So, what made you drunk Connor?" North asked,

"I ordered Hank's usual, a glass of whiskey. Although I um unsure if it was the whiskey or just the alcohol in general, I believe it messed with my biocomponents and-" "yeah yeah, I just wanted to know the drink" North said waving her hand, she grabbed a tattered menu from the side of the table, "Lets try shots, any objections?"

Connor squirmed in his seat, he shouldn't be here, he should be at home with Hank. Not out getting shots.

"I'll try anything" Josh said

Markus and Simon nodded in agreement, "Shots it is then" North declared, she stood up from the booth and went over to the bar top.

A few minutes later she returned with an assortment of different types of alcoholic shots.

"Go big or go home" she smiled, "Pick your poison" Connor thought that was oddly fitting considering he thought he was actually poisoned two days ago.

Everyone had grabbed a shot glass except Connor

"Aw c'mon Connor" North nudged him with her hand, "Have a little fun"

"I'm sorry North, I don't think I should drink this. Hank would be upset"

"Just have one, for winning our right to freedom"

'Well, oneshot couldn't hurt, could it?'

"Alright-alright" Connor reached out and grabbed a shot glass filled with lime green liquid, everyone clinked the glasses together "To freedom" North said, Connor put the small glass to his lips but stopped before taking a drink, noticing the shocked look on Markus's face

Connor pulled the glass away from his face "Markus what's wrong?"

A familiar hand fell upon Connors left shoulder, he turned slowly and looked up to find a very angry Hank Anderson staring darkly at him.

"What did I say about Bars" Hank said coldly

'Shit' Connor thought

Markus stood up "I'm sorry Hank, we dragged Connor out here with us, it's my fault"

Hank interrupted him, "Save it Markus, Connor made his own decisions" Connor bowed his head in shame. He stood up, "I'll see you guys later" he half waved and followed Hank out of the bar.

'Sorry Connor!' Markus sent a direct message

'It's okay, don't let it spoil your night' Connor sent back

Hank glowered and walked over to his car, Connor followed and reluctantly got in. Hank started the engine, usually heavy metal music would blast from the speakers, but tonight it was eerily silent. Hank said nothing on the drive home. Connor felt uncomfortable, he was used to Hank blowing up, yelling, really doing anything but staying silent. His L.E.D flashed yellow as Connor ran over different dialogue options.

Hank pulled into the driveway, shut off the car, got out and slammed the door. Connor sat there for a moment and then followed suit, Hank opened the front door, Sumo came running over, Connor scratched him between the ears. Hank still saying nothing took off his shoes and hung his coat on the coat rack. Connor unsure of what to do started with the first thing on his mind

"How did you know where I was?"

Hank spun around, he was seething

"That's what you have to say for yourself? Are you fuckin serious Connor? I asked you to do one fuckin thing. Stay away from bars and what do you do? You head right out to one" Hank was practically shouting

Connor took a step back, he knew Hank gave him more than one rule but he decided not to bring it up

Stress Level 32%

"Was there even a meeting at Jericho with Markus or was that just some bullshit lie so you could trick me"

Connors L.E.D flashed yellow in panic, Hank had never been this angry with him

"No, there was a meeting I-"

"And not only were you at a bar you were doing shots, you didn't tell me where you went what if you got drunk again but this time you didn't make it home, huh? luckily I was at the precinct, they called me in to file a report, I told Jimmy to call me if he ever saw you in there without me, didn't think I'd be getting that call tonight!"

Stress Level 56%

"Hank I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Didn't mean! Bullshit, you knew exactly what you were doing, I swear you just like to piss me off. That's it Connor, you can live under my roof and follow my rules, or you can get out."

Hank regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, he didn't want Connor to go, fuck the kid had helped him get his life back on track and Hank didn't think he could stand having an empty house anymore.

Stress Level 89%

Connors L.E.D turned a harsh red and he started to shake, "P-p-please Hank, I want to s-stay" he began to cry

Hank's anger began to fade as he watched Connor cry "ahh, don't cry Connor" Hank broke the distance between them and pulled Connor into a hug.

"I don't want to go" Connor whimpered into Hanks sleeve, Hank patted the top of the androids head "You're not going anywhere, it's okay I was just pissed off"

Stress Level 64%

"I'm sorry Hank" Connor apologized still crying

"It's okay Connor, I'm sorry I got so angry. I just don't want to see my son go down an alcoholic path, I know what people think of me at the bars" Hank patted Connor on the back.

Connors L.E.D circled yellow "Son?"

Hank scratched the back of his head "Yeah, Connor I um, you're a son to me. I worry about you, y'know? Even if you're a brat sometimes"

Stress Level 0%

Connor hugged Hank tighter "Thanks Dad" he said quietly into Hanks shoulder

Hanks heart swelled with warmth,

They stood there hugging each other, neither wanting to pull away.

"No more bars okay?" Hank said

"Same for you" Connor replied

"Deal"

A/N

A nice wholesome father/son moment. Hope you all enjoyed, I forgot how much fun it was to write stories. I like to think that Connor enjoys flowers as his zen garden was beautiful before Amanda started to freeze it.