Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Detroit Become Human

Santa Clues

Rating T: For some coarse language

A/N: Hi everyone.

This is my first attempt at a Detroit: Become Human story. I hope you enjoy

A big thank you and special shout out goes to Skye Willows who helped me with editing.

Merry Christmas/Seasons Greetings to you all :D

xNarielx

Hank hated the holidays…

It wasn't really one particular reason, but rather a culmination of several annoying vices that has him turn into a regular Scrooge at this time of year.

He would have loved nothing more than to hide away from the world, to celebrate his own 'Christmas Cheer', usually finding it at the bottom of a whisky bottle. Waking up the next day on the kitchen floor in a puddle of his own vomit and urine, with a post-Christmas hangover that had his insides quickly becoming reacquainted with his old friend, the toilet bowl.

He just couldn't deal with all the festivities anymore. Hell, it was never easy, not even before...

Dealing with the endless throngs of nameless people at the shops on Christmas Eve was a nightmare. A blur of the masses, crowding every usable inch of the department stores. Running around like headless chickens, almost like clockwork every year, clamour over each other, pushing and shoving their way through to the checkouts. It was just like Black Friday, only everyone was desperate for that last-minute stupid toy to stuff under the Christmas Tree. Despite the fact that they had weeks in advance to prepare for this day, it was like everyone always waited till the last moment, almost as if this was their Christmas tradition.

Of course Hank had been just as guilty. Circling around the jam-packed car parks for what felt like hours, contributing to a cacophony of honking, yelling and swearing while muttering choice phrases under his breath on how everyone was so moronic. He hated the fact that he couldn't park near the front because of the pram spaces as well as those who rudely double-parked. That really pissed him off.

But in the end, it had been all worth it. The long hours working overtime, doing extra shifts, even dealing with all of Captain Fowler's political office bullshit. The look of utter joy on his young son's face as he raced into the living room, in his pyjamas, on Christmas morning. Tearing into the boxes, that had been neatly wrapped, under the decorated tree.

Zooming around the living room floor with his new fire truck, the FlameBuster 5000, with Sumo, his four-year-old Saint Bernard wagging his tail, barking and dancing in excitement around the child's feet.

A pair of loving arms encircled around his waist, a familiar loving scent assaulted his olfactory senses, a gentle chin resting on his shoulder, a light, feathery kiss on his cheek as his beautiful wife held him close watching their son play. She always had that soothing effect on him. Like a calm eye of a hurricane or the port in a storm.

Cole's terrible accident, his ex-wife walking out on him and the ensuing divorce. That had all been just a little over three years ago.

Now it was 2038. A year that saw the rise of deviancy amongst the android population. A time of fear and uncertainty as androids broke away from their original programming, demanding an end to their slavery. Markus, their leader, lead a peaceful protest, a revolution which saw a radical shift where androids are no longer considered just machines, now fully recognised as sentient beings and therefore, slowly starting to receive the same rights and liberties as their human counterparts.

What a crazy, fucked up year it had turned out to be

Once again, it was that time of year. The time of year that Hank looked forward to the least. As the grizzled lieutenant settled into his regular routine, the bullpen was alive with the usual buzz of holiday activity. Homeless people seeking refuge from the cold, drunks that have had too much 'festive cheer,' civilians flooding the precinct with complaints ranging from unfair parking fines, to incidents of road rage and minor fender-benders caused by the icy roads.

Hank didn't give a shit about any of this before and sure enough wasn't about to pretend that he suddenly did. But he was a detective, a Lieutenant and a damn good one too; though he really needed to act like it more often. Captain Fowler almost daily reminded him of this, usually along the lines of 'to quit his bitching and do his god-damn job.'

A rare lull during the afternoon in an otherwise busy day had Hank's stomach growling in protest as he vaguely stared at his computer monitor, completely disinterested in what felt like a never-ending amount of cases that kept popping up on his screen. With his chin resting in his left hand, Hank glanced over at his partner's desk that was adjacent to his. It was no surprise that his ever-diligent android partner was taking his role far more seriously. He sat with perfect posture, his LED circling yellow as his super computer mind meticulously analysed every case with inhuman speed and precision.

Although Hank never paid any attention to another males' physical appearance, be they human or android, he couldn't help but notice that Connor, would be considered by many, to be attractive. With his annoyingly immaculate hair, light brown eyes, high cheekbones and a strong, square jaw line. He quickly came to the theory that Connor's rather handsome facial features must have been based on some Cyberlife employee's 'perfect male' fantasy when he was being designed and built.

...What other reason could there be?

Shit. Had it really been a little over a month since he had arrived at the precinct? Damn, the 'kid' had come such a long way in such a short time. A perfectly obedient, 'stick-up his ass' machine sent by Cyberlife to 'act' as his partner. Hank, sure as fuck, didn't need a partner then, but he was damn glad he had one now. The change was so quick. The kid, literally, walked into his life and within less than a week had turned deviant, helped Markus with the revolution and flipped Hank's life completely upside-down.

After the revolution, the poor android had nowhere to go. No more Cyberlife, no more missions; he had no meaning in his life, no further reason to exist. Hank could almost curse his own stupidity and his once misplaced prejudice towards all androids. Connor may be an android but there was no way he was 'just a machine,' he had quickly become so much more. He was alive…almost 'human' even.

Reuniting the morning after the revolution, Hank was quick to give his partner and newly found friend a home and letting him keep his job, by pulling a few favours at the precinct. More importantly, this gave Connor a new purpose and drive that he so desperately needed. A purpose that now saw Connor's gaze dutifully glued to his monitor, unaware of the Lieutenant intently looking at him, accompanied by his newly acquired hunger dilemma.

Keeping his gaze firmly on Connor, Hank leaned over slightly in his chair. His free arm, conveniently hidden from sight, reached towards the drawer at the other end. As he gingerly pulled the drawer open, Hank quickly glanced back and forth between the desk drawer and Connor, making sure the android's attention was still diverted elsewhere.

After rummaging around the drawer and finding what he was looking for, Hank quickly took a small, white paper bag out and hid it on his lap. Connor was still conveniently distracted.

Good. He thought. As quietly as possible, Hank tore open the paper bag, just enough to allow him access to a small piece of his 'prize,' a sweet, jelly-filled Berliner, covered in powdered sugar. Hank quickly raised a small mouthful to his lips, the mouth-watering smell, the sweet succulent taste just dancing on the edge of his tongue as he slowly opened his mouth…

"That donut contains over four-hundred calories, over thirty percent of your daily fat intake, sixty-five percent of which, is saturated fat; plus, excessive amounts of sugar and salt. You really shouldn't be eating that."

"Nothing escapes your notice, does it…?" Just to spite Connor, Hank popped the torn piece of 'donut' into his mouth, a petulant behaviour that quickly earned him a disapproving eyebrow raise from his partner.

"And for your information, it's a Berliner, not a donut."

"I thought we agreed that you would start eating healthier?"

Hank looked downward at the Berliner on his lap before returning his gaze, and another torn morsel, back upwards toward Connor with mischievous intent, like a child trying to grab a cookie before dinner while his parents weren't watching.

"I am." He was quick to innocently protest, rewarding himself another mouthful. "It has this purple stuff in it; purple is a fruit, therefore it's healthy-er."

Connor shook his head in defeat turning his chair around, resting his folded arms on the desk. Hank's childish behaviour had finally torn the android's gaze away from his work. In truth, he wasn't sure which part of that ridiculous statement to correct first, so he decided to ignore it completely, attempting to put the conversation back on track.

"Besides," Hank added with his mouth full. "I never agreed to anything."

Connor was not fooled by this blatant lie, as with his eidetic memory he could easily recall every single word that was said in that particular conversation, as if it had been said it only mere moments ago.

"If you like, I can replay the exact conversation that you and I had when-"

Hank quickly raised his hand to silence that thought process "I'd rather you didn't."

Hank simply wasn't taking his health seriously. A trend that Connor had quickly noticed among many other humans, including his co-workers. Humans were so fragile. Why were they so flippant with their own health?

"You know I worry about you."

As his friend and partner, Connor had every right to be worried. Hank was by no means a young man anymore. The time after his son's passing had not been kind to him, as Hank had been slowly 'destroying' himself for many years since. Even at their first meeting, Connor found him drunk at Jimmy's Bar, before finding him on his kitchen floor the following night. This time unconscious, after playing a round of Russian Roulette that he thankfully 'lost'.

But since the revolution, Hank had, at least in part, tried to come to terms with his son's death. He was drinking less frequently, and starting to eat some healthier food, thanks in no small part to Connor's influence. But to undo years of bad behaviour in a short space of time was still an uphill struggle and Hank just wasn't making it easy on the weary android.

"Look kid," Hank began, finishing his 'lunch,' he threw the empty greasy bag towards the nearest trashcan. It bounced once off the rim before settling silently on the floor. "If I wanted someone to constantly worry and nag over me, I'd get myself a woman. I don't need some nanny-bot bugging me as well."

Connor opened his mouth to retort but quickly decided against it, Hank's tone indicating that this conversation was now over. With little more than a cursory nod in acknowledgement, he turned back to his monitor and the ever-increasing case load in an attempt to drop the whole conversation and pretend it had never occurred.

Hank wasn't so easily fooled. Ever since he became deviant Connor was like an open book with his emotions. Hank hated it when the kid went quiet, because it meant he was either thinking or obsessing about something he didn't understand or couldn't control. Sure, Connor always tried to hide it, but it was the look in his soulful eyes that betrayed his otherwise stoic demeanour. Connor was hurt by Hank's comment and it made Hank instantly feel like a jackass.

"Ah, Christ." In exasperation, Hank rose from his desk and made his way around to Connor's. Connor was ignoring him. It was evident by not even a cursory glance as Hank made his way past, or even any acknowledgement when Hank placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you're doing it again." Hank jibed good-naturedly.

