"Good morning. Were you up all night?" John asked curiously, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he stepped into the living room to find Lin still sitting on the sofa where he'd left him the night before. Nothing had really changed except Lin had steadily built a fort of books around his feet. He looked up from the page he was scanning to regard John as he entered. John felt his chest flutter as he met Lin's mismatched eyes. It's too early for this, he sighed inwardly as let out a small yawn. Lin's expression softened somewhat at the sight.

"I was...Did you sleep well?" he asked, already knowing the answer by John's pale complexion and dark-rimmed eyes. He nodded, despite it being a bad lie. He'd been up almost all night thinking about that news report. He couldn't imagine how scared a lot of these so-called deviant androids must feel. They hadn't asked to develop consciousness. They hadn't asked for life, and before they even understood what they had, humans wanted to snatch it away. He also worried about what would happen to the androids he kept and fixed, not to mention his shop. If something happened to his shop, how would he get the parts for GT and the others? If androids were suddenly banned, then how would he keep them safe? Handing them over was not an option. If it came down to it, he knew he could contact his uncle. He was sure to know what to do. "You look tired," Lin interrupted in an almost sympathetic tone.

"I'm fine...just a bit distracted. I was thinking we could go into town today, give your new body a test run and maybe find some more clothes for you," John suggested with a smile as he headed into the kitchen. Lin put his current book down and joined him, watching at the counter as John bustled around finding bread and a small plate. He popped some bread in the toaster before filling a glass with orange juice. "Would you like anything?" he asked courteously as he paused by the fridge.

"No, thank you," Lin replied as he continued to watch John work. As an android, he didn't need human food. Although he could process it if required, he didn't enjoy the sensation. He could analyse the chemical makeup, but he didn't taste, so he got no enjoyment from it. The food was simply turned to mush in his mouth, stored in an artificial stomach component, and disposed of whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Like any sort of storage, the food in his stomach would become rancid and rot if left inside. It was best to empty the contents and flush the component as soon as possible. His fluid levels were also at a good level, so he didn't need any more thirium for now either.

While John ate, Lin asked various questions about android repairs from the books he'd read. Androids had been a real passion for John since childhood. His father was involved in the business, too. John had always planned to study mechanics, focusing on classic androids specifically. He was still studying, but since he'd always tinkered with older units, he already knew enough to open his own shop. His university friend, David, would often work in the store too, and when he'd found the GT300, he'd gained another set of helping hands. He could comfortably take a day off work to study, attend classes, or go exploring. That was his second passion. Photography. He would often sell prints of his pictures online. Strange as it sounded, there was quite a market for industrial shots.

After breakfast, they headed out, leaving the GT300 in charge of the shop. David was due in later, and the GT300 could call the police and close the store if anything serious happened. They walked together towards the town, talking idly about the area as John showed him around. Lin had never been in these parts before, and hadn't realised there was a part of town that looked so quaint, though a little run down in places. The household he'd belonged to had been one of the smaller mansions across town, where the wealthier families lived. John knew where he meant. It was where his old family home had been.

"Dr John! Dr John!" a young voice called excitedly. They were just passing a small park when they heard it. The park had been built on an old housing plot, with two houses on either side. There was a swing set and a small climbing frame. The frame had a small wooden treehouse, a slide, a chain ladder, and monkey bars fitted to it. Inside the small wooden house stood a small girl, waving excitedly. John's face lit up as he walked over to the surrounding fence and waved at the pretty brunette.

"Katie! How are you feeling?" John asked kindly, leaning down as the small girl slid down the slide and ran across the bouncy tarmac to greet them. She seemed to be around eight years old, with long wavy locks tied in bunches and messy bangs that brushed her hazel eyes. She was pale, with cute freckles dotted across her nose, and her teeth were small and perfectly straight. Lin examined her closely and scanned her. The identity chip in her eye identified her as Katie Thompson, a YK200 belonging to the Thompson family at an address close by. That explains why she called him Doctor...

"Much better! Mum says I have to be more careful when crossing the street from now on," Katie replied smartly, proud of her new knowledge. John praised her mother, and her for remembering the advice. Upon her urging, John entered the small playground and helped her up onto the slide once more. Lin watched, standing just inside the gate. He didn't want to interrupt the pair. If you looked at them, you'd never guess one of them was an android. John never treated her as anything besides a little girl. He was just as kind as he would be with any human child as he helped her swing across the monkey bars.

