shopping goes better than Hank thought it would, Connor quietly alerts Hank when his anxiety is rising and Hank carefully handles it, but it also takes far longer than he thought. they'd also taken the time to pass stuff out as much as they can. its nearing 9PM when they get back to the house.

both are exhausted, stripping themselves of their gear and hanging it up. Connor takes his new boots off and puts them by the door, almost proudly. he takes pride in setting the boots beside Hanks own shoes. Hank would smile, if he had the energy, but he's flat out exhausted.

"well, I say we have a couple of sandwiches and head to bed." Hank mumbles. Connor blinks slightly, as if slowly registering the words Hank has spoken to him. he shakes his head a little.

"I'm not even hungry." Connor manages, stretching.

"yeah, me either." Hank mumbles.

"but I am tired. thank you Hank for helping me." Connor murmurs. Hank nods at him, shooting him a tired smile.

"yeah, no problem Con. I'm pretty tired too." Hank mutters. he leans down just enough to pat Sumos head, before looking at Connor. "lets head to bed." Hank adds. Connor turns to head for the garage, but Hank grabs his arm. Connor tenses immediately, hesitantly glancing at the bigger man.

"Hank...?" Connor asks, nervously.

"I told you, you're not sleeping on the floor. come on." Hank mutters, dragging Connor towards his room. Connors face goes bright red.

"Hank, I'm fine sleeping on the floor, I promise. I've already inconvenienced you enough, I'm okay. it won't hurt me to sleep on the floor I'm alright, I promise its okay I prom-" Connor tries.

"not happening. you've had a hard enough life as is, won't hurt to share a bed with you until we can get you one." Hank says, shoving Connor towards his bed gently. "I lay on the side closest to the door. you can lay on the other side. I'm going to go get changed, do you want a pair of sleep pants?" Hank asks. Connor looks up at him hesitantly, from the edge of the bed.

"no I'll wear these." Connor says. Hank raises an eye brow.

"an old pair of jeans and a hoodie? Connor thats not comfortable. here, I've got a nice set of sleep pants, they might be a little big, but it'll be alright." Hank assures, tossing his favorite pair of sleep pants to Connor. he also tosses him an old warn t-shirt. "here, put these on. I'll be right back." Hank says, grabbing his own clothes. he heads out of the room to change in the bathroom and give Connor a bit of privacy. he knows the younger won't change in front of him and he has to piss anyway.

he knocks before he comes back in, he doesn't even get an answer from Connor, but he'd taken time to use the bathroom as well, so Connor should be dressed. Hank opens the door. Connor is still sitting in the same spot Hank had left him in, but he's wearing the pants Hank had tossed at him. he's also still wearing the socks and the hoodie.

"Connor, its gonna get warm in here." Hank says. Connor hugs himself tightly, arms wrapped firmly around his middle. he looks nervous, uncomfortable.

"yeah but my arms..." Connor mumbles.

"they don't bother me." Hank shrugs. Connor looks frustrated

"they bother me." Connor cries. Hank balks slightly. "you shouldn't have to see them." Connor mumbles. Hank frowns.

"you shouldn't have to live like that. if you're not comfortable, I'll leave you alone, I won't push it. do what makes you comfortable, alright?" Hank asks. Connor nods slightly, before crawling over to the other side of the bed. he curls up on top of the blanket, carefully avoiding the pillow. he doesn't even let his hair touch the pillow. Hank watches him, before frowning. "you can use the blanket and pillow, Connor." Hank says.

"its okay I-" Connor tries.

"I'm gonna use the blanket so you're more than welcome to." Hank assures. "and I dug out that pillow for you, so use it." Hank adds. its a lie, the pillow always stays on his bed, but he hopes if Connor thinks he specifically dug it out just for him, that maybe Connor will use it. Connor lifts his head to look at the pillow hesitantly. he shuffles up and gently lays his head on the pillow. its soft and cool and it makes his eyes flutter shut, with a quiet sigh. he hasn't had many pillows before, but this is the nicest pillow he's ever laid his head on. Hank smiles slightly, watching him. he climbs into his side of the bed and pulls the blanket up and over both of them.

Connor curls up awkwardly, laying stiff and nervous. Hank shifts slightly, laying on his back.

"Connor, I can feel you laying like a board." Hank says.

"I'm sorry." Connor mumbles, shifting some. "I guess I don't know how to lay on a bed." Connor adds. Hank sighs softly.

"its not rocket science Connor." Hank teases gently. "its a bed, just lay how you feel comfortable." Hank murmurs.