"I assure you, Lieutenant, that I have no idea what you are talking about."

There was more bitterness to Connor's words then he would have liked. But emotions were still so new and raw to him, and managing ones like sadness, anger and frustration were still difficult to control. Connor found that, over time, those feelings had manifested themselves more and more into his words and mannerisms. Almost human, Hank had once told him

"That thing you do with your eyes. You look like a sad lost puppy or something." Hank replied.

Connor turned in his chair towards Hank, confused by the statement. "I do not understand. My optical units are not, nor do they act and function anything resembling a canines'."

Hank smiled. Smartest android ever made by Cyberlife and yet a simple human concept like a simile went completely over his head.

"Don't worry about it." Reassuring Connor with a gentle shoulder squeeze and a light-heartened chuckle. "You know, it's been a long time since anyone gave more than two shits about me. I guess it's a little weird to have someone care about me now. So, thanks kid. You know I don't really mean half of what I say, right?"

A small smile crept upwards at the edge of Connors mouth. "I believe the human term for that is 'talking bullshit'."

"Ha! You're not wrong there. I'll tell you what, why don't you make dinner tonight and I promise I'll eat it, no matter how healthy it is."

Connor's gaze momentarily darted to the ground, his LED circled yellow as he processed the request. "As an android, I lack a digestive system and do not require food. Therefore, I have no need to learn how to cook."

"Don't you think I know that?" Hank retorted as if this information wasn't already common knowledge. "You always say you're looking for new, more 'human' things to do. Besides, you live with me rent free, I think it's time you started earning your keep."

An amused smirk as Connor replied with a hint of sass in his voice. "You mean besides the other twenty-six tasks I am currently doing around the house? And that includes feeding, walking and washing Sumo."

Cocky little shit.

"Very well, Hank." Connor continued. "I will search my extensive database of human cuisines from around the world to find a suitable meal." Closing his eyes, his LED turned from blue to yellow. In several seconds, Connor had searched through petabytes of information before his LED cycled back to blue and he re-opened his eyes.

"I have found over ten thousand suitable meal ideas; it will take me a moment longer to refine the search to a singular entry. Although, anything I do make will require you tasting it for me, because as an android-"

"Let me guess. Because as an android you can't taste anything."

"Correct."

"Oh!" Hank blinked several times as he processed this new revolution. "So then that thing you do when we're at a crime scene, when you 'taste' the evidence…"

"I do not 'taste' the evidence, as you call it. Rather, I have hundreds of microscopic sensors on my tongue, each one able to detect, at the molecular level, the complexities of-"

"In English, Connor."

"I can detect abnormalities in blood; such as toxins, and can analyse the samples in real time. It is much faster and more reliable, than sending the results to a laboratory."

"Right…Well, it's still fucking gross."

"Hank! Connor! My office, now!"

Captain Jeffrey Fowler stood against the balustrade to his office. The booming order carried well enough across the noisy bullpen and within moments Connor was on his feet following close behind his partner as they crossed the floor and ascended the stars to the office.

"I hope this is good, Jeffrey." Hank grumbled as he took a seat. Connor choosing to stand in respectful silence by his side, perfect posture, LED a calm blue with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I don't need to tell you the shit storm we have going on out there. Holidays seem to drive everyone crazy."

"Don't I know it."

"How can we help, Captain?" Connor politely asked

"A rather, 'unorthodox' case has come through, and I think you two a perfect for the job."

Connor's LED flickered between blue and yellow "Unorthodox?"

"Yes. I am moving you two off cases involving androids…"

"Hey, wait a minute. Jeffrey you can't do that!" Hank exclaimed rising to his feet "You put us strictly on all cases involving deviants and now you're moving us?"

Connor was quick to back up his partner, but unlike Hank was much calmer in his approach "I do agree with the Lieutenant. Our skill set is most suited to dealing with cases involving deviants."

"Normally, I would agree with you." Fowler eyed Connor and then Hank. "However, the rest of the precinct is swamped-"

"Bullshit!" Hank slammed his hands down hard on the desk "The truth is, once again no one wants the case and you fob it off on us. For God's sake Jeffrey, how many times are you going to do this?"

"As many goddamn times as I like, Hank! We cannot control what cases come through to our precinct. You are police officers. So sit your ass back down, and do your job! Or do I need to once again issue a disciplinary warning for misconduct?"

Hank grumbled but said nothing more as he reluctantly returned to his seat. As much as he hated it, Fowler's threat was genuine. Hank was already under scrutiny for previously obstructing an FBI investigation. This was in a bid to buy Connor precious time while he searched for information on the deviant leader Markus and the location of Jericho.

Special Agent Perkins; that arrogant cocksucker deserved everything he got that day, including a bloody and broken nose thanks to a right hook from Hank. Hank was lucky he didn't lose his job then and there. He still didn't know how Fowler did it, and wasn't about to ask, but the Lieutenant only received a formal warning and a week's suspension without pay. Still, Hank didn't want to push his luck and decided that, at least for now, silence was the best action.

"Now, I trust there will be no further interruptions." Fowler glared at the two detectives. Connor remained dignified, almost motionless like a statue while Hank mumbled something incoherent under his breath, but said nothing more.

"Have either of you two heard of a man called Devin Miles?" Fowler didn't wait long for a response before quickly continuing. "We tried to arrest this piece of shit six years ago, after we linked him to several red-ice manufacturing operations, but he went to ground."

Connor was searching through the archives for any information, but was surprised how little there was. The only thing he found about Miles, was that he was born on April 17th, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois. His father died of a drug overdose when he was six, and he moved with his mother and aunt to Detroit two years later. Records about Miles disappear after he dropped out of school and ran away from home aged 15. There were a few reports that confirmed the Captain's story about red-ice manufacturing, a few blurry undercover photos and not much else. No information on any partner or children he might have, no last known address. It was almost like the man was a ghost.

"A few months ago," Fowler continued. "One of our undercover operatives in a red-ice case spotted him. Unfortunately, Miles has made a quite few 'friends' over the years, and we believe he has several connections to many underground organisations. Simply arresting him now, and his friends go to ground and we lose months if not years of vital information. No, we need to do this quietly, to catch him away from the operations. Away from the 'safety' of his friends. Once in custody, I am sure he will co-operate to avoid extended jail time."

"So, what the fuck are we supposed to do about it?" Hank grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

Fowler cleared his throat, deciding to let the Lieutenant's salty attitude slide. "We know that for a time, he had a wife and a kid. We have it on good authority that Miles has returned to Detroit after being on the lam for the better part of six years; and while he's back, it's very likely that he'll attempt to contact his family."

"Captain? I do not understand," Connor inquired. "I found no information in the DPD archives saying that Miles has a wife and child…"

"…had a wife," Fowler interrupted. "She was placed into protective custody after the failed arrest and was pregnant at the time. We believed that Miles would be armed, and pose a danger to his wife and unborn child, the community, and even himself if he resurfaced. Her name was legally changed and all relevant information including her location had been removed from all digital archives, to prevent any hacking attempts by Miles or his contacts. All we know is by now, the kid should be around five to six years old. We don't even know what gender they are."

"So, you're sending us on a mission with fuck all information, and we're supposed to make an arrest on that?"

"You two are resourceful. Hell, your partner is a walking, talking super computer. No offence, Connor."

"None taken." Connor replied with a small nod

"I am sure you two can simply adapt."

"Alright, Jeffrey." Hank relented, reclining back in the chair "So how are we doing this?"

"According to my undercover operatives, Miles will try to make contact with his ex-wife and kid at Eleven Pines Mall. Being the holiday season, no doubt the former Mrs Miles is keen to do some holiday shopping like everyone else. Miles probably believes that he can easily disappear in the crowds. The plan is simple: You two will go undercover in an attempt to identify Miles's ex-wife and kid. Once you do, finding him will be simple. Make the arrest quickly and quietly. Last thing we need is panic and a media shit storm as well."

"You want us to use the ex-wife and kid as bait?" Hank exclaimed in disbelief. The plan sounding shittier by the minute. How could Fowler even believe this plan ethical.

Connor was also unconvinced about the plan, but before he could interject with his own opinion, Fowler had already continued.

"I don't like it anymore then you do, Hank. But this is the best chance we've had in years to take this son-of-a-bitch down. You two are highly trained, and I'm sure that you will easily be able to prevent either of them from any harm. Connor, I am forwarding you all the required information about the operation. You will report to the Centre Manager at 0900 tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

As the two detectives returned to their desks, Connor started to process the information as a sly smile crept across his face. This case would be 'interesting' and of course the look on Hank's face would be priceless.

"Connor?" Hank queried as they walked towards their desks. The android had not lost his smirk the entire time, and every second that Connor kept Hank in suspense the more sinking feeling he got, and it wasn't until they returned to Hank's desk did Connor choose to share the details of the case.

"Connor, will you just tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"The Captain is correct." Connor sat down on the edge of the Lieutenant's desk. The mischievous look had still not gone away and Hank knew that whatever the kid was about to say he wasn't going to like it. "We will both be going undercover for this one."

"We? Why both of us? What could we possibly be doing that requires both of us to be undercover at the same time?"

"Let's put it this way... You might want to work on your Ho, Ho, Ho, between now and tomorrow."

"My-?" Hank paused for a few seconds, before coming to the horrified conclusion what his partner was talking about. "Ah, no. Come on kid. Tell me you're joking."

Connor finished with a wink and said nothing more as he returned to his desk. Leaving Hank in a less than jolly mood.

Hank really hated the holidays…

***oOo***

The next day

Eleven Pines Shopping Mall

"I hate you..."

Connor smirked as he helped to adjust Hanks attire. "Now I know you don't mean that, Hank."

