Don't Get Attached

Chapter Two

You rang the doorbell. There was no answer. You rang the doorbell again, pushing the button twice for good measure this time. Yet again there was no answer.

"Come on!" You grumbled. This was just like your dad. Although it had been some time since he'd fallen off the grid like this and you had thought he'd finally moved past this kind of behavior. "Dad, it's [Y/N], Open the door!" You insisted as you knocked a fist against his front door.

It was raining fairly hard outside and you were getting wet out on the stoop. You pulled the hood of your jacket up over your head and tried to peer through the front windows. But your father had the shades drawn, you couldn't see inside. You slammed your fist hard against the door a second time.

"DAD!" When he didn't answer again you decided to try the door, expecting it to be locked. You twisted the handle on the door, not at all surprised when it didn't budge. You pulled your keys out of your jacket pocket. Still dangling on the heart-shaped keychain you'd had since childhood, was the key to your father's house. You used the key to let yourself in.

"Hank Anderson, I don't understand why you insist on having a vintage doorbell if you're not going to actually answer the door when people use it!" You shouted, hoping that he could hear you wherever he was. You favorite St. Bernard, who had been lounging in the corner, lifted his head excitedly at the sound of your voice.

"Hey there Sumo." You called out to him. "Who's a good boy?"

"Hello?" You heard a voice answering back to you from down the hall. Sumo turned his head to the direction of the voice but didn't otherwise react, so you knew it belonged to a friendly face. Connor, your father's new android partner, came walking down the hall. He seemed surprised to see you.

"Oh, hello [Y/N]." Connor greeted you politely. "Are you looking for Lieutenant Anderson?"

"Hi, Connor." You nodded. "Yes, I am. He's been ignoring my calls. Usually when that happens I stop by to check up on him."

"I see." You watched Connor give a fleeting glance to the kitchen. "'[Y/N], may I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, Connor." You nodded before removing your jacket and hanging it on a hook by the door.

"Do you believe Lieutenant Anderson is a danger to himself?" He asked quietly.

"That's not an easy question to answer." You told him. You walked from the living room to the kitchen where Sumo's bowl sat empty. You opened the cupboard where you knew your father kept the dog food and poured a healthy potion into the bowl. When you turned to put the bag of food back, Connor was standing next you, holding a gun by his side.

"I found this on the floor." He explained. "The Lieutenant told me he had been playing Russian Roulette. My database indicates that activity has a survival rate of only sixteen percent. That is why I would like to know if you believe he is a danger to himself."

"Where is he now?" You asked. Connor placed a hand on your shoulder like he'd seen other humans do to each other in the past.

"It is alright, [Y/N]." He told you looking into your eyes. "He is taking a shower, he will be joining us soon."

"Connor, my dad is...complicated." You sighed. "Things haven't been easy for him, especially after the accident." You then told Connor the story of what happened to your younger brother Cole. Relaying the whole story in hushed tones.

"I see. It must be hard for you to take care of him." Connor observed.

"Somedays it can be." You agreed. "I've come home to scenes like this before, but never this bad. Never with his gun. I'm all he has left Connor, but he's all I've got too."

"No." Connor disagreed. "You both have Sumo." He smiled down at the dog who'd lazily found his way over to his bowl.

"That's true." You crouched down and began stroking the St. Bernard, scratching him behind the ears just the way he liked. "And he's a good boy, aren't you, Sumo?"

"And you have me." Connor added quietly. You looked up at the android. You hadn't interacted with him much since he'd been assigned to your father and you'd never had your own android, but they weren't supposed to be about to feel emotions like empathy or concern. Their personalities were decided entirely by coding. Yet Connor was attempting to make a personal connection by offering to help you take care of your father. As if reading your mind, Connor offered a smile.

"Looking after Lieutenant Anderson will increase the probability of a successful mission." He explained.

"Right." You nodded. That sounded a bit more like something a 'droid was meant to say. Considering the conversation concluded, Connor knelt down beside you and began gently stroking Sumo's back. He was careful not to apply too much pressure, he was mindful of his potential strength.

"I like dogs." He told you quietly.

"What are you two doing over there?" At last your father stumbled into the kitchen. You held back a laugh as you took in the ridiculous outfit he was wearing. He looked like he'd been dressed in the dark, but given the state that Connor had found him in you assumed the outfit was all the android's doing.

"We were just giving Sumo affection." Connor answered, rising to his feet.

"I thought you said we had a case." Your father grumbled, clutching his head.

"Yes. Excuse us [Y/N]. We have to be going now. We have a case." Connor told you.

"Let's get this over with!" Your father stumbled a few steps forward so that he was near enough to plant a firm kiss on your forehead. "Look after Sumo while I'm gone, will ya? He's probably hungry. Stay here, I'll wanna talk to you when I get home."

"Okay, Dad." You agreed, kissing him on the cheek. You realized you were still holding the gun that Connor had showed you. "Connor!" You called out to him as he reached the front door. He stopped walking and turned around to look at you. "Just in case he needs it." You said, pressing the gun into Connor's hands. "But you really will keep an eye on him, right? You wont let anything happen to him?"

"I will protect Lieutenant Anderson with my own life if I have to." Connor promised.

"Just do your best to get him home. Don't put yourself in danger though, we want you safe too." You told him before giving Connor his own kiss on the cheek. You didn't know why, you just felt that you should. Connor had wanted to react in some way, preferably to respond verbally, but his heads up display suddenly filled with a warning message Software Instability Increased. This caused him concern. He decided to follow the Lieutenant outside without another word. He would ask Amanda about the instability later.