"being comfortable may as well be rocket science to me." Connor frowns. Hank snorts.

"well, just relax a little." Hank adds.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm trying." Connor murmurs. he shifts slightly, trying to get comfortable.

they go quiet, Connor going still for a bit. Hank, despite Connor being tense, is almost asleep when the younger speaks up.

"can I go back to the garage now...?" Connor asks, softly. Hank rolls over to face him.

"no, why?" Hank frowns.

"I know I'm keeping you awake." Connor mumbles.

"no you're not its fine. just get some sleep." Hank murmurs. Connor curls up more.

"okay." Connor mumbles. Hank settles down, Connors gone quiet. Hank keeps himself awake as long as he can, waiting until Connors breathing evens out, before falling asleep.

Hank groans looking over at his alarm clock, what had woke him? being a light sleeper sucks sometimes. had Sumo gotten up for a drink again? Hank rolls over and grumbles, looking at the other side of the bed to check on Connor, maybe the younger man woke him up.

"Connor, hey, you... Connor?" Hank asks. he reaches over. the other side of the bed is empty and cold. had Connor gone back to the garage? "Connor?" Hank asks, slightly louder. he sits up quickly and pauses. "what in the hell?" Hank mumbles. he gets up and walks around the bed slowly, before sighing. "ah, Connor." Hank mumbles. Connor is curled up on the floor, in the fetal position, between the bed and the wall, sleeping, or Hank hopes he's sleeping. there's blood on the floor and nightstand. Connor had probably fallen off and busted his head. that would be enough noise to wake Hank. Hank rushes closer quickly, knees protesting as he crouches down beside Connor. "Connor, hey. wake up." Hank murmurs, shaking him gently. Connor shifts, wincing. he blinks awake, looking up at Hank.

"H-Hank...?" Connor mumbles. Hank looks relieved immediately, before the worried look comes back over his face.

"shit kid, are you alright?" Hank asks.

"I-I think so. I was asleep." Connor mumbles softly. Hank frowns, crouching closer.

"your heads bleeding." Hank frowns, pulling him into a sitting position.

"h-huh?" Connor asks hesitantly. Hank motions to the bloody nightstand corner.

"look at the blood, see?" Hank asks. Connor looks over, then looks back to Hank.

"I... I think I fell off the bed." Connor mumbles, reaching up to touch the wound. Hank grabs his hand to stop him.

"don't touch it. come on. get up." Hank murmurs. he helps Connor get up, easily holding the younger up when he stumbles and slams against his chest. Connor winces, blinking up at Hank.

"sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Connor says quickly. Hank gently holds Connor close.

"its alright, are you okay?" Hank asks.

"I think I stood up too fast." Connor mumbles. he rests his head on Hanks chest with a wince, trying to get himself together, he's dizzy. it gets blood on Hanks gray shirt, but Hank doesn't seem to mind, he gently presses Connors head against his chest, to attempt to steady the younger man carefully. Hank also hopes the pressure will slow the bleeding on his head.

"okay, its alright, come on." Hank murmurs, gently. "come on, lets head to the bathroom, come here. we'll get you patched up, alright? come on Connor." Hank murmurs, holding him tighter. he leads Connor carefully to the bathroom, gently sitting him on the edge of the bathtub. Connor winces when Hank moves and the bright bathroom light shines in his eyes.

"ow." Connor mutters, blinking rapidly. he pulls back some, blocking his face with his hand.

"sorry kid." Hank murmurs. he leans over Connor, gripping his chin gently. he tilts the the younger mans head gently so he can see the wound in the light better.

"is it bad...?" Connor asks, nervously.

"nah, its okay kid. nothing bad. I'll fix you up." Hank murmurs gently. "stay here let me go get the first aid kit." Hank says.

"okay." Connor nods. Hank steps out into the hallway and disappears down the hallway. he comes back a few minutes later with a first aid kit in his hand. he sits it on the counter and opens it, digging through quickly.

"alright Connor, it might hurt some." Hank murmurs, leaning over Connor again. Connor blinks up at him.

"I'm numb to the pain of disinfectants Hank..." Connor trails.

"good, then close your eyes and tilt your head some, let me clean this up so we can get back to bed." Hank says. Connor nods, following Hanks directions. whatever Hanks using, does burn a little, but Connor pays it no mind. he can't find it in him to care when Hanks hands are so gentle against his wound. no ones ever been so gentle patching him up after an injury except the hospital nurses when he was a kid. its been a long time. "alright, you're all patched up kid." Hank murmurs softly, stepping back. Connor blinks and looks up at Hank again.