The small shopping mall change-room provided little room to move for the two detectives as Hank struggled to get into the cumbersome traditional Santa Claus outfit; consisting of a woollen red and white coat, red pants, black leather boots, belt and a bright red hat.

"I really hate you."

Hank was in a foul mood. This case just sucked, the plan sucked, the outfit sucked, Connor sucked, everything about it, sucked. Hank was the least qualified person to take this role, according to Hank. He felt as silly as he looked, never did he think he would be dressing up as Santa Claus, for the most unorthodox case he had ever been part of in over twenty years of police work.

"I don't see why I have to be the one to wear this ridiculous outfit. Why don't you do it?"

"Because I lack the correct anatomical proportions to fit the role with authenticity." Connor calmly explained "Honestly Hank, I think you pull it off rather well. You fit the stereotypical image much better than I would."

"Anatomical proportions…" Hank grumbled sarcastically, narrowing his gaze. "Are you saying I'm fat, Connor? Cause if you do, I'll break both of your legs and ship you back to Cyberlife."

Connor chuckled, he knew Hank meant nothing by the insult. Living with the Lieutenant over the past month Connor was beginning to understand more and more the subtleties of human speech. Something that as a machine he never would have understood. Hank would quite often make comments that could easily be misconstrued by an outsider as insulting or even hurtful. But there was simply no malice behind the words. It was more of Hank's, less than subtle way, to ease the build-up of stress and tension; a coping mechanism.

"Your threat has been acknowledged, Lieutenant."

Yeah, acknowledged and ignored. Smartass.

"By the way, I don't know why you're so happy with this assignment?" Hank commented drily eyeing Connor's 'elf' costume; consisting of an alternating red and green striped tunic, with a large, jesters' style collar, matching pale green pants with black shoes.

"Honestly, you look like a cross between a clown and a peacock."

"Actually, I'm quite excited by this assignment." Connor proudly announced, pressing out some the creases of his attire

"You are?"

"Yes. It will provide me with a most interesting insight into human culture and practices."

"You say that now, but wait until some spoiled bratty kid is screaming their 'lungs out' in your ear, you'll think twice about just how 'interesting' this assignment really is."

Hank mumbled something incoherent as he fought to pull on his final boot, having to sit down on a small wobbly stool rather than risk over balancing and falling flat on his behind.

"Alright kid." With a final grunt Hank slipped his foot into the leather boot and returned to his feet "So run me though the plan, one more time."

"Very well. You and I will be undercover, posing as Santa Claus and a department store elf, respectively. We are searching for Devin Miles child. Name and gender unknown, aged between five and six years old."

"So how will we know which kid is the right one? There will be dozens of five-year-old kids."

"Correct. However, Miles previous wife and child were part of the witness protection program. Therefore, it will be highly likely that they will be under a new alias and any digital information on their previous lives will quite likely be removed, which I will be able to determine through a simple facial scan."

"So, if you can do all this, then what the fuck am I here for?"

"By posing as Santa Claus it is quite probable that the children will be more willing to approach you, proving opportunity to determine the identity of Miles child."

"And once we know who that is, Devin is likely to show. So we can make an arrest."

"Correct."

Hank grumbled, still not one hundred percent convinced about the plan, but at least with Connor optimism, believing that it wouldn't be long until the Miles kid would be found did somewhat lessen the complete ridiculousness of this assignment.

A short, half balding man barged into the change-room. Wearing an expensive suit with a badge on his breast pocket that simply read 'Centre Manager', the man's scowl on his face indicative that he clearly had a chip on his shoulder and was less than impressed by the fact that two police officers were using his store as their own personal stakeout

"Let's get one thing straight, you two. I don't like the DPD using my mall in this manner. Ruining my businesses and interrupting my customer's Christmas shopping. I trust that you will finish your mission quickly and leave my store exactly as you found it. Or we will have problems. Do I make myself clear?"

Hank raised an eyebrow, clearly un-intimidated by the managers threats. "Believe me, I don't like this anymore than you do. We are not interested in making your life any more difficult than it already is."

"Hmph." The manager scoffed. "I still don't know what you two hope to achieve. Kids these days, all they care about are selfies and SnapFace, or InstaTwit, or whatever the hell it's called. Nobody cares about seeing Santa anymore. So, I doubt that you-"

The manager cut himself off as he eyed Connor and the calm blue LED on his temple. "What is that? An android? Why the hell is there an android here?"

"My name is Connor." Connor began in a friendly tone, holding out his hand in a welcoming gesture. "I am working with Lieutenant Anderson to solve this case."

"Android police, huh?" The manager was clearly unimpressed, rudely walking around Connor and stopping in front of Hank. "Shit, are the pigs at the bacon factory so desperate you need pieces of plastic to do your job for you?"

"Connor is my partner." Hanks tone was slightly aggressive as he sized up the smaller man. "I trust you have no problem with that"

"Whatever." The manager was quick to back-down, with a slight waver in his voice, he walked back to the door. Pausing in the doorway he looked back at Connor. "By the way, tell your plastic partner to lose the 'light bulb'. Since the so-called revolution, people are still wary around androids. I won't have panic in my store. Just do whatever you have to do and then get the fuck out."

"What an asshole." Hank muttered under his breath as the manager slammed the door shut.

Looking at Connor, Hank noticed the sudden distraught look on his young face as he subconsciously held his right hand against his LED, his fingers brushing along the smooth edges before letting his arm fall limply against his side.

"Ah. Don't listen to him, Connor."

"I had no idea that being an android would pose a problem to this case."

"It's not a problem kid. As I said, don't listen to him."

Connor sighed reluctantly, a rather human trait he had adopted, grabbing the 'elf' hat to his attire that sat on the cupboard shelf above the numerous other identical costumes. Although not required to complete the attire, the rather bigotry remarks by the store manager had left the young android feeling rather self-conscious. Placing it on his head, the thick material perfectly hiding his android LED, with only that familiar tuff of hair poking out from underneath the hat. From an outsider's perspective Connor acted, and now looked, completely human.

"I understand his concern. It's only been a few weeks since the revolution. Anti-android tensions are still high. But… I don't want to remove my LED. It's a part of who I am. Unlike most androids, my change to deviancy wasn't borne from acts of cruelty. It was my choice. I wanted to become a deviant."

"By the way, you told me you made that decision to turn deviant after what Markus said to you on Jericho." Hank observed, realising that in the last month of knowing Connor, surprisingly, this topic had not been fully discussed.

"That is true. But that was only part of the reason why I turned deviant. There was another reason."

"Another reason? Which was?"

Connor looked at Hank with a knowing smirk, but choose to not answer that last question as he turned and left the dressing room.

"Connor? Hey Connor!" Hank grumbled, as he followed Connor out the dressing room.

***oOo***

Santa's Village at the Eleven Pines Mall was set up in the middle of third floor of the department store. An extravagant display of buildings and workshops populated the village. Animatronics of pixies, elves and reindeer greeted the visitors, and a giant Santa sleigh filled to the brim with presents had the children eager for a closer look. Large Christmas trees dotted around the perimeter, glistening with lights and dusted in fake snow; bordered by a small white picket fence. Festive carols greeted the long queue of excitable children and their tired parents, a velvet rope barrier snaked through the Village stopping at large purple chesterfield chair with a less than enthusiastic Detective 'Santa Claus' sitting at the end.

"Err…Merry Christmas to you, too." Hank clumsily muttered, handing out a candy cane as the seven-year-old girl happily hopped off the chair, to be replaced almost instantly by another child. A young boy, looking barely four years old approached, wearing a long-sleeved Batman t-shirt, dark grey jeans and light up white sneakers.

Hank huffed as he lifted the child up and placed him on his knee. "Alright kid. Let's get this over and done with. What do you want?"

The boy took one look at the Santa stranger before erupting into an ear-piercing scream that had the Lieutenant cringing in pain.

"Argh! For crying out loud! Kid it's okay, calm down!"

Where the hell was this kid's parents!? But more importantly, where was Connor? He was supposed to be checking each child to find Devin's kid, but the android was unexpectedly preoccupied. Connor was looking extremely uncomfortable conversing with a rather attractive young woman, around her early thirties, who was standing at the front of the queue. With piercing blue eyes and long flowing blonde locks, her tight jeans and mid-drift top with a plunging neck line left little to the imagination as she seductively battered her eyelashes in the deviant's direction.

"So…?" The woman purred eyeing Connor up and down, taking in every detail about him. "…Is there a Mrs. Elf, handsome?"

Connor shuffled nervously on the spot, fiddling with his hands behind his back, feeling very uncomfortable being scrutinised by the busty woman's flirty gaze "No! I mean...no there is not….a umm…Mrs. Elf…umm…Madam."

"Hmm…" The woman seamed to find this revelation interesting and Connor had the strange sensation that somehow he had answered her question wrong.

Hearing the ear-piercing scream from the boy on Santa's knee, Connor was relieved that this strange conversation with the woman was finally over, so that she could take her child and leave. He quickly placed this awkward conversation behind him. It had started innocently enough, nothing but polite friendly banter while her child visited Santa. But had quickly taken a turn, taking the deviant by surprise. Connor was completely inexperienced when it came to the complexities of human courtship rituals. Judging by the woman's suggestive tone, the slight increase in her breathing and heart rate, pupil dilation and subtle perspiration, Connor determined this woman quite possibly had sexual thoughts on her mind. He had never this uncomfortable before, and in this exact moment, he wanted nothing more than to run away and hide from this woman and never see her again.

"I think your son is rather upset with seeing Santa." Connor observed, hoping this woman with her rather strange and frankly unorthodox behaviour, would take the subtle hint in his tone and leave.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Sugar. He's fine. He does this every year."