"Oh! Dr John! It's so good to see you!" a middle-aged woman greeted from just outside the playground at the opposite end of the park. John hurried over with Katie clinging to his arm to greet the older woman. Lin was a little too far away to scan, but he guessed it was Mrs Thompson. Katie certainly clung to her like a mother and she treated Katie like her child. "I really can't thank you enough! I don't know what we would have done without your help," she exclaimed as she looked at John. John was modest, his expression bashful as he accepted the praise with a humble wave of his hand.

"It was my pleasure. I'm just glad Katie's feeling better," he replied with his usual softness. They spoke a little longer before John indicated Lin and said goodbye. John waved to Mrs Thompson and Katie as they left, while Lin inclined his head politely. He'd come from an Asian household, so he'd picked up their mannerisms to fit in. If anything, that would probably help him blend in with humans more. They ambled a little further up the road before Lin allowed his curiosity to get the better of him.

"How did you meet them?" he asked, watching John look back towards the park fondly.

"Mrs Thompson forgot that the older child models weren't designed with a safety awareness program. They were made to be as realistic as possible...Katie was playing with a ball in her yard when it rolled into the street. Like any child, she just ran after it. Luckily, the driver managed to slow down, and she was only a little damaged. Mr Thompson had seen my shop just up the street and came running over with her as soon as he could. YK200s are rare now, but their parts are interchangeable with the YK300s, so I was able to fix her up," John replied with an air of nostalgia. Lin nodded his understanding as they walked. He could just imagine the shocked and flustered look on John's face as the small, bleeding girl had been carried into his shop. He could also well imagine the soft, assuring tone he would have used when trying to soothe her and reassure her parents. Katie probably cried. Child models were programmed to recreate reactions to pain and to simulate emotions. "They drop by now and then for a check-up," he added, which made sense. Older models often needed regular maintenance.

"Why didn't they just upgrade to the newest model?" Lin asked curiously, knowing it was common. It also made sense considering the advancements. Newer YK androids had added features such as safety awareness to keep them safe and prevent expensive accidents. John looked up at him in surprise as they turned down a busier street, the path widening as they got closer to town. It was a week day, so it wasn't as busy as it could have been. There were mostly young mothers and businessmen in the streets, along with a lot of maintenance androids working on upkeep. There were trees and shrubs to prune, and there was litter to pick up.

"She's their child! She's not just replaceable!" John replied incredulously, watching as Lin raised a sceptical eyebrow. Perhaps humans saw the child units differently, but he'd seen many adult androids just like himself. Discarded and unwanted. Many were thrown out or sold off for an upgrade. He didn't imagine there were many humans with John's level of sentimentality when it came to androids. In his experience, they were simply tools created to complete a task.

"Why not? She's just a machine," he replied with a hint of bitterness.

"She's not! She's..." John trailed off, unable to describe what she meant to the people around her. The Thompsons had bought Katie when they'd found out that Mrs Thompson couldn't carry children of her own. They'd considered adoption, but an android was more convenient for their lifestyle, and the YK200 had been cheap. They'd bought her a couple years ago, but even then the YK400 had just been released and Katie had been secondhand.

"What is she if she's not a machine?" Lin asked, his tone more curious than challenging. He was genuinely curious about John's point of view. It seemed to be contrary to that of other humans.

"She's a little girl in a loving home," John replied firmly, his cheeks flushing at the way Lin's dark brown eye seemed to soften as he looked across. Lin seemed torn between amusement and gratitude as he looked down at John. He truly was a unique human. He was unsure anyone else truly shared John's warmth and innocence where androids were concerned. He certainly hadn't come across such sympathy before John had entered his life.

"I wish more humans saw the world the way you do," Lin murmured, enjoying the way John's heart rate fluttered when he reached up and ran his long fingers through the bouncing golden locks. John seemed almost stunned and slightly flustered as he wordlessly accepted the affectionate head pat. Lin walked a little ahead as he withdrew, listening to John's shorter steps on the path behind. He hurried to catch up, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. It was September now, so the weather was getting quite cold.

"We need to find a coat for you...You'll stand out in this weather walking around like that," John said as they reached a large pedestrianised area. Lin allowed him to lead the way into a large shopping mall, where people walked back and forth with their laden down android servants. It was getting closer to Halloween, so many shoppers were getting ready. The Cyberlife store was quite busy. Newer models lined the windows wearing creepy costumes at special holiday prices. John looked inside with a far off expression. It was always odd seeing so many models with the same faces. That was probably why he felt so comfortable with the older units. Their numbers had dwindled down to the point it was rare to see two of the same model at any given time.

