They didn't learn much. None of the delivery guys had noticed any new trucks or people wandering around where they shouldn't. The most anyone had to report was that a bathroom on the third floor had been out of order all day, but that wasn't unusual. There was always a toilet somewhere getting blocked with paper. Part of the risk of having kids running around the store. Nines contacted Connor to check it out anyway while he and Reed continued checking the storage areas and stairwells for anything out of the ordinary. Everything seemed normal.

"Find anything?" Reed asked a while later as Connor joined him in the street out front. The reporters had finally been packed off, likely realising they wouldn't be getting a story any time soon. Colin and Perkins weren't far behind. They were just exchanging a few final words with the manager. Reed didn't envy her the job of telling the higher-ups what happened and why the store would be closed for at least two or three days. Once the police had collected all the evidence and released the scene, they'd need to have it professionally cleaned. They'd also have to burn any stock that had been contaminated during the incident. Hell, they'll probably toss the entire display!

"Nothing, except...the third floor bathrooms were all fully operational when I checked. There wasn't even a notice on a door." That leaned towards Reed's theory, at least. Grab a victim, take them out, lock yourself in a single use bathroom, put up an out-of-order sign, then take it down whenever you decide to leave. Anyone passing would probably assume that maintenance had already been called and think no more of it. Reed was so distracted by his own thoughts and theories that he didn't even notice that Nines wasn't at his side until Connor asked where he was. He looked around with a small frown, unable to see him in the street. He was right behind me when we came through...

"Ah, there." Reed finally noticed him stepping out beside Colin. The pair were talking wirelessly as Perkins parted with the manager and headed down the steps. It wasn't long before the other two followed. Connor's head tilted, LED flashing yellow as they talked. "Anything you'd like to share with the class?" Reed asked as he raised an eyebrow at Connor. He was increasingly thinking that androids needed to set a code of etiquette. No using the head telephone while humans are present.

"Yes. We should stop for lunch on the way back," Connor decided as he looked at the humans in their group. Nines nodded his agreement while Colin's soft eyes dropped, flicking to Perkins hesitantly and then Connor as his LED circled yellow. Reed wasn't the only one who noticed. Perkins was trying to suppress a surprisingly affectionate look as he checked his watch. They were busy with their current case, but that didn't mean they couldn't stop for a while. They couldn't do any more leg work until the forensics team finished anyway, and it wasn't like Colin made a habit of asking for lunch breaks.

"Can you make your own way back to the office after? I need to head back and catch up on some paperwork." An objection almost rose to Colin's lips on impulse. He didn't want to feel like he was disappointing his superior. He barely ever left Perkins' side on a workday. "Take your lunch break and meet me back there in a couple of hours. I'll finish a report or two while I wait." Perkins left no room to argue as he held out his hand with an air of expectance. This would be the first time he'd driven the car on shift for a couple of months now. Colin had taken to driving them all over the place, it being more efficient with his android focus and reflexes.

"Yes. Thank you, Sir," Colin replied with the smallest hint of excitement as he handed the keys to Perkins, who decided not to bring it up. Colin always called him Sir, even when he gave him other options. He wasn't sure if it was an old part of his programming or whether he just felt more comfortable addressing him as a superior. Either way, he'd pretty much given up on changing it. It was just another one of the quirks he liked. Connor nodded his thanks as Reed called a parting word after him.

"Guess I'll head back too." Reed didn't want to get in the way of brotherly bonding. He knew it had to be a rarity for all three of the brothers to spend time together like this, especially on a workday. Nines and Connor were usually on different shifts, and he had no idea how Colin's hours factored into that. The FBI were pretty busy; they probably had cases all over the place.

"You're the reason we're having lunch at all! We don't need to eat," Connor reminded him, watching Reed huff in mock indignation. Oh, so I'm a fourth wheel because you need an excuse? The look was teasing and Connor took it as such as he smiled.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of brotherly bonding." They probably had personal things they wanted to talk about. Android stuff he wouldn't even understand. He felt it as Nines stepped into his personal space, chest stopping barely an inch from his shoulder. He didn't like the look in Nines' eyes as he looked down at him with a smirk teasing his lips. Don't you phcking dare...

"You're most welcome to join us. You're technically family anyway, Uncle Gavin." He chuckled at the light slap that landed on his arm. Reed glared at Connor as his LED span yellow, daring him to fucking say anything. Connor seemed confused at first until he caught Nines' eye and something passed between them. Reed watched as Connor got the joke, hazel eyes widening a fraction in surprise. It was almost worth the teasing to see that stumped look on his face.

