Don't Get Attached

Chapter One

"No, no, everything is fine!" Your father insisted from the other end of the phone. "I just don't think it's a good idea for you to come around the station today."

"Okay well if you don't tell me why, then I'm just going to have to show up anyway." You explained calmly. It wasn't like him to cancel plans with you.

"No! I mean it's really not big of a deal." He promised. "I've just got a new partner, that's all."

"That's all?" You repeated skeptically. "You haven't had a partner in five years." If he'd been standing before you, you'd be squinting your eyes at him for good measure. "Well, if you're sure, then I suppose we'll reschedule our lunch for a day when you're not working at the office with your partner."

"Thank you for being so understanding, [Y/N]. Maybe I'll drop by after my shift?" He suggested.

"Yeah, sure, sounds great." You agreed just to get him off the phone. You were going to go down to the police station anyway. You didn't care that your father blamed everything on his new partner, things just didn't feel right. Even during the peak moments of his time on the Red Ice task force he always made an effort to keep his plans and promises to you. Something else had to be going on. You grabbed your coat and drove your car downtown.

At the police station, you waved to the familiar faces of the two receptionists before letting yourself through the secured area to the squad room. You could identify most of the uniformed officers at first glance as your eyes scanned the scattered desks around the room. Once figure stood out among the others though. Sitting at the desk directly next to your father's, a desk that had been vacant for years, was an android. Easily identified by the bright blue triangle on the back of his jacket, blue arm band on its right arm, and the swirling blue LED near it's right temple. Even more surprising was when you realized the android didn't seem to be a suspect in a case. If you didn't know any better, you'd even guess the android was the new partner your father had mentioned on the phone.

"Ironic, isn't?" You hadn't heard Detective Reed sneak up beside you. You should have been paying more attention.

"What are you talking about Gavin?" You huffed, not really wanting to talk to him anyway.

"They wait all this time to give Hank a partner and when they find one, it's one of those plastic pieces of shit." He chuckled before continuing on his way to the coffee pot in the corner.

"Dad?" You called for your father's attention as you approached the two desks where he and the android were seated.

"[Y/N]? I though we agreed you weren't gonna come." He accused you with a disapproving tone.

"Well, really you decided that, but you sounded weird on the phone. I figured I'd better come down anyway." You explained. "Did they really give you an android partner?" You asked. Now that you were closer you studied the android. He was tall, at least six feet with dark brown and eyes. He nodded at you politely but looked to your father for an explanation.

"Lieutenant, is this your daughter?" The android asked.

"You stay out of this!" Was your father's disgruntled response.

"Do you have a name?" You asked the android, realizing you couldn't just keep calling him by ambiguous pronouns.

"My name is Connor." He told you politely. "I'm the android sent by Cyberlife to investigate deviant androids. I am to act as Lieutenant Anderson's partner in the investigations."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you, Connor." You told him kindly. "If it's alright with you, I'm going to borrow the Lieutenant for just a sec." You didn't give your father any chance to respond before dragging him away.

"What? I'm trying to work here!" He complained once you were alone together in a nearby hallway.

"So they gave you an android partner." You asked quietly.

"It's temporary." He huffed. "He'll b e gone as soon as we're done figuring out what connects all the deviant cases."

"Han on a minute, they've assigned you to all of the deviant android cases and gave you an android partner to work with? Are you okay?" You placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"Me? Yeah I'm fine." He shrugged, sounding anything but.

"If you're fine then why didn't you want me to come by today?" You folded your arms across your chest.

"Well, you know," Your father shifted his weight uncomfortably where he stood. "After what happened with..."

"You're the one who blames androids for what happened Dad, not me." You reminded him before walking back into the squad room. Connor was still sitting at the desk he'd been assigned, seemingly unmoved from when you'd left him.

"Connor, would you like to join the Lieutenant and me for lunch?" You offered with a kind smile. Connor's head tilted slightly as if the machine were confused.

"I have no need for food, [Y/N]." Connor explained as if you didn't know. "But, will sitting with you while you consume your lunch help the Lieutenant and I solve our case?"

"I think if we all went out for lunch it could give the Lieutenant a subtle boost to his moral, which may actually help your investigation." You decided. "Plus, sometimes he forgets to eat if I don't make him."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" You father hissed.

"I apologize Lieutenant, it was not our intention to exclude you from out conversation." Connor assured in his level tone.

"I'm not sorry. You do it to me all the time." You shrugged. "C'mon Cyberboy." Without hesitation you grabbed Connor's hand and gently tugged at it. The android understood that you wanted him to follow you, so he began to walk at a pace that matched your own. It had been easy to forget that Connor was not human until your skin touched his synthetic one. Being composed mostly of computer parts, his temperature ran much warmer than your own and you could swear you felt the Blue Blood pumping rhythmically beneath your touch.

"Don't get too attached to him." Your father reminded you as he followed after you and Connor. "We're gonna solve these cases and then he's going back to Cyberlife."