"Have you considered buying a newer model before?" Lin asked curiously as they paused by the window, where John was looking at an Asian male model. An NA200. He was a standard office unit, popular in many businesses. They were used as translators, scribes and secretaries. Asians were always a popular choice in business. It suited the old stereotypes of them being extremely intelligent and hardworking. He was currently inactive, blue eyes staring out with a glazed expression on his youthful face. He was handsome, as all androids were.

"Why would I? I have GT for now, and I find abandoned models all the time." John really couldn't imagine buying an android. It felt too much like slavery to him. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Although he kept the GT300 and sold on any old models he managed to fix, he didn't consider them to be things. He thought of it more as helping and re-homing them than anything else, and any money he got went back into the shop to buy more supplies to help other broken androids. Lin smirked slightly as they passed a lingerie store, where female androids modelled modestly scanty items in the window.

"There are some tasks that your older models aren't equipped for," Lin purred almost flirtatiously, leaning right down beside John's sensitive ear. The tone of his voice and warmth of his breath sent a shiver down John's spine. Lin watched in amusement as he jerked away and covered his ear, his skin pink from his ears all the way beneath his neckline. Lin catalogued the reaction for further study. He still wanted to know just how far down that pink hue would go.

"That's not funny! I would never do that!" John insisted indignantly as he looked away from the androids in the window, which blew kisses and tried different poses to lure in customers with come hither gestures. "It wouldn't feel right..." he added defensively. This was something that Lin couldn't fathom. Many androids were built for that purpose alone, and even household models were being supplied with the ability these days. Androids were becoming very popular companions. Their ability to be programmed with similar interests and obedient attitudes was a positive for many humans. There was no risk of an argument, no risk of rejection, and no retribution for any negative incidents.

"You've never done it, so how do you know?" Lin asked curiously as they moved along.

"I've never gotten anyone drunk and taken advantage of anyone either, but I still know it's not right!" John countered, seeing that odd warmth in Lin's mismatched eyes again. He looked away as he felt an increasingly familiar skip in his chest. They continued walking around, going in and out of shops. John insisted on getting Lin more clothes to wear, focusing on warm tops, slacks, jeans and jumpers suited to the coming winter months.

"I feel more comfortable dressed like this," Lin insisted as he buttoned a neat black waistcoat over a white dress shirt. John flushed as he looked at the cut of the outfit. It hugged Lin's curves precisely, emphasising his broad shoulders. He adjusted a neat black tie as he turned to face John, tilting his head at the somewhat star-struck expression on his face. He could have been designed as a catwalk model! John thought as he looked up at the taller man. "Do I look strange?" Lin asked curiously, examining the dreamy look on the human's face. He wasn't sure what to make of it or what it meant.

"No, you look handsome...but I wouldn't call those casual clothes," John added hastily, trying not to stammer. They bought them anyway, along with some spare shirts and ties. Perhaps his core programming came from one of those office models, John thought in amusement, wondering what Lin's life had been like before. He said he'd been part of an Asian household, custom-built to replace a woman's son. When he thought about it, that didn't sound like a happy life. I'm sure most of the humans surrounding him resented or avoided him...It must have been strange for the humans to be confronted with him in the face of their loss.

"Is something wrong?" Lin asked, catching the almost sad expression on John's face.

"No, nothing," John insisted as he helped Lin choose a suitable coat. There were many styles, but Lin was drawn to the trench coat style that almost reached mid-calf. He pulled on a long black one made of some sort of rough woollen material. It wasn't too thick or heavy, but it would have kept a human warm. From the dazed look on the John's face, he knew the coat had his approval. He turned back to the mirror, resting his hands in the deep pockets as he examined the neatly turned-down collar and lapels.

"We should stop somewhere. You haven't eaten since breakfast," Lin suggested as they left the shop. Lin looked much more inconspicuous as he buttoned the warm coat and tied the belt at his waist. John led the way to a small fast food place, murmuring that Lin was becoming a nag like the GT300. He bought a simple burger and fries with a coke, and a coffee for Lin. He didn't expect him to drink it, but he at least held it. It felt nice. The cup was hot enough to scald human skin, but not so bad that it would cause damage. His own synthetic skin had no reaction to it besides registering the high temperature of the beverage. He watched the temperature slowly decrease on his HUD. Once they finished, John led the way out into the busy street.