"I...don't know how I didn't see it before..." Connor had just scanned Reed's face and compared it to Elijah Kamski's. There were clear indicators of them being related within their facial structure. The only reason he hadn't noticed sooner was because he'd had no reason to cross reference their profiles until that moment. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed when they were both at Cyberlife Tower, but his focus hadn't been on them as a pair. He'd been preoccupied with so many other things. Meeting up with Markus and the others, talking about politics, searching the tower, the incident between Reed and Nines, and then Reed's panic attack.

"Don't blow a fuse over it, Tin Can. I was just as shocked as you," Reed excused quickly before asking where they were going. It was strange, but Connor said he had the strong urge to watch him eat crepes. "That...is creepy, on so many levels." They let Connor lead the way. Connor looked a little concerned as they walked, taking the space just ahead of Reed while Colin and Nines walked together at the back.

"Is it really? I always find it fascinating to watch Hank eat...I often wonder what it would be like to taste and process human food myself." That reminded Reed of the program Elijah had made. Nines could try the crepe! He looked at Connor thoughtfully. If Nines could share the program, then they could all try the crepe. He waited until they'd settled at a table before bringing it up. He even let Connor pick the order. His hazel eyes seemed almost wanton as he scanned the colourful pictures. Reed hadn't expected androids to care about human food, but it seemed there were exceptions. He had to admit, the colourful fruit and soft wraps did look good.

"Hey, Nines. Is the program Eli gave you still running?" he asked as Connor went up to order. It was a pretty classic place. Glass fronting, red leather booths, shiny metal railings, and servers wearing little white and red mini dresses. It was almost sixties themed. Quaint. The type of place he could see Hank frequenting, which explained how Connor knew about it. Nines nodded in response, curious as Reed nodded towards Connor. "Want to blow his mind?" His conspiratorial tone wasn't missed by Colin.

"What is it?" Connor asked as he returned and looked between the two. There was a firm tap as he placed a tall glass of pink milk on the table.

"Nothing. Nines has a little something for you is all." Reed immediately took the large straw in his mouth and sucked up some of the thick milkshake. It was good, made with real strawberries rather than synthetic powder. He should have guessed that Connor would be attracted to the gentle pink of the strawberry milkshake. It was so thick it was almost hard to suck it through the straw. It clearly had a lot of ice cream mixed in. Connor eyed Nines' hand as he offered it innocently. Colin seemed almost anxious as he watched, unsure what sort of game they were playing. He didn't know if it would be pleasant, but at the same time, he didn't think Nines would play a cruel joke. "You'll love it, trust me." Connor gave him a somewhat withering look.

"Very well, but if this is a prank..." He trailed off meaningfully, satisfied as Reed nodded his agreement. If it was something mean, then Connor had his permission to pummel him into the wooden floor of the gym later. Connor remained uncertain as he interfaced with Nines, especially when a request to upload a new program popped up in his HUD. He was hesitant at first, unused to getting new programs through unofficial channels. Nines gave him a gentle assurance that it was safe. It was a prototype, and he was helping Chloe with trials. Connor accepted, and the program loaded. He had no idea what it was supposed to do, and Nines hadn't told him. It hadn't changed anything noticeable.

"Hey, Tin Can. Analyse this. I want to know what's in it," Reed said as he pushed the glass across the table. Connor raised an eyebrow. This would usually be something he'd ask Nines to do, if he even cared about what was in it. "Go on, try it." His eagerness only confused him more. What was so important about the contents of this beverage? It would do no harm to humour him. Connor obligingly put the glass straw between his lips and sucked. Pink filled the thin glass tube before a burst of strawberry touched his tongue. He took the bare minimum he needed for an analysis before sitting back.

"It-th-I can taste it!" Connor stammered in surprised delight. He knew it probably wasn't accurate, but it really was wonderful to experience the sensation of sweetness. He'd always wondered what it would be like, but he'd never dreamed it would be like this. His sensors were going crazy, producing extra analysis fluid in response to the glucose. "That's amazing!" he added in wonder as he took another small sip while Nines reached over to give Colin access to the program. Colin was shy and uncertain as he also tried the pink beverage. How'd I guess those two would have a sweet tooth? Reed huffed affectionately as he watched the two RK800s examining the drink in awe.