"thanks. it was starting to throb." Connor mumbles. Hank nods and pulls him up off the side of the tub.

"I'm really sorry Hank. I didn't mean to wake you up or get blood on your shirt or your floor or anywhere. I'm so sorry." Connor says. Hank shakes his head gently.

"no. no kid, its alright. accidents happen." Hank soothes gently.

"but I-" Connnor tries.

"we'll clean it up later." Hank assures.

"okay.. I'm sorry." Connor murmurs. Hank shakes his head gently.

"its alright, come on kid, we've got a couple of hours before we have to be in, lets get some more sleep. I don't know about you but I'm fucking exhausted." Hank mutters. Connor nods slightly.

"yeah okay." Connor murmurs. he looks at his head in the mirror as he walks past, pausing only slightly.

"you okay Connor?" Hank akss, pausing to look at him.

"yeah, sorry Hank. just looking." Connor murmurs. Hank nods slightly.

"well, you can look tomorrow, come on kid." Hank smiles slightly. Connor nods and follows him. they both curl back up in the bed and settle back in for some sleep.

Hank shifts hearing his alarm go off. groaning, he leans over and smacks the button to turn it off. as he settles back down, slowly waking up more, he realizes there's a strange warmth against his side. he shifts, assuming its Sumo, and reaches down. instead of soft long locks of St. Bernard fur, he finds soft brown locks of hair. Hank blinks and looks down.

"wha, Connor?" Hank mumbles. Connor is tucked tightly against his side, knees curled up into his chest with his face buried in them, his hand fisted into the loose fabric of Hanks sleep shirt. Hank blinks, staring down at him confused. Hank shakes him gently. "Connor, hey, its time to get up kid." Hank says. Connor shifts, lifting his head and blinking. he stares at Hank for a few minutes, confused, before his face turns a bright red and he yelps, throwing himself backwards quickly. he hits the floor pretty hard with a groan. Hank sits up quickly. "Connor!" Hank shouts.

"I'm okay." Connor groans lowly. Hank stares after him, shocked.

"are you sure?" Hank asks. Connor sits up slowly, face bright red and embarrassed.

"y-yeah sorry. I forgot where I was." Connor mumbles. he winces and rubs his head. "oww." Connor mumbles.

"you alright?" Hank asks.

"I'm okay." Connor assures.

"don't give me that shit." Hank frowns getting up. Connor looks confused, pulling himself up.

"huh...?" Connor asks.

"that 'I'm okay' bullshit. tell me the truth. if it hurts tell me." Hank frowns. "you don't have to be okay everytime it hurts." Hank adds. Connor ducks his head, the red on his cheeks is spreading down his neck and up his ears. Hank sighs softly, shaking his head. "nevermind, we'll work on it, okay? go get you a shower alright, I'll make some breakfast. be quick, I need a shower too, alright?" Hank asks. Connor nods slightly and shuffles past him, heading for the garage to grab his clothes.

Hank heads into the kitchen and lets Sumo out, filling both his bowls with fresh food and water, before starting breakfast. he looks up when Connor walks past the kitchen, but pauses.

"you alright?" Hank asks. Connor bites his lip, looking slightly anxious.

"any word on Zoey?" Connor asks, hesitantly. Hank shakes his head.

"get a shower, I'll have an update on her when you get back alright?" Hank asks. Connor perks up slightly and nods, giving him a half smile.

"thank you." Connor murmurs, heading for the bathroom.

Connor is in and out in 20 minutes. Hank has breakfast already made and has eaten his own. he rushes past Connor to get a shower.

"let Sumo back in will you?" Hank asks. Connor nods heading for the door.

"Zoey?" Connor asks, as he walks past.

"Jeffery didn't answer, we'll find out when we get up there." Hank assures, heading into the bathroom. Connor nods, letting Sumo in. he sits down and devours his breakfast, before sitting on the couch to wait for Hank.

they head out as soon as Hank gets out of the bathroom.

Connor hesitates when they pull up to the station.

"whats wrong Connor?" Hank asks, looking over concerned. Connor swallows slightly.

"are you sure I don't smell...?" Connor asks.

"I'm sure come on, Gavins not here." Hank says, getting out of the car. Connor gets out hesitantly and follows Hank inside.

"but I-" Connor tries.