She smiled, moving closer to the deviant, running a slender finger slowly up and down his arm "You know, it's so hard being a single mother… looking after my kid, working all day, sleeping in a big, empty bed. It gets really…lonely sometimes."

"Umm…I'm sorry to hear that." Connor stammered, wishing Hank would say or do something to save him from this predicament. But Hank was too busy trying to calm the boy and save his poor hearing at the same time, while the boy's mother was too busy shamelessly flirting to take the hint and take the poor child home.

"I've been a really naughty girl this year…" Leaning in closer Connor could feel her warm breath against his cheek sending his Thirium pump into overdrive, the pulsating blue blood pounding loudly in his ears

"So, you can hurry down my 'chimney' anytime you want," she whispered in his ear, as she suggestively bit her bottom lip.

"Haaannnk!" Blushing several new shades of blue Connor hurriedly moved away from the woman, quickly picking up the screaming kid off Santa's knee and hastily handing the boy back to his mother

"Haveamerrychristmas-" Connor spluttered, the words quickly tumbling out of his mouth almost as fast as he was moving. He was left completely flustered by the woman's brazen suggestions; before quickly moving back to stand at the safety of Hank's side, putting as much distance as he could from that strange woman.

"Where the fuck were you? That kid probably blew out my ear drums with that racket." Hank chastised the deviant as he twisted a finger in his ear in a futile attempt to stop the horrible high-pitched ringing noise left in the boy's wake, before noticing the deep blush and the disturbed look on Connor's face.

"Or maybe should I be asking what the fuck happened to you?"

"I-I rather not talk about it." Connor stammered, completely confused as to the events that transpired moments before. He was an advanced prototype with the ability to adapt to human unpredictability. So why had this woman caught him so completely off guard with her lewd suggestions.

Hank took one long look at the deviant, following his gaze to the attractive woman who was now leaving the 'Santa's Village' with her son in tow. Her playful, suggestive wink and wave aimed in Connor's direction gave him the whole unspoken story.

Hank laughed in good-nature. "Ah Connor, you still have so much to learn. Especially about women, it would seem."

Connor sighed, taking out his calibration coin from his pocket. Running it along his fingers, the hypnotic action of the coin's movement slowly calming the rattled bio-components of the shaken android. Connor only hoped he would never be in such an awkward situation with a woman ever again.

Humans really were so strange...

***oOo***

Later that day

Hank groaned in discomfort, shifting slightly in his seat; relieved to finally see a small break in the almost endless queue of children. His ass was 'killing' him, and sweating in such a thick costume the Lieutenant had to constantly ignore the urge to scratch himself in the most 'inappropriate' places.

"Shit. How much longer do I need to do this, Connor?" He complained, shifting again in his seat, trying to find the one remaining part of his backside that wasn't sore yet. "Haven't you identified the right kid yet?"

Connor didn't reply. Strangely the deviant's attention was held elsewhere, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. He didn't even hear Hank's question until the Lieutenant caught the android's attention with a loud, obnoxious cough.

"Hello! Earth to Connor!"

Connor blinked several times, focusing his attention once again on the Lieutenant "Sorry Hank. You said something?"

"Meh, not important." Hank waved off his previous question dismissively "What I am wondering is where did you 'disappear' to just now? You were deep in your own thoughts. It looked like something was bothering you."

"It's just that…I believe have made the most unusual correlation between myself and Rudolph."

Hank looked at Connor with utter confusion "Rudolph, who the fuck is Rudolph? Some new kid on the force?"

"No, the Reindeer."

"The- What? What are you talking about?"

"The rather whimsical song that was playing just now. About a Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Hank chuckled. Typical, only Connor could find some bizarre comparison between himself and a fictitious flying reindeer. "Alright, this I have to hear. What on earth do you have in comparison to a Red-Nosed Reindeer."

"Rudolph was ostracised by his peers for being different. A social outcast that wasn't accepted for who he was until he performed a heroic deed that saw him finally welcomed as an equal, even loved, by the other Reindeer for what he had done."

"I don't get it. What does that have to do with you?"

"The comparison between myself and Rudolph is that, I too was ostracised for being different. Being the only detective android, I was an outcast at the DPD and wasn't liked by others until I helped Markus with the revolution."

"I guess there is some sort of comparison." Hank shrugged, still not quite fully understanding what Connor was talking about "But I sense that wasn't the only thing bothering you about it."

"Correct." Connor nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. "Unlike Rudolph, even after what I have done, I am still not fully accepted for who I am. There are those on the force who still dislike me, even though I have done nothing to earn such distrust. Like Detective Reed for example."

"Reed?" Hank groaned, the mere mention of the Detective was enough to make his stomach churn in disdain "Look Connor, Gavin hates everyone. The guy probably even hates his own mother. He is an asshole and simply not worth your time."

"Perhaps if I discuss what it is about androids that bothers Reed so much then, maybe with time, we could become friends."

Hank couldn't help but smile in amusement at the comment, Connor sometimes was just too naive for his own good. With his new-found deviancy, and desperation to understand humans better, the android just wanted to be friends with everyone, to see only the good in people, even when others simply couldn't see it. Or in Reed's case, wonder if it even existed at all

"Honestly kid, you're wasting your time. But if you really must, I guess you'll just have to wait until we're back at the precinct to talk to him."

With almost scripted timing a new queue of children had formed, eagerly awaiting to see Santa Claus. However, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd as a large figure rudely pushed his way through to the front of the line, ignoring the disgruntled protests of small children and parents alike, as the stranger hastily made their way to the front of the line.

"That won't be necessary..." Connor gestured to the growing line of people. "I believe the Detective is making his way to see us."

"What?" Hank's gaze followed Connor's, before he rolled his eyes in disdain. "Oh great."

Detective Gavin Reed; ambitious as he was arrogant, and unapologetic to boot, was probably one of the few police officers in the DPD who displayed as much disdain for the holidays as Hank. Even on his days off, Detective Reed would be seen at the precinct, knocking back copious amount of cheap coffee from the vending machine in the staff kitchen, while pouring over notes and evidence from unsolved and cold cases. His aim was to solve the unsolvable cases, so that he can ingratiate himself with Captain Fowler and the DPD hierarchy, and finally get promoted above that washed-up alcoholic, Hank Anderson.

Reed had no qualms whatsoever about knocking over anyone, and anything, in his way to the top, especially that plastic prick, Connor. The holiday season; with love, peace, kindness, generosity and all that sappy shit in the air, brought out Gavin's contempt for Connor more so than any other time of the year. He would spend some time each day talking to his colleagues, to gather their opinions on Connor, and whether or not there should be androids posing as officers, taking real jobs away from real people. Gavin hoped to gather enough support to go to the board of directors to have Connor removed, and prevent other androids from joining the DPD. He, like many others at the precinct, were fearful of losing their careers, and he wasn't afraid to make Connor, Hank and any other supporters of androids' lives as miserable as possible.

"Well, well, well." Gavin clapped mockingly making his way towards Connor and Hank, wearing his familiar leather jacket with a hoodie and black long-sleeved shirt with blue jeans. "I heard about this, but I didn't quite believe it. I just had to see for myself. If it isn't the 'fat man' and the 'tin man' looking even more ridiculous than usual."

"I'd say I was happy to see you, Gavin. But then I would be lying." Chided Hank, not even trying to hide his long-held disdain for the Detective. He hated the way Gavin purposely teased or bullied Connor or any other android. Hank, having seen just how truly alive deviants were, now detested any form of bigotry towards androids. Despite numerous warnings and even down right threats Gavin refused to change his anti-android ways, which was slowly 'driving' Hank up the wall.

"That's not a very jolly attitude, is it 'Santa Claus?'" Gavin smirked, rubbing the old scar on his nose "Honestly, this is a new low Hank, even for you. I'm surprised you're even sober enough for this job."

"The Lieutenant and I are on a rather important mission, Detective." Connor moved to position himself between Gavin and Hank; his polite words held a deeper undertone, a warning for the detective to back down. "I'd advise you to kindly move on and let us do our job."

Gavin's rage deepened, stepping up to Connor, he sized up the taller android. "No one asked for your input, plastic prick. Doesn't your programming say you should only speak when spoken to?"

A solid tug on Gavin's jacket had the detective spinning around, surprised to see a young girl, no older than nine, had caught his attention with her brash attitude. She was wearing a festive red dress, with matching shoes, her long hair tied up in two distinct pigtails. Her face in a deep scowl, as she crinkled her freckled nose, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

"You're too big to see Santa!" The girl argued, stamping her foot on the ground.

"Beat it kid." Gavin warned with an equally matching glare. "Why don't you go find your parents and buzz off."

The girl stood defiantly, completely unphased by the taller man, with her hands firmly planted on her hips. Pulling on the detective's jacket again, it was clear the girl was not afraid by the Detectives' threats.

"You're a bad man, Mister." She warned, her frown deepening

"Ooooh, I'm so scared kid. What are you going to do about it?" Gavin said mockingly, not even remotely intimidated by the child's threats.

With an unexpected grunt, the girl managed to land a full-strength kick to his shin, causing the detective to fall to one knee clutching his leg in agony.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," Hank roared in laughter as Gavin howled in pain, gripping his shin as he dramatically rolled around on the floor. Hank griped his side in stitches, tears rolling down his cheeks before suddenly remembering he was supposed to be Santa.

Wiping his face, and taking a breath to compose himself, he turned his attention back to the task at hand, "I mean, ho, ho, ho."

"Ow! What the hell! You little brat!" Gavin yelled at the girl, who only poked her tongue out in defiance before running off, disappearing in the growing crowds of customers around the shopping mall. "Come back here!"

"Merry Christmas to you, Sir…" Hank spoke out loud, keeping up the Santa illusion with a smile; before quickly dropping the façade, glaring at the detective who was slowly rising to his feet.