"You too, Nines. You didn't try milkshake yet," Reed prompted as he pushed the glass towards him. Nines' LED span yellow as he sipped the drink. He seemed to approve of it, but not as much as his brothers. So he likes sweet things, but they're not at the top of his list...It was an interesting thing to think about. He wondered what flavour Nines would like the most. Maybe something spicy. He didn't seem to mind bitterness too much, though there were things he didn't like. Reed almost chuckled as he thought back to the day before as Nines had tasted pool water for the first time. He'd looked almost confused by it, unable to quite decide on the flavour palate.

The rest of lunch passed like that. The three androids were eager to try the crepe Connor had ordered. It was banana, Nutella, and whipped cream with almonds. How it counted as a lunch food, Reed had no idea, but he wasn't about to complain. It wasn't like he ate junk food all the time these days. The brothers each tried the smallest mouthful, knowing their internal systems couldn't break down much more than that. Connor and Colin both looked utterly delighted while Nines seemed mildly content.

After lunch, Colin called a taxi and headed back to FBI headquarters while Connor, Nines, and Reed walked back to the precinct. It wasn't too far from the Plaza, and they hadn't had any urgent calls. Once they reached the main doors, Connor hurried through to find Hank while Reed was called over by the ST300 secretary. He'd forgotten her name. Stacey? Sandra? Something with an S. She handed him a note, saying someone had brought it in and left it for him a few minutes ago. He took the envelope and found his name written in neat font. Cyberlife Sans. Blue ink. It almost looked like a fountain pen had been used. The ink was still shiny. Fresh. He frowned as he read it. I missed you, Gavin. Was it a statement of fact, or did it mean something? Did Aaron stop by? Why the phck didn't he just text me?

He would have dwelled on it further, but Nines was already talking by the time he reached his desk. They went over the details of the android in the alley. Still no suspects. The old man had been spooked and lashed out. He didn't remember much before that. He was drunk and crawled into the dumpster to sleep when he heard a commotion outside, but was too scared to actually look. Didn't want to get caught up in any funny business. To his credit, he'd sincerely apologised to Reed in his statement. Reed didn't see any reason to make this guy's life any worse, so he decided not to press charges. The old man already had it rough enough living on the streets, especially now it was approaching winter. Autumn was always quite short in Detroit.

"Detective Reed, your shift has ended." Reed looked up from his terminal with a distracted hum as Nines spoke. He was so used to being picked up he hadn't even noticed the time. Nines would nag him to hell and back if he didn't shut down his terminal and clock out, a thought that made him sigh as he lean back in his chair. He checked his phone once more before clocking out and returning to his desk, where Nines was admiring his cactus. His shift had also finished, so he had time to do the things he enjoyed most. Whatever those things are...

"Are you busy tonight?" Reed already suspected that the answer would be no. Nines shook his head as expected and accepted the offer of TV and a sofa for the night. Reed was surprised as Nines grabbed a bag from beneath his desk. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but he must have bought something at some point. Nines rarely bought things, and whatever it was seemed slightly bulky. "You mind if I order in?" Nines was often quite health conscious. He'd also let him eat crepes earlier without judgement.

"I can cook for you." That wasn't exactly a no. Nines would often offer to cook in lieu of ordering takeout.

"You let me have pizza, and I'll let you try some." Nines' LED span yellow at the compromise, clearly tempted. Reed chuckled, pretty sure he had him on the ropes. The tasting program was too new and interesting to resist right now. He'd probably be willing to try all sorts of junk food for a good few weeks. It'll be pretty nice once Eli gets the program working properly and installs the hardware...He wondered what it would be like to actually sit and eat with Nines properly. Right now Nines would sit quietly and let him watch TV or bustle about the apartment as he ate.

"Very well, but you forfeit your last cigarette of the evening." Reed thought carefully before finally agreeing. He'd had two that day, already one less than usual. Honestly, he was feeling alright about it. He still used the patches, so if he got desperate, he could just whack one of those on. Reed sent out the order so that it would line up with their arrival, and the delivery guy was just pulling up as they reached the door. He took the box and led the way inside, letting Nines greet Pipsqueak as he headed to the kitchen. Reed cracked a beer and grabbed a bottle of thirium before returning to sit down.

