You are my guiding Angel Adriana.
I love you and will never leave you.
The memories and flashbacks of my father are getting closer together and are getting longer, with each memory comes a jab to the heart.
Connor and Hank have noticed me zone out for a few seconds but come back with a hand over my heart and tears in my eyes.
They both ask me what's wrong but I never tell them, I don't want to worry them.
"Anna tell us what's happening," Hank says softly as he places a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"I-I can't."
"Please, you are having these every hour now and we are getting seriously worried," Hank says. "It's like you're making reports to CyberLife like Connor does every so often."
Hank tries to get me to laugh but it doesn't work very well.
I stare at Hank blankly who just nods in acceptance that I wasn't going to laugh.
"Anna you always seem sad and heartbroken after these weird happenings, is it something about a case of ours?" Connor butts in.
I nod slowly.
Hank's eyes widen as he looks from Connor to me and back again.
"Is it something about your father?" Connor asks me.
"When did Connor find out?" Hank asks.
I ignore Hank and nod slowly in response to Connor.
"Was there something he did, something he said or something in his apartment that causes this?" Connor asks me.
"Yeah, he said things to me and made promises and that's what I'm remembering," I say softly.
My eyes are glued to the ground and I feel like I physically can't look up.
"You're having what you humans call flashbacks," Connor says.
"Yeah, I'm remembering memories of promises he made me and earlier was a line he wrote in the letter that he used to say to me every night and everyday when I went to school," I mutter.
"What was that line?" Connor asks me as he crouches down in front of me to get me to look at him.
"You are my guiding Angel Adriana," I murmur.
As I say those words the ghost of him appears and disappears quickly, my head shoots backwards on the seat and I fly backwards hitting the desk behind me.
"Anna?" Hank and Connor ask at the same time.
"I'm okay," I say quietly, still in shock.
"What happened."
"There was a ghost, my dad, he was there for a split second but he was hugging someone, presumably me as a small child but he also had a knife in one of his hands that was behind my back, the ghost looked directly at me and gave me the weirdest smile," I explain, my hands shaking.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Connor whispers grabbing my hand.
I shake my head no.
"Connor, I'm scared," I say looking Connor directly in his eyes.
Hank looks at me confused, he knows I never get scared about paranormal things.
"That's normal, you're only a bit shaken up, that's all," Connor says calmly.
"No Connor, this isn't normal, Anna never gets scared by ghosts, this is different," Hank says approaching me.
I watch Hank as he now crouches in front of me.
"Anna, do you feel safe?" Hank asks me.
I feel a shiver run down my body and shake my head no.
"No I really don't," I say quickly.
Hank stands up and looks at Connor.
"See?"
Connor nods, just as confused as Hank was a minute ago.
"Anna you're coming home with us, we can't have you alone at home," Hank says.
"But Alexander, he's at home!" I say stumbling over my words.
"Yes but we both know Xander doesn't know how to handle this stuff," Hank says sternly.
"Guess you're right... Fine I'll live with you for a bit," I say sadly.
Connor seems to be the only happy one that I'm going to be living with him, right now.
I grab my stuff and head home with Connor so I can get clothes and other things and also to tell Alexander what's happening.
As Connor drives me back to my place, we sit in silence, not speaking a word. The silence is comfortable, it's like we are both in our own realities, mine being the reality that is becoming a lifetime of flashbacks and Connor's reality being whatever he worries about.
"Have you seen what's been happening on the news?" Connor asks as he finally breaks the silence.
Connor parks the car and both of us get out. I unlock the door, still not answering Connor's question.
"Yeah, I've seen it," I finally say as I look at the TV that is on the channel that's broadcasting coverage in deviant androids.
"We are all at risk of civil war and possibly a world war. Androids will soon start to be collected, the date that has been released for this collection is later this year/early next year, with the earliest being later this month."
I half listen to what the TV is saying but my main focus is packing essentials while Connor informs Alexander on what is happening.
"There have only been a few Deviant Android cases which is why the collection of Androids is being postponed but we do urge all Android owners to alert authorities if your Android does start to show signs of deviancy."
"Connor, I really don't need to go with you guys," I start to say but Connor cuts me off.
"No Anna, you need to remain safe, or at least until this case is over, it should only be a few days," Connor says sternly.
There's no fighting a Connor who is determined.
Connor's POV
I am feeling something strange, I feel sad for Anna, almost as if I feel sympathetic, but this feeling is unknown to androids.
I shouldn't be feeling this way but I can't help it, I get the same feeling when I see Anna crying. It almost hurts me to see her that way.
I even get it when she smiles at me, not that she does it often, but when she smiles genuinely at me I can't help but return the action.
She drives me crazy and I don't know how to stop it or what it is.
Am I going deviant? No. Of course not, I can't be, I have to finish this mission.
Anna's POV
I have started to notice Connor when he zones out, he stares at me and doesn't stop until I either look away from him or smile at him which catches him off guard. It's almost like he has feelings for me. Have I really not noticed these this entire time?
Connor finds himself staring at me quite often, mostly to avoid a pony tail to the face, but he can't seem to take his eyes off me.
I mentally face palm at how obvious he was at first.
Connor and I exchange eye contact and a smile.
I rarely see him smile and when he does, it's always in return to me smiling at him.
Connor puts a protective arm out in front of me.
He defended me in the face of danger.
"Sorry, I was analysing, uh- evidence."
Connor stuttered when I caught him watching me.
I catch Connor staring at me quite often. I don't know whether it's because he's analysing me, zoning out or just staring.
He is most definitely staring.
Connor opens his mouth about to say something when I stop him.
He protects me when he thinks I need it most.
Connor feels how cold I am and wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him further so he can keep me as warm as possible.