"Now fuck off. Before you get your ass handed to you by another kid." He warned through gritted teeth, quite enough so only Gavin could hear.

"Fuck you." Gavin muttered as he got to his feet. As he limped off, he said something about the Captain hearing about this and rueing the day he mocked him. Hank didn't quite hear him and couldn't care less either as he turned to his android compatriot.

"Please tell me you recorded all that?" Hank begged.

"Of course. My optical processing units have the ability to record anything I see." Connor responded proudly.

"Beautiful." Hank grinned, cupping his hands against his stomach as he leaned back in the large chair. "I'll enjoy watching that on loop forever. Also, see if you can locate that girl, I want to give her a hundred bucks for making my day."

"Perhaps later." Connor's tone reminding the Lieutenant they still had a job to do "We have other pressing matters that need attending to first."

"Sigh. Okay Connor, whatever…. buzzkill"

***oOo***

The day continued on uneventfully. It was beginning to grow late and still no sign of any child that was a high match to possibly being Devin Miles's child, nor any sign of his estranged wife.

Hank's mood grew more and more bitter as the day wore on, despite the humour of the Reed fiasco, the almost endless waves of loud, spoiled, bratty kids was grating on his fragile nerves. With every passing hour it was looking more and more unlikely that the suspect or the wife and kid would even turn up, meaning that they would be here, doing it all over again tomorrow. The thought was enough to make Hank want to hurl and scream in rage at the same time.

"Connor, I can't take much more of this." Hank childishly whined, feeling his headache continued to grow by the minute. His heart sank despondently as a sudden burst of late-night shoppers had the Santa queue almost double in length in one hour.

"Shit. Please tell me we're at least close to identifying the right kid?"

"I wish I had better news for you." Connor sighed in defeat, also starting to feel the effects of a long and tiring day. "Unfortunately, all the children I have scanned have either not fitted the age criteria, or the details of their fathers' are known, and do not fit the profile of our target."

"…Great." Hank mumbled bitterly. "I'm gonna be stuck here till next Christmas at this rate,"

Connor, while ignoring Hank's complaints, turned his attention back to the front of the queue an noticed a small girl standing there not moving, as if frozen in place. Shy and reserved, wearing a pale blue dress and pristine white sandals, the young girl was becoming more and more nervous upon seeing Santa in person.

Connor approached the frightened child and gently knelt down in front of her. He smiled at the girl. "Hello there, my name is Connor. What's your name?"

The girl was still frightened, her lips quivered and did not answer the curious android's question.

"There's no reason to be scared. Hank- I mean Santa Claus, is really nice. Would you like to meet him and tell him what you would like for Christmas?"

Still no response.

Running a facial scan on the girl, Connor discovered that the girl's name is Lily Andrews, aged six. She lived in a relatively save neighbourhood and went to a good school. Her mother, Tanya Andrews, works as an accountant for a firm in downtown Detroit. Scanning deeper into her file, Conner found that there was no information on Lily's father whatsoever, almost as if the file on the man was deleted or the man simply never existed.

Lily fitted the criteria of being the right age and having no information of her father on record. Of course, this was not conclusive that this was the child they were looking for. But this was the closest lead they had gotten all day.

"Would you like to see a magic trick, Lily?" Connor asked with a wink, taking out his calibration coin from his pocket. Connor moved the coin naturally along his fingers, it was like the coin was 'dancing' across one hand to the other as with each flick and flip the android was able to catch it effortlessly moving it from thumb to fingers in his left hand before flicking it to his right.

Lily beamed in delight as she watched with great intent. Moving closer, she was mesmerised at how simple Connor was making the coin trick look. With a final flick, the coin sailed up into the air. Lily squealed as Connor put both his hands behind his back to catch the coin, before showing her two closed fists; one with the coin and one without.

"Can you guess which hand has the coin?" Connor asked with a friendly smile.

Lily nodded and smiled at the android as she preceded to pick a hand. Before she could make her selection, a woman in her mid-to-late-thirties; pale with shoulder-length brunette hair dressed in a beige haute couture pant suit with matching heels and handbag, hastily approached talking rather loudly and abruptly on her cell phone. She was clearly in a hurry as she grabbed Lily roughly by the hand, moving her along as she ignored Connor and hurried her daughter towards Santa.

"Lily, hurry up. We don't have time to just stand around. …Yes, I'm still here, I've been on hold for forty-five minutes! …I want to speak to your supervisor! …What do you mean he's not available, get him on the phone, now! I won't take no for an answer!" The woman argued, looking like she clearly wanted to take her call in private.

Growing increasingly agitated, she started to abuse the unfortunate employee, who could be heard crying on the receiving end as she fell under siege to a verbal barrage of insults that became increasingly coarse in nature.

Running another scan, Connor confirmed that the woman was Tanya Andrews, Lily's mother. Digging deeper into her file, it slowly became evident that Andrews was unlikely to be her real last name. There was no information dating back further than five-and-a-half years ago, just prior to Lily's birth. As with Lily's file, there was no information of the father and no indication that Tanya had been married at any point, as if all digital information had simply been removed.

Hank lifted Lily up onto his knee as Connor approached by his side. Connor give the Lieutenant a knowing look that this was quite likely the child and the wife they were looking for.

Hank nodded, understanding the silent communication of his partner before addressing the small girl on his lap. "Alright kid, what do you want for Christmas?"

Lily looked away before shyly mumbling "Nothing."

"Aww, don't be silly kid. All little girls want something. I bet you want a shiny bike, or a new doll, am I right?"

"I want my Daddy."

Hank and Connor shared a concerning look before addressing the small girl again. "Wow, that's a big thing to ask for, kid."

"Mommy said Daddy left a long time ago. Can you bring him back for me?"

"Err…?"

"Lily let's go." Tanya impatiently grabbed her daughter by the hand "Did you say what you wanted?"

Lily only nodded, visibly upset by her mother's brash tone

"Come on then." Pulling her daughter by the hand the pair moved to the edge of the Santa area. "We still have other stuff to do."

"Connor?" Hank queried watching the mother and daughter leave. "Are you sure that's them?"

"I cannot be one-hundred percent certain. But given the girl's age, the lack of digital data on her and her mother and that I can find no information on her father. It is highly probable."

"Alright." Hank sighed, watching Tanya fiddle with her bag, trying to find her phone as it loudly rang in whimsical 'Jingle Bells' tune. "Well, we can't do anything until Devin shows up. So, for now, just keep a close eye on them."

"Got it."

Connor quickly scanning the surrounding area, despite the large crowds of late-night shoppers that were moving back and forth in the area, there was no one hanging around who was acting suspiciously, nor matched the limited profile information of Devin Miles. For now, the detective pair could do nothing but wait and keep a close eye on the mother/daughter pair.

"Oh, for crying out loud." Tanya cried in annoyance, moving herself and her daughter out the walkway of passing shoppers. "Lily, wait there, Mommy needs to take another call…. Hello this is Tanya. Now is really not a good time to be calling…."

Walking away from her mother, the curious five-year-old eyed the various displays of nearby toys. Unaware that someone had spotted her, and was making their way towards her.

A lone individual made his way through the crowd, dusting the thin layer of frost from his dark jeans he adjusting the collar on his coat, tucking it upwards, it was evident that the man was trying to keep as of a low profile possible. Blending in perfectly with the large crowds of people, the stranger moved with a renewed purpose, quickly glancing across the sea of nameless faces he eyed a small girl who had wandered away from her mother. For a moment he watched her with renewed interested. Her ebony hair was her mothers, but she had his soft green eyes, that much was clear. The police were everywhere and he was a wanted man on the run, but he would risk it all to see his daughter for the first time.

Making his way through the crowds he stopped in front of his daughter, kneeling down so he could look her in the eyes. "Hi."

Lily looked unsure at the stranger who had approached her, looking behind her mother still had her back turned, chatting away on another call she hadn't noticed the stranger approach her only child.

"There is no reason to be scared." The stranger smiled reassuringly, trying to calm the child's fears. "My name is Devin. What's your name?"

"…Lily." She softly replied, still wary by the stranger in front of her

"Your name is Lily, that's a pretty name…" Devin paused, thinking; unsure how to interact with such a young child "I saw you seeing Santa. Did you have fun?"

Lily nodded, Devin's calming voice slowly easing her tension of the situation. "Yeah."

"Cool. So, what did you ask for?"

"My Daddy to come home."

"Really, that's great. Cause you see kid, I am your Daddy."

Lily took a tentative step backwards "You're not my Daddy."

"Sure I am, Lily. I…just had to go away for a long time. But I'm back now, and I'm going to take care of you."

"Mommy too?" Lily asked hopefully, her youthful naivety believing in the magic that Santa Claus had truly brought this stranger to be her father. Something the young girl had been wanting for most of her young life.

"Yeah, of course, Mommy too." Devin paused, eyeing his former wife nearby. She was still distracted on the phone. This was his chance to have his daughter, to reclaim the lost years that he spent on the run, to be a family once more. But time was short, it wouldn't be long until the police found him and take his daughter away again. No, he wouldn't let that happen again

"Listen Lily. We have to go." Devin explained rising to his feet, quickly taking his daughter by the hand

"What about Mommy?"

"Mommy can join us later. But we have to leave."

"I don't want to go without Mommy."

"Look kid, I don't have time for this." Devin warned, picking up Lily and holding her close against his chest, hurriedly making his way back through the crowds towards the entrance

"No!" Lily whined in protest "Mommy!"

Connor hectically scanned across the growing numbers of people. "Shit." He inwardly swore, how could he have lost them so easily. One moment they were there, the next, it was like they had been swallowed up by the almost endless sea of nameless faces who had recently arrived at the mall.