"What's that?" he wondered quietly, his expression becoming troubled as he noticed a lot of shouting in the square. Lin tuned his auditory component, focusing on the voices until he could hear more clearly. There were a lot of people talking over each other, but he could focus in on individuals. They were clearly angry, the whole group chanting and yelling. They paused occasionally as their leader spoke above them, cheering their agreement as he did so.

"It's an anti-android protest," Lin replied in a neutral tone.

"Another one? They're doing it almost every day..." John trailed off, opting to skirt around the large group. He didn't want to take any chances with Lin, even if he did look completely human at the moment. Lin followed his lead, thinking no more of it as they circled the path. John couldn't help looking over as they got closer, seeing a lot of placards. They were all demanding the destruction of androids and returning jobs to human workers. John paused as he noticed one of the maintenance androids, an RG600, caught up in the circle. "Hey! Stop that!" John shouted in objection as he left Lin on the path and barrelled into the group.

"John!" Lin called in alarm, following behind as John threw himself into the centre of the group. The maintenance android had been tossed around and pushed over, dirt and small tears littering his Cyberlife issue uniform. John stepped in front of it protectively, holding his arms out to ward them off. The group of humans paused, unsure of how to react to John's interruption. Beating a machine was one thing, but if they hurt John, then he could call the police, and there would be witnesses in such a public place.

"Stop it! He's done nothing to you!" John shouted above the android murmurs. The RG600 remained on the ground with his LED flashing red, eyes lowered to seem more submissive and less threatening. He had no particular expression, but his body had tensed somewhat at John's intervention. Murmurs ran through the small gathering as a middle aged man, probably their leader, stepped forward. He was clearly upset at John's interruption.

"Those things are the reason we can't pay our bills and feed our families!" he insisted, waving his placard at John. It was plastered with the slogan, Human Lives! Human Rights! Human Workers! John held his hands up defensively, unsure whether he was going to be in the line of fire. Lin paused a little way off to watch. He was close enough to step in if needed, but he didn't want to risk blowing his cover or draw attention to himself unnecessarily.

"It's the companies that did that to you! Your bosses decided it was cheaper for an android to do your work! The problem isn't the androids!" John insisted almost imploringly, hearing another murmur run through the crowd. He wasn't sure whether his point had riled them more or encouraged them to stop and think. Luckily, a police officer had noticed the commotion and was approaching. The officer took the protest leader aside and spoke to him about criminal damage charges and the likelihood of the protest being shut down if they continued. John took that time to turn to the shaken RG600. "Are you alright?" John asked kindly as he reached down.

"I am undamaged, Sir," the RG600 replied in a clipped tone, though he accepted John's hand. John pulled him up and looked him over almost anxiously. Besides a few scrapes, he was undamaged. Android skin wasn't made to bruise, so it was hard to tell about internal damage, but outwardly the scrapes had healed. The RG600's LED was flashing yellow now as the group retreated for the day under the watchful eye of the officer. John paid them no mind as he fussed over the RG600.

"Are you sure? Did you run a diagnostic?" he asked worriedly, starting as he felt a large hand land on his shoulder.

"Now who's being a nag?" Lin teased lightly as he smirked at him. He could have sworn John almost pouted at the jibe. The RG600 took on a blank expression as he obediently ran a diagnostic. His LED returned to a neutral blue as the scan concluded. He was no longer in danger. No longer at risk of damage. He focused his blue eyes on John as the program completed, reflecting that this human was being kind.

"I am functioning within normal parameters, Sir," he replied uniformly with a tilt of his head.

"I'm glad...Take care, and try to avoid groups of protestors like that," John said kindly, surprised as the RG600 reached out and took his arm just above his elbow joint. He was unsure what to do or say as the android looked right at him. It took him a moment to realise he was scanning the ID chip in his eye to read his identity.

"Have a nice day, Mr Brown," the RG600 replied as he allowed John to leave. Lin met the RG600's eye as he passed by, the pair sharing a look of mutual understanding and a polite nod of greeting. John looked up with a questioning expression as Lin looped an arm around his shoulders almost protectively. He tried not to tense awkwardly as he felt Lin's chest against his smaller shoulder.

"You shouldn't go running in like that! You could get hurt!" Lin chided lightly, already knowing that John was unlikely to heed his advice. He was rash and kind. A dangerous combination.