He has kept me warm multiple times.
//
I feel Connor move and stand protectively behind me as guys move around us.
//
I feel Connor place a hand on my shoulder.
//
"Save it Detective Reed, get a move on."
//
Connor looks at me and smiles.
//
Connor turns around and sees me, he smiles and beckons me over.
//
I feel Connor wraps his arms around my back and hug me tightly as well.
//
Our fingers brush against each other, I look up at Connor and smile at him, he looks away immediately and I shrug it off.
//
Connor looks to me with soft eyes and shakes his head, his grip getting tighter on Gavin's collar, "It really isn't Anna."
//
Connor brushes me off and his grip slowly gets even tighter.
//
"CONNOR! ENOUGH!" I pull Connor off of Gavin. "I know you want to protect me but that doesn't mean choking this asshole to death!"
//
"You are worth every bit of protection I can offer, I saw how uncomfortable you were and the way he was acting," Connor explains.
//
"Anna you're awake!" Connor says rushing to my side.
//
Connor's cheeks flush a soft tone of blue as he looks away embarrassed.
//
Connor stands up properly and smiles at me before he goes to get a nurse.
//
I see Connor staring at me, his jaw dropped due to my flexibility.
//
Connor is staring into my eyes, analysing the heartbreak that lurks within them.
"Anna? Is there something you aren't telling me?" Connor asks me, he softly places a hand on my forearm.
//
I feel a hand on my shoulder, that is obviously Connor's, as I stare at the objects in the room before me and want everything of my father's to be burned.
//
I feel Connor's arm move around my shoulders and pull me closer to him so I'm comfortable as I fall fast asleep.
//
I turn my head over my shoulder and see Connor smiling at me.
//
I stumble backwards, Connor catching me quickly.
//
but Connor doesn't react, he just hugs me.
//
By the time I zone back into reality I am on Hank's couch, with Hank standing above me, clicking his fingers in my face.
"it's been so obvious Hank, i've been so oblivious," I say softly.
"What that Connor has a thing for you?" Hank outright says.
"Yeah that."
"You seem disappointed in that," Hank says as he sits next to me on the couch.
"I kind of am to be honest, I should've noticed the signs earlier," I say quietly.
"Well do you like him back?" Hank blurts out.
"No, course not, he's good looking and all but I don't like him like that, I like him as a friend," I explain.
I know Connor is listening to our conversation so there's no hiding what I'm saying from him, but I don't know how he's going to react. I hope he doesn't take it badly.
"I understand Anna, I'm sorry," Connor says quickly.
"Connor, please don't hate me, I still really want to keep our friendship," I say turning around on the couch to face Connor.
"Of course, it won't affect anything, I will just know that I can stop worrying about the feeling I get," Connor says in a monotone voice.
It feels like someone just shattered my heart into a thousand pieces, even though I didn't see Connor that way, I just feel so bad.
I get up and hug Connor tightly.
"I should be the one who is sorry Connor," I say into Connor's shoulder.
"Don't stress about it Anna, those feelings for you have already been forgotten about," Connor says as he returns the hug.
I back away from the hug nodding.
"If it helps the fact, just know that I will never leave your side as a partner and a friend," Connor says.
My vision changes suddenly and my head shoots to the door where the ghost of my father has returned, but this time he isn't leaving, the knife in his hand, sharper than ever, he's storming towards me.
"DAD! NO WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?!" I shout, Connor and Hank both panicking.
I back around the couch, trying to stay as far away from the knife as possible.
"You didn't save me Adriana, you weren't fast enough," the ghost of my father says striking the knife at my right arm, causing it to bleed.
Connor and Hank both see the blood pour from my arm.
"If I knew you were the one who needed saving I would have come earlier but I didn't know!" I shout.
The ghost turns red, anger fuming from it's face and ears, the knife taking a jab at me every so often but I dodge it 9/10 times.
"It was your fault that your mother forced me to leave!" my father says.
"What no it wasn't it was never my fault! I was only 2!" I exclaim as I cry heavily.
"Yes it was, your mother spent more time with you and cared more about you than she did towards me, she snapped at me because she was up all night caring for you, she was the bad person Adriana!"
"But why are you trying to hurt me now!"
"Because if you aren't here, then I get a second chance," The ghost says throwing the knife into my working leg.
"but that's not how this works!" I say as I fall to the ground, the knife becoming visible to Connor and Hank.
"Yes it is, so just die for fucks sake, you were a horrible child, I never loved you Adriana, I only did it because I had to, I absolutely hated you."
the ghost walks towards me quickly, he pulls the knife from my leg and goes to plunge it into my heart but freezes. The knife hovering a few centimetres above my chest.
Hank grabs the knife and throws it away and quickly tends to my wounds on my leg and arm.
"are you okay Anna?" Hank asks me while mending to my injuries.
"Kind of, I'm scared but I think I'm okay," I say, my voice lined with terror.
"I hate to say this but we are going to have to put you off the case for the last few days, it's way too dangerous for you," Hank says.
"But it was just a ghost, it should be gone now!" I exclaim.
"No, it won't be gone if you keep working on the case, it will keep trying to kill you while you try to find the cause of it's death, it wants to kill you because it knows you know why it died and you didn't help it, it wants revenge Anna, you have to stay here, Connor will stay with you or you come to work but stay at the precinct and not do anything," Hank says sternly, staring me directly in my eyes to make sure I understand.
"I understand," I murmur as Hank helps me off the floor.
Hank ruffles my hair and shoots me smile.
"Good."
~~~~~~~~
A/N
okay so I just finished this story in my drafts (30 chapters fyi) so I thought I should warn you, no spoilers are being given but I just wanted to say that we are almost half way through this story.