"your clothes smell like Tide, you smell like Irish Spring. I bought you a tooth brush, your breath smells like mint. you're alright Connor, I promise." Hank assures. Connor nods slightly. "go get us some coffee and I'll go talk to Jeffery about Zoey." Hank adds. Connor nods, smiling slightly, and heads to the breakroom to get coffee.

Hank is waiting for him when he gets back.

"well...?" Connor asks. Hank smiles at him.

"they've got her under a psych eval just to check her out before they put her in a new home. they found her a good one Connor." Hank assures. Connor grins at him.

"yeah?" he asks. Hank nods.

"they'll get her therapy and put her in a great house with a great family." Hank smiles. Connor grins, handing him a coffee, before sitting down at his own desk. Hank smiles at him slightly and shakes his head turning back to his work.

"I'm glad. she deserves a good life." Connor murmurs, turning his terminal on.

"I know she does kid." Hank murmurs. Connor hums happily to himself. he's happy that Zoey is going to get a good home and the help she needs.

"that makes me feel so much better knowing she's getting what she needs..." Connor smiles. "thank you Hank. so much. thank you, you don't know what it means." Connor says, turning to look at him. Hank swallows the coffee in his mouth harshly. Connors face is so bright and happy, his eyes crinkled with happiness, though it slips off quickly when Hank coughs. "uh, Hank, you alright?" Connor asks, worriedly. Hank looks away from him quickly, coughing and setting his coffee cup down.

"y-yeah, just went down the wrong way." Hank mutters. Connor nods slightly.

"are you sure you're okay?" Connor asks. Hank nods, avoiding eye contact.

"yeah. great." Hank assures. Connor nods again, turning back to his own terminal.

when it rolls around to lunch time, Hank stands.

"hey, hungry?" Hank asks. Connor nods slightly.

"yeah." Connor admits hesitantly.

"okay, I'll be right back. stay here." Hank assures. Connor nods slightly. he watches Hank leave and waits quietly, for Hank to get back.

when Hank comes back, Connor is on the phone. Hank watches the smile drop from Connors face as he gets close enough to hear the man.

"I... I understand... thank you, I guess." Connor says. Hank sets the food on his desk and walks around to Connor.

"Connor, hey, whats wrong? look at me kid, tell me what happened." Hank murmurs. Connor chokes. "Connor? hey, you're shaking. whats wrong?" Hank asks. Connor shakes his head slightly, unable to speak. "hey, come with me." Hank murmurs, gently grabbing his arm and leading him to the bathroom. he's lucky its empty. he gently pulls Connor into the bathroom. "okay, tell me what happened." Hank murmurs. Connor chokes, tears falling down his face.

"they went to check on Zoey, sh-she... she, she's dead." Connor chokes, before breaking down into sobs. Hank almost can't believe the words.

"she what...?" Hank asks.

"she slit her wrists." Connor sobs, sinking down to hug his knees. "she couldn't take being placed in another house." Connor cries. Hank looks over at him and kneels down, pulling Connor to his chest. "I thought I was helping her." Connor chokes. Hank hugs him tighter.

"its okay Connor, its alright." Hank murmurs gently. he rests his chin on Connors head, holding the younger tighter. "sometimes... sometimes you can't help people." Hank murmurs.

"SHE WAS A CHILD!" Connor cries.

"I know Con." Hank murmurs. "she was just a baby." Hank adds softly. "I don't even know what to say to you Connor. I know she tried and she was as strong as she could be until the end, but... she'd seen a lot. she'd been through more than her fair share." Hank murmurs softly.

"I thought we were helping her." Connor sobs. "I just wanted to help her." he chokes. Hank holds tighter.

"I know. but... she felt just like you did the other day... only she didn't have someone watching her closely like you did. she didn't have someone to talk her down or calm her down. it wasn't your time... and it wasn't hers. she didn't deserve to go like that kid." Hank murmurs. "but how about this, I'll make a couple calls, we'll have a funeral for her, alright?" Hank asks. Connor sniffles, nodding slightly.

"okay." Connor mumbles.

"okay. come on, I know its hard kid, but come on. clean your face up a little and I can go talk to-" Hank starts.

"no, m'staying here. I need to work and keep my mind off things." Connor mumbles. Hank nods.

"okay, we'll get back to work, but... I'm here Connor. if you need to talk. alright?" Hank asks.

"okay."Connor mumbles. Hank helps him up off the ground carefully, watching Connor clean up his face, before the younger heads out of the bathroom quickly. Hank heaves a sigh and follows after Connor. he just hopes Connor will be alright.