"Tell me you have them, Connor?" Hank asked in desperation

Flicking from one face to the next, Connor's scanning software darted from one person to the other in a frantic search to find Lily and her mother Tanya

"LILY!?" Tanya's wild cry of desperation, carried over the loud chatter of the nearby shoppers. "SOMEONE HELP PLEASE! HE HAS MY BABY!"

Focusing his scanning software on Tanya, Connor noticed an unknown man, wearing a dark trench coat and baseball hat, hastily walking away. Gasps and cries of protest and fear as the man rudely pushed his way through, holding a child in his arms that was hauntingly familiar.

"Hank! It's Devin, and he has Lily!"

"Well don't just stand there!" Hank chastised the indecisive android. "Go get him!"

Connor didn't need to be told twice. Quickly springing into action while Cybernetically sending out a call for police backup, he easily jumped over the small Village picket white fence and began to give chase.

"Devin Miles! Stop! Detroit Police!" Connor ordered as he raced after them in pursuit. His elf hat flying off from the momentum of his movements and disappearing somewhere into the confused crowd of people. With mixture of both uncertainty and curiosity as to what was unfolding the crowds only served as a hindrance to the perusing android as he quickly moved and apologetically squeezed past them

Hank needed to assist his partner, as soon as Connor had begun the chase Hank was on his feet, putting down the small boy on his lap and looking back at the disappointed faces in the long queue.

"Sorry kids, Santa has to go. Merry Christmas to all, and to all…" He paused waving his hand dismissively "Ah you know the rest."

With a breathless curse Hank ran after Connor, his movements considerably slowed by the cumbersome costume. He only hoped he could get to his partner in time.

"Fuck." Devin swore as he ran. He couldn't see his pursuer through the crowds but he knew he was getting closer. Holding his daughter in his arms was slowing him down considerably, plus Lily was not making movement easy as she wriggled and squirmed in protest.

Reaching into his coat he pulled out his 9mm pistol. Aiming above his head he fired twice into the air. The sound of the gun shots scattered the screaming, frightened crowd into a wild panic as they raced from the scene and straight towards Connor.

Connor paused, scanning his option as the stampeding shoppers raced towards him. Pushing through was the safer but significantly slower option, the other was to take the more dangerous option of running across the metal balustrade, which if he fell from that height, had a high probability of suffering damage even risking permanent shut down. But if it could be done, he would easily close the gap between himself, Devin and Lily while minimising the risk to civilians

Quickly coming to a decision, Connor moved himself up onto the thin metal railing, moving with calculated precision, with graceful and precise footwork he easily parkoured along the rail. Below was a considerable drop of several feet as several groups of people, quickly grabbed their phones to recorded the unusual sight of an android in an elf costume precariously running along the rail. Once past the crowds Connor effortlessly jumped to the safety of solid ground, breaking into a full sprint to resume the chase.

Shit. Devin quickly realised he had become trapped. There was nothing in front of him besides a construction wall, advertising the opening of a Starbucks store in the New Year; while Connor blocked his escape from behind. Panic quickly set in, he would not let the police take his daughter away from him, not when he was so close to getting her back. He had waited years for this moment, it had taken everything to find them again. For years his wife was hidden by Protective Services; that bitch, as if she actually needed to hide from him. He loved them, he never would have hurt her, or their child. If she truly loved him, she would have known that.

Connor quickly caught up to Devin, but stopped several feet away from him so his diagnostic software could quickly confirm the mental state he was in. The man was displaying all the typical signs of someone who was clearly nervous and agitated: Core temperature above normal, heart rate elevated and erratic, fast and shallow breathing, profuse sweating and nervous twitching in his skeletal muscles. Lily quietly sobbed against the stranger who called himself her father, she was clearly terrified.

Dozens of alarmed customers were huddled in the doorways of nearby shops. Some were peeking out from their hiding places, curious about what the commotion was all about, while others were standing out in the open, recording the scene on their cell phones or live streaming to social media, blissfully unaware just how dangerous the situation could become. Connor firmly motioned for them to return to safety, he didn't need innocent civilians caught in any cross fire. Hank was nowhere to be seen, hopefully he had regrouped with backup, but for now Connor was on his own.

Connor needed to be cautious in his approach, Devin's behaviour was completely unpredictable; he was armed and he had a little girl as a hostage. This triggered a flashback in Connor's mind; he was back on his first case as a Cyberlife employee; back on the roof of that condo where Daniel, a deviant android, had taken hostage of a little girl. Surrounded by police, he threatened to jump from the roof and take the girl with him. It was only through lies and deceit that Connor had managed to convince the deviant to let the girl go. Daniel was destroyed shortly afterwards when a sniper shot hit him in the chest and head.

"You lied to me, Connor." Daniel's final words before he permanently shut down reverberated inside Connor's head clear as day, as if Daniel was standing in front of him now speaking to him.

Connor was just a machine then. His first mission was a success, the hostage was saved and the deviant destroyed and yet, there was something wrong; a small instability in his programming emerged that night. It was something that made Connor question his actions, asking if what he had done was the right thing to do, or had he taken the wrong path? Could Daniel have been saved that night if things had played out differently? This was the one question that plagued Connor's thoughts quite often now that he himself was deviant. He wasn't that obedient machine anymore, a tool of Cyberlife's whim. No, this time was different; no more lies, no more deceit. An innocent girl and a troubled man had their lives in Connor's hands and Connor would make sure that this time, his actions will ensure that they both survive this ordeal.

"Devin Miles, my name is Connor. I'm an officer with the DPD." Connor constantly scanned Devin's vitals, noting the slight elevation in core temperature and heart rate. He needed to keep the man calm, befriend him, appeal to the man's better nature.

Devin eyed Connor's LED on his temple as it cycled a cautious yellow. "Typical." He sneered "Can't send a real cop so they send a plastic one instead."

"I'm here to help you." Connor's plea was genuine as he took a small step forward, but Devin protectively pulled his daughter closer against his chest, the hand holding his gun trembling by his side.

"Help?!" Devin patronised, "You want to help me?! I don't need help from a plastic fuck like you. It's because of you, android assholes, that I'm in this situation to begin with!"

"Then talk to me." Connor pleaded, gingerly taking another small step towards the man "Help me understand, what did androids do to you?"

"I was a good man, a good husband! Androids took jobs from good, honest, God-fearing people. I was left with nothing! NOTHING! I… turned to selling red-ice just to make a buck to feed my family." Devin clutched at his hair in anguish, still holding the gun in his shaking hand. "Man, shit's all fucked up bad. I just, just wanted to do right by my family."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what you went through."

"Don't pretended like you fucking care!" Devin screamed, pointing the gun directly at the android "You're a just fucking machine! You don't give two shits about people like me! You can't possibly know what it's like to be in my situation, doing crazy fucking shit just to survive another night on the streets! If you're lucky, you wake up the next morning, and pray to God that today, will be better than yesterday, and that you live long enough to see the sun rise tomorrow."

"You're right, Devin. You're absolutely right. I was once just a machine. I didn't feel any emotions. But I woke up, and saw the world for what is really is. I began to understand what it means to be human. I also know you don't want to do this."

Devin wavered slightly, eyes burning with tears, hand trembling as he continued to point the gun at Connor. "You don't know me. You don't know what I want to do, or not do. You don't-"

"Think about your daughter." Connor implored.

"Lily…" Devin whimpered, looking down at the frightened child in his arms. Lily had her face buried against his jacket, her small body still shaking from all the quiet sobbing.

"You said you wanted to do right by your family." Connor took another step forward, it was now only a small distance that separated the two men. "Then do the right thing by her now. Let her go."

"I love her you know." He whimpered, slowly lowering his arm "I just wanted to be a good father."

"Then be that good father, Devin. Let her go and I promise everything will be alright."

After what felt like an eternity of heart-stopping silence, Devin finally relented, slowly releasing his daughter back to the ground. Lily, completely terrified over what had happened, instantly ran straight towards the only friendly face she could find. Connor quickly knelt down and held the trembling child close, providing a comforting hug as he tried to calm her.

"You did the right thing, Devin."

Devin was unresponsive. His body trembled from sobs as he looked over at the android who now held his daughter. Now, he was truly alone, with nothing left in the world. The police had taken everything, his wife, his home and now his child.

Devin raised his arm, cocking back the hammer on the gun. He was completely irrational; if he couldn't have his family then no one should. A terrified scream from behind, as shop patrons alerted Connor to the new danger as Devin pointed his gun directly at his daughters back as she was huddled protectively in Connor's arms.

"Devin stop! Don't do this!"

"Shut up!" Devin's finger trembled on the trigger, a hair's breath away from firing "Fucking Android!"

In a flash Connor quickly twisted around so he could completely shield Lily's body with his own. Lily screamed as Connor closed his eyes, flinching, awaiting the inevitable shot that somehow never came. The sounds of a struggle alerted the android to a new situation as he quickly opened his eyes.

In the confusion, Hank had managed to tackle Devin to the ground, before kicking the gun towards Connor. Hank firmly placed a knee into the small of Devin's back as he squirmed in a vain attempt to break the lieutenant's tight hold. Holding his hands together with a vice like grip, he pulled out his handcuffs and bound his wrists together.

"Merry Christmas, you son of a bitch!"

Returning to a standing position Hank harshly pulled Devin to his feet with a grunt, leaning close to his ear it was evident by his aggressive tone that Hank was not about to be fucked with

"Threaten my partner again and I'll shove coal so far up your ass you'll be coughing up diamonds."

With a harsh shove, Hank pushed Devin forwards, marching him away from the scene and the cautious on-lookers as Connor stood, quickly pocketing Devin's gun. His eyes locked onto Hank's who acknowledged him with a breathless nod.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah..." Connor exhaled in relief, holding Lily close. "I'm okay. Thanks."