After feeding Pipsqueak and delivering his customary strokes and scritches, Nines joined him on the sofa. His silvery eyes blinked as Reed held a slice of pizza towards his mouth. A small bite was already missing, leaving a few indents from Reed's teeth. Nines was almost hesitant as he leaned in to close his mouth over the bite marks and nibbled a bit of base, cheese, and pepperoni. Reed watched entranced as Nines' eyes closed, LED spinning yellow as he analysed the makeup. It wasn't as unhealthy as he'd expected. It seemed the place Reed ordered from was a small family-run restaurant making everything from scratch. He was surprised as he opened his eyes to find Reed watching him so intently.

"I believe I like it." It was difficult to define. His programming could neither like nor dislike anything. It told him there was no preference, but something else lingered in the back of his mind. It made him question his programming. He wasn't sure whether it was Elijah's program altering his internal analysis parameters directly or something else, but he was sure he liked the pizza. His mouth had produced extra analysis fluid, the pepperoni had warmed his throat and tongue almost pleasantly, and he had the temptation to lean in for more. He didn't. It was Reed's dinner, and he'd already sampled a lot more food than usual that day. His internal systems would struggle with processing if he took more.

The evening passed quietly. Reed finished his meal and turned on the TV to watch a crime drama. These shows were all he seemed to watch. There was a variety of them, some better than others. This one was almost comedic. It was about a writer shadowing a detective to help with his latest novel. He'd ended up permanently consulting on her cases, which was quite unrealistic. Reed seemed to enjoy this show, saying it used to be his favourite when he was growing up. It had aged well besides the lack of androids and modern technology.

"Gavin..." Reed was just preparing to go to bed. He paused with a hum, waiting for him to continue. Nines hesitated, LED spinning yellow for a few beats before he finally lifted the black bag he'd brought along earlier. "I know it isn't customary to purchase such things for adult males..." He seemed anxious as he passed the bag across. Reed looked intrigued as he accepted the fancy plastic bag and looked inside. Nines felt his insides heat with an unknown feeling as he let out a fond chuckle, green eyes curiously warm as he reached inside, making the plastic crinkle and rustle.

"That's cute as phck," he chortled as he pulled the white bear free. It was the one he'd picked up earlier during the investigation. He had no idea how Nines had picked it up without him noticing. There had been no bag in his hand when they left the store, nor as they'd entered the precinct, and it was too big to have hidden in his jacket. The bear was a little bigger than a chihuahua, and far fluffier. "What made you do it?" Reed asked curiously, tearing his gaze away from the dark brown eyes and cute fuzzy face.

"You seemed to enjoy the tactile sensation of the synthetic fibres and I noted a certain reluctance to return the item to the shelf. There was also the possibility of it being destroyed due to the risk of contamination." Reed blinked cluelessly. He had no idea how Nines had picked up on those first two things, but it was true. He did like the soft fur. It was soothing, almost calming, to his frazzled nerves. He'd been a little reluctant to put it back, too. It reminded him of a toy he'd gotten from the zoo once. Way back when he'd actually seen a real polar bear, and his mum had let him get the toy of his choice. Next to lynxes and tigers, the polar bears had been his favourite thing in the whole zoo. He must have been about five years old; the polar bear toy had seemed so big in his small arms. He'd lost track of that bear somewhere along the way, but he still remembered it.

"So it was a rescue mission." The happy memory was still chasing him as he looked up. The way he'd gotten this new bear may not have been a cheerful story, but it still touched him that Nines had made such a gesture.

"Of course. Rescuing helpless individuals is part of my programming," Nines agreed in a serious tone, enjoying the amused huff that fled Reed's lips. He left the bag on the sofa as he gently squashed the bear in his hands, examining the face affectionately. He looked thoughtful for a few moments, green eyes flicking to Nines before he reached a decision.

"I think I'll call him Fuzzball." Technically, this would be Fuzzball the Second. Nines' LED flickered yellow as he tilted his head and stored the information. He did not understand the human habit of naming inanimate objects. Nines had not named his cactus. Perhaps he should. Perhaps that was common among humans. Reed was still examining the toy with an almost far-off look on his face. A soft one. Nines felt that odd warmth swell in his chest again. He was...happy — Enamoured? Smitten? — as he watched Reed squash and tease the toy. "Thanks, Nines." Reed got to his feet, and they parted with a simple good night. Nines settled in place, lips quirking as he felt small paws padding onto his lap. He rested a gentle hand on Pipsqueak's spine and began his stasis cycle.