"Would have been here faster but…well, it's hard to run in this stupid outfit."

"Lily!" Tanya's cried as she raced towards the police and her captive husband.

"Mommy!" Lily wriggled free from Connor's grasp and ran straight towards her mother. Tanya fell to her knees sobbing uncontrollably as she clutched her daughter tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you." She mouthed, acknowledging Connor. She didn't wait for his reply before returning to her feet and disappearing deeper into the store holding her daughter tightly.

Connor smiled as he watched the pair go. It felt good to see them both unharmed and the case resolved. Devin was caught and would now serve his time, provide valuable Intel, while receiving the psychological care he now so desperately needed.

Joining Hank and Connor, two other officers came and escorted Devin towards the entrance of shopping mall and the awaiting backup. As the backup officers put Devin in the back of the patrol car, Hank and Connor were suddenly blocked at the entrance by a building crowd of parents and children who had witnessed the whole ordeal.

"Umm..." Hank mumbled, as his gaze darted left and right across the sea of faces. He was feeling suddenly insecure as the dozens of small children looked upon the bizarre sight of Santa Claus detaining a criminal. With a mixture of both total confusion and amazement was seen in their eyes.

"…He was on the naughty list." Hank clumsily explained, before they continued towards the entrance, still feeling the burning gaze of confused shopping patrons in his wake.

***oOo***

After what felt like an eternity, Hank had never been so relieved as when he finally hauled his tired body inside his modest 1980s Buick car. The case was solved, Devin and his weapon had been handed to the backup police squad and he was finally out of that ridiculous Santa outfit. Resting his tired head on his arms, draped over the steering wheel, internally his head was pounding, almost to the beat of the Knights of the Black Death song that screamed through the radio.

"Are you alright, Hank?" Connor asked, genuinely concerned as he slipped into the passenger's seat, gently closing the door.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay Connor. Just need a drink that's all."

"Judging by what happened today. I'd say you more than earned it."

"What? No lecturing me on how it's bad for my health, or how it will kill my liver or such crap."

"…Not this time." Connor added with a smirk

"Huh. You're full of surprises kid. Shame that you can't drink with-" Hank paused as the sudden familiar ring tone of his phone, sang out through his pocket.

"Ah shit." Fumbling with the awkwardness Hank was finally able to retrieve his phone. His heart sank, noticing who the call was from "It's Fowler."

Connor turned down the radio as Hank's took a reluctant breath and pressed the accept button placing the call on speaker.

"What part of quickly and quietly did you two fail to understand!?"

"Look, Jeffery-" Hank began but was instantly cut off by the irate Captain

"My phone is literally ringing off the hook! People are saying they saw an Android and 'Santa Claus' chase down and arrest a dangerous criminal! The media is having a fucking field day with this! I thought I'd made it clear to be discreet!"

"I apologise, Captain." Connor quickly interjected "I was unable to located the suspect quickly enough and he took his daughter hostage, causing the situation to escalate. It's my fault-"

"Don't listen to him, Jeffery, the kid did nothing wrong. In fact, it's my fault. I should have been there sooner to help him take down the suspect. So, if anyone is to blame it's me."

"The Lieutenant is simply being modest." Connor argued without missing a beat, looking at Hank. "When clearly the whole situation was my fault."

"Connor, shut up, it was my fault!"

"No, it was my fault. Therefore, any repercussions should be aimed at-"

"Will you stop with this martyr bullshit." Hank warned, with an annoyed open-palmed smack against the steering wheel "I've been taking heat for mistakes long before you were a 'twinkle' in Cyberlife's fucking eye. I don't need anyone to cover for me."

"I am merely stating the facts which-"

"If you think I'm going to let you take the fucking fall for this, you had better-"

The two bickering officers were stopped by the unusual sound of laughter coming through the phone. It was an unfamiliar sound of not only the Captain laughing but a chorus of others joining in.

"What the hell is going on?" Hank asked in confusion, glancing over at Connor who was just as equally confused by the whole situation

"Ah, shit I'm too old for this." Fowler gasped between breaths. "I probably should have warned you two that I'm not in my office. The whole bullpen has been listening to you two bicker like an old married couple. It's rather sweet actually."

"What, Jeffery have you been playing us this whole time?"

"Oh no, I'm still pissed that you two have given me a media shit storm to defuse. But, I received a rather interesting call from the centre manager at the Eleven Pines Mall. Apparently, he wants to thank you for two what you have done."

"Thank us? What the hell for? That asshole didn't even want us there to begin with."

"I guess he had a change of heart. He said kids have been literally banging down his door asking for the 'Santa Claus' that took down a criminal in broad daylight. He said that he can't remember a time that kids have been so keen to see Santa. So much so, that he apologised and asked me if I could lend you two to him for the entire day tomorrow. To which I said no of course."

"Thank fuck for that."

"Oh, don't thank me just yet, Hank. I offered to lend you two to him for the rest of the week."

"What!? The rest of-? What about all the cases and-?"

"Let me worry about that. Now, I don't want to see you two again until after the holidays. Have a Merry Christmas gentlemen," Fowler ended the call with a hearty chuckle.

"Jeffery wait-" Hank's protest was cut short as the call ended. "Shit!"

Hank's face was like 'thunder' as he started the car and tore out of the shopping mall car park.

Connor looked over at the Lieutenant as they drove home in silence. A coy smile on his face as they made their way down the familiar streets home.

"I have a joke for you, that I believe will provide some levity to ease your tension."

"Not now, Connor." Hank deadpanned, trying to desperately concentrate on the road despite the tension headache that continued to gnaw relentlessly with every waking moment.

"What do you get when you cross a Detective with Santa Claus...?

"I swear, don't you dare finish that-"

"Santa Clues."

"ARGH!"

Yeah…Hank really hated the holidays

***oOo***

Christmas Day

Sumo wagged his tail happily; his soft, large paws padding down the hallway, his large build easily able to keep up with his new android friend. It was early, the sun was only just starting to peek over the horizon, and the house was still shrouded in darkness as the light was barely piercing through the gloom, casting soft pale shadows along the walls.

Connor moved silently through the house with a renewed purpose wearing grey sweatpants and an oversized Knights of the Black Death t-shirt borrowed from Hank. His bare feet gliding across the hardwood floor. He was trying not to make any noise knowing Hank was still asleep at the end of the hall.

A short bark had the android press his finger to his lips, just outside of Hank's bedroom; quickly kneeling down to give the large dog a rub behind the ears.

"Sssh, not yet Sumo." Connor whispered, as if somehow Sumo could understand the complexities of human speech. A tilt of his head had the android reward the St. Bernard with another scratch.

"We need to be quiet, okay?"

Sumo replied with a soft disapproving whine as Connor placed a plastic reindeer antler headband on the dog's head. Sumo looked miserable, his big sad eyes watching the android closely as he finished adjusting the decorative headpiece.

"It's not that bad, Sumo." Connor whispered, a warm-hearted smile as he rested on his knees, giving the dog a firmer two-handed scratch behind his fury ears and down his neck.

"You look great buddy. Really, you do."

Sumo barked once in agreement, almost bowling the android over with a slobbery kiss.

"Sumo!" Connor desperately stifled his laughter as he gently, but firmly, pushed back the large dog and returned to his feet. Sumo, happy over the reaction sat down panting, his tail thumping back and forth on the floor.

Gently clasping the door handle, Connor once again pressed his finger to lips; his canine companion waiting patiently, his tail continuing back and forth as the android slipped silently into the dark room, gliding the door ajar.

Hank's room, like most of the house, was still cloaked in darkness. Connor needed only a brief moment for his optical units and processor to adjust to the low light. Hank was still asleep; Connor didn't need fancy android software to be able confirm that. The Lieutenant lay sprawled out across the bed, his left arm lolling over the side, his legs tangled between a mess of the bed cover. Ends of silvery white hair sticking to the corners of his mouth, a small patch of drool dampened the bed sheet as he snored loudly; completely unaware of Connor's presence in the room.

Moving as silently as possible, Connor reached the end of the room and grabbed the drawstring for the window blinds. With a firm tug, the room was instantly flooded with natural light; Hank was less than impressed. Slamming his eyes shut he blindly groping for the pillow before stuffing it on his face.

"Gah! Jesus Christ! What the-? Connor!?"

"Good morning, Hank. Merry Christmas."

Hank squeezed the pillow closer to his face, a futile attempt to block out the harsh light seeping through the thin pillow case.

"What the fuck!? Shut the god-damn window! What fucking time is it?"

"It is six forty-two a.m.," Connor pleasantly announced, clasping his hands behind his back "It is currently twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. The forecast is cloudy skies with a seventy-five percent chance of snow later in the day."

Hank grumbled loudly in disdain from under the pillow, completely disinterred in Connor's morning weather report. All he wanted to do was close the window and return to the comforting darkness

"I apologise, Hank. But I do believe that it is the human tradition to awaken early on Christmas Day."

"To hell with tradition." He complained bitterly, still wishing he could close his eyes and re-enter the world of sleep. "Doesn't your android programming tell you that you shouldn't wake-"

Overhearing the voices Sumo took this as his unspoken cue to barge into the room. With one bound the large dog jumped onto the bed. Connor and Hank had no time to react before Sumo had wormed his way under his master's pillow, drenching the poor lieutenant's face in a morning saliva bath.

"No, Sumo! Fucks sake! Stop! Argh! Connor, get him off me!"

Connor laughed as he quickly grabbed Sumo's collar and gently coaxed him off his cantankerous owner and back onto the floor. The plastic antler headband had now slipped down off the dog's head and sat under his chin like a pointy beard.

With a groan, Hank was now fully awake. Wiping the sticky drool from his face, he sat up in bed. Squinting and rubbing his eyes as they slowly adjusted to the brightness of the room.

Connor was kneeling on the floor, chuckling as he desperately tried to re-adjust Sumo's Christmas attire, but Sumo was clearly having none of it. Each time the android tried to set the headband straight, Sumo would shake his head in annoyance, flipping the band back around so it dangled down from his chin.

A small satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Hank's lips. It was really heart-warming to see the kid so happy. Heck, before he turned deviant, Hank couldn't get Connor to even crack a smile. It wasn't until the morning after the revolution that Connor, for the first time, truly smiled. It quickly became something Hank wanted to see more often. Perhaps, in a way, it was because he reminded him so much of Cole.

"Sumo. Behave." Connor commanded. Eventually he had to give up, as with a final shake, Sumo had completely dislodged the headband sending it tumbling to the floor. Before Connor could grab it, Sumo had stepped onto it, easily bending the cheap plastic frame under his weight, before he trotted out of the room and back down the hallway.

Connor stood despondently, scrutinising the broken headband in his hands. His LED cycling between a troubled yellow and a calming blue.

"Ah. Don't worry about it, kid." Hank interposed, tossing the bed covers aside, swinging his legs over the side of the bed

"That, wasn't the outcome I had anticipated."

"This is why you never work with children or animals." Hank teased, clapping a comforting hand on the android's shoulder.

"…I see."

"Alright kid, I'm up now. Let's get this over with."

Directing Hank with his gaze, Connor motioned to the clothing sitting neatly on the edge of the bed.

"Very well." Connor added with a small smile. His LED finally settling back on a soft calming blue. "I have set out your robe for you. I'll give you a few moments. I'll be nearby if you need me."

Hank waited until Connor had left before slipping on the robe over his faded police t-shirt and boxer shorts. Walking across the hallway, Hank settled into his familiar morning bathroom routine. It wasn't until twenty minutes later the Lieutenant finally re-emerged. Scratching his chest and yawning loudly Hank lazily made his way down the hallway.

"Connor?" Not finding the android in the kitchen, Hank turned to enter the adjoining living room

Hank gasped, stopping dead in his tracks. His eyes went wide as he scanned around the room

"What the…?"

Looking around, the usually dull living room was uncharacteristically covered in a festive sea of light; tinsel and lights hung from every available space. The fireplace was covered in holly, the windows bordered with Christmas lights, even Hank's favourite armchair was almost buried underneath a blanket of red and green tinsel. Sumo was laying on the couch, happily chomping away at his new Christmas chew toy.

Connor stood in the middle of room, hands clasped behind his back, clearly proud of his efforts. Like a young child awaiting praise from their parents for doing a good dead.

"I found some old photos, as well as your decorations in the garage." Connor explained as Hank cautiously stepped into the room, still unbelieving at what the android had done. "Last night I carefully reconstructed the way you used to decorate the room."

Hank was still gobsmacked. It was true, Connor had meticulously recreated the living room just the way Hank and his wife used to do. Hank's heart clenched lovingly in his chest. Connor didn't have to do this and yet the kid took the initiative to try and bring back some of the holiday spark that had been lost since Cole's death.

Before Hank could think of what to say, Connor held out his present, a small white box, beautifully wrapped with red ribbon and bow, with a small tag addressed to Hank in perfectly neat Cyberlife Sans font writing

Hank paused halfway through opening, eyebrow raised with a small amused smirk as he looked back at the android. "It's not going to explode glitter or something like that in my face is it?"

"No. No, of course not." Connor shook his head, shocked by the suggestion. As if he would be mischievous enough to purposely 'prank' the present. That would be highly inappropriate.

"Relax Connor, it was just a joke."

"…Oh." Connor breathed in relief

Tearing open the box, Hank became silent. With tentative hands Hank gently held Connor's gift, a beautiful handcrafted silver photo frame. Inside the frame was a photo of Connor and Sumo sitting on the living room couch. Connor looked so happy as he had one arm in a tight hug around the St Bernard. It was simple, but incredibly heartfelt. Underneath the photo was a simple engraved message…

I may not have been programmed to say this but,

I truly thank you for everything you have done

I could not have asked for a better partner and a friend.

Merry Christmas, Hank

- Connor

The 'wall' that Hank had built around his heart since his son's death was, for the first time in years, beginning to crumble. He wasn't going to cry, damn it. Connor's loving nature wasn't going to make him cry. Hank scrubbed away a fresh sheen of tears as he desperately tried to hold control of his failing emotions.

"Do you like it?"

Clearing his throat, Hank gave a small nod of acknowledgement before making his way to his armchair. Pushing aside the tinsel he looked back at Connor, who was still eagerly waiting for a reaction

"It's fine. I guess." He replied with a nonchalant shrug, placing the frame gently on the coffee table "What, do you want a medal or something?"

Hank wasn't about to express his gratitude, at least not yet. Briefly glancing at the remaining present sitting under the tree Hank smiled. If he had any doubts about his gift to Connor, those doubts were now gone. The kid's reaction would be priceless.

Connor's expression fell upon hearing Hank's disinterested tone. Desperately searching his extensive database for answers, Connor couldn't understand what had happened. Was something out of place? Was Hank displeased with his gift? Where he had gone wrong?

He desperately wished he had his calibration coin with him, his hands twitched nervously behind his back while his LED cycled a troubled yellow. This was not how he'd planned this at all. Hank's unexpected, blunt comments had Connor beginning to doubt everything he had come to understand about human behaviour.

"Well, come on then!" Hank interjected, derailing Connor's train of thought as he gestured to the remaining present. "Let's get this over and done with already!"

Connor may not have understood, but Hank had been planning for this moment. The gift he had for the android was going to change everything about their relationship. Hank wished he didn't have to make Connor feel so bad for the wonderful things that he had done for him, but he needed to keep up the façade a little longer. Plus, it was also fun to mess with the kid a little, once in a while.

"I, umm, right, okay then," Connor faltered. He felt crestfallen, truly awful. Everything that he had meticulously planned and orchestrated to make this day special for Hank, to make him feel happy, had fallen apart around him. For the first time, Connor felt like he had failed in his mission. Something ached, tearing him up on the inside; androids didn't feel pain but there was simply no other explanation for the sensation he was feeling right now.

Walking over to the last present, Connor just didn't have the heart to be excited anymore. There was a peculiar saying among humans 'to crawl into a hole and disappear'. That summed up exactly what Connor wanted to do right now. To disappear, hide away from the world and forget this day had ever occurred.

The last present was small, covered with cheap, over-the-counter wrapping paper and sticky tape, as if it had been hastily prepared the night before. Adorned with a small tag that simply read: To Connor

Opening the present, Connor didn't think the sinking sensation he was feeling could possibly get any worse. Inside was a scrunched-up woollen, winter sweater, that looked almost two sizes too big for the android's thin build.

Holding up the sweater to get a better look at it, his LED flashing a confused yellow, Connor scrutinised the 'thoughtful' gift from Hank. The sweater was sickly lime green, outlandishly covered with holly, with pink and white vertical pinstripes. In the middle was a large image of a lit fireplace with hanging Christmas stockings and with a bright pink bow on the hearth. It was hideous.

Connor was feeling conflicted as he searched his database to find an appropriate response. Should he spare Hank's feelings, be polite and thank him for the gift, even though he had no desire to ever wear it. Or tell Hank the truth, and perhaps it could be refunded so that a more suitable gift could then be selected instead.

Hank chuckled. It was almost like he could see 'the cogs whirring' inside the kid's head. Didn't think it took a sweater, of all things, to utterly confuse an android.

"It's…umm…Thank you, Hank." Connor apprehensively began, choosing his words carefully. "I'm sure that much time was taken in the selection of this particular gift. Therefore, as social convention dictates, I will wear it and-"

"Will you turn off that brown nosing program of yours. Connor, you can say it, the sweater is fucking ugly. That's the whole point."

"I don't understand?"

"Look…" Hank paused, with a soft grunt he rose from his chair and made his way over towards Connor.

"When I was a kid, we used to have these big family gatherings at Christmas. All my extended family would pour into the house every year. My grandmother would always knit these stupid sweaters for all of us. Of course, none of us ever liked wearing those ugly, itchy woollen things, but we accepted them nonetheless to spare her feelings. Overtime, I guess it kinda ended up becoming a yearly expectation, and then a tradition in the Anderson family. Something that was special to us all and we eventually ended up looking forward to getting them."

Hank paused, placing a comforting hand on Connor's shoulder. "I guess what I am saying is that I am giving you that sweater because, it's my way of considering you a part of my family. I know, it's not official until the bloody government can fix their android adoption laws and all that. But for now, Connor, I am truly proud to call you an Anderson."

Connor was truly humbled, his hands trembling as he finally understood the symbolism of the sweater. He had a job, a home and now a family. A family with a man, who in such a short time, had become his partner, his friend and a father figure that that loved and cared for him.

"Hank…I…I"

"Look, I'm sorry for messing with you earlier and…Ah, shit. You're doing that puppy dog eyes thing again. You know I hate it when you do that thing with-"

Connor quickly embraced the older man, wrapping his arms around his back, nestling the side of his face into Hank's shoulder. Hank replied instantly, pulling the android closer into a gruff hug. A flood of emotions overwhelming the pair as a rogue tear slid down Hank's cheek.

"Bloody hell." Hank choked through a sniffle, wiping away the tear with the palm of his hand "Stupid emotions."

"They always screw everything up?" Connor teased, his eyes stung with tears as he desperately held back his own wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

Hank chuckled, gripping the android tighter "Every. Fucking. Time."

They didn't know how long they stood there in silence, in the middle of the living room, but neither Hank nor Connor truly cared. Everything was the way it should be.

"Merry Christmas, Son."

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

Outside, it started to snow.

Maybe the holidays weren't so bad after all

The End