Gavin groaned as he rolled over and stumbled to his feet. His head felt thick and cottony as he padded across to the bathroom in the dim grey of dawn, barely registering that the room was much bigger than usual. He instinctively remembered his way around his room at Elijah's house, passing the sofa and low table and stepping into the massive bathroom without tripping or knocking into anything. His bladder was full to bursting as he finally arrived, vaguely considering whether he felt sick enough to vomit. He didn't. His stomach was churning, but it was a small swirl. It was enough to make him feel nauseous, but he wouldn't actually throw up. He groaned as he splashed his face and brushed his teeth. The stale taste of old alcohol lingered in his mouth. It was gross.

"Good morning," Nines greeted softly as he appeared in the doorway. Gavin grunted tiredly, barely blinking as he brushed and scrubbed. A softer hum slipped out as a large hand laced in his hair and soothed his scalp. "You're dehydrated..." The tone was both observant and somehow chiding at the same time. Gavin rinsed and dried his mouth before turning and dragging Nines down into a heated kiss. Nines accepted the demanding treatment, taking the opportunity to check his alcohol level. Lower than the night before, but still over the legal limit. Luckily, Colin was going to drop them all at work after breakfast.

"Am I still drunk?" Gavin teased quietly as he drew back and looked up with hazy green eyes, still filled with sleep. Nines reached up and cupped his cheeks, stroking away the small crusts of sleep with his thumbs and gently kissing his nose. Gavin still couldn't get over how soft Nines' lips felt every time they kissed. He rested his hands on Nines' hips and leaned back against the sink lazily, still half asleep. Nines gave him a small smile as he took in his tired, ringed eyes and pale skin.

"You're not intoxicated, but you're above the legal limit to drive." His LED was still spinning yellow from his analysis. Gavin huffed as the small light returned to blue. "Your condition will probably improve after breakfast...Will you shower first?" Nines moved away to turn on the shower as Gavin nodded his agreement. He smelled like a brewery. No way could he go into work sweating out booze. He'd smell like the old Hank. He shivered at the thought. Nines held his hand beneath the spray, measuring the temperature as he turned the dial. The water should be warm, just on the verge of cool, in this summer heat. "Come." Nines waved him over like a pet, hand held out like he was coaxing an animal.

"You joining me?" Gavin asked with a small smirk as he sauntered over and leaned against Nines' chest, sighing into the feeling of large hands circling his hips. He huffed as Nines pinged the elastic of his boxers. The tight material made a small swatting sound as it snapped against the small of his back. It didn't sting, but it was a definite hint. Gavin chuckled against Nines' lips as he shuffled the material over his hips and let it fall to the floor. Stepping out of his boxers, his hands were already busy helping Nines do the same. They didn't part as Nines walked them backwards into the cascading water.

Gavin moaned, running his hands up and down Nines' back as he was backed up against the tiled wall. He could feel the artificial muscles coiling and giving beneath his searching fingers. His skin was so soft and smooth. There wasn't a single imperfection to break the flow. He knew his own skin would feel much rougher. Patchy. Broken. Torn. He could feel Nines' fingers caressing and following each faded scar he reached as he felt his own path across his skin. Gavin tilted his head, reaching up to caress Nines' neck and pull him lower. He gasped as Nines nipped his lip and drew back to let him breathe. They were both drenched, hair dripping from the water now running down Nines' back and shoulders. Nines reached for the shower gel and scrunchie, filling the shower with a light soapy scent as he squeezed the bottle.

Gavin watched lazily as Nines started lathering his chest. It felt nice. His motions were firm and soothing. He was caressing his skin with the scrunchie, leaving trails of foamy bubbles behind. He linked their fingers as he raised his arm to scrub the skin. Up to his shoulder. Under his arm. Down his side. Gavin blinked slowly, feeling lazy and content as he was taken care of. Nines gave his other arm similar treatment before turning his body to lavish long strokes across his back. Gavin smirked to himself as he felt Nines' motions slow around his ass. He arched his spine playfully, pressing the rounded flesh into Nines' hand and chuckling as it earned him a small swat.

He felt the scrunchie move lower as Nines dropped to his knees. The rough material and Nines' hand caressed the muscles of his thigh and calf, working all the way down to lift his foot. Gavin leaned on the wall as he let Nines wash both legs, following the guiding hands that turned his back to the wall to allow Nines to properly clean his pelvis. He worked the foam into the curls between his legs, letting his hand slide lower to caress his twitching cock. His touch was careful and teasing as he lathered his testicles and the skin between his thighs. He knew what he was doing, lips curling as Gavin hummed and his cock twitched with interest.

Gavin leaned into his soapy hands as Nines stood to caress and massage his neck. He closed his eyes, letting Nines rub and soothe his face. He took his time with Gavin's stubbled cheeks, enjoying the prickles on his skin as he circled his hands. It was a little weird as Nines' fingers teased and cleaned his ears, but he managed not to squirm too much. Gentle fingers worked and massaged the cartilage slowly, watching as Gavin slowly leaned into the touches for more. He led him beneath the spray to rinse the lather off before grabbing the shampoo. This was always Gavin's favourite part. He already had his eyes closed and his head tilted in anticipation.

"Keep your eyes closed..." Nines murmured as he poured out some shampoo and sank his fingers into his thick locks. Gavin's hum of agreement pitched into a small keen of approval as he leaned into Nines' touch, chasing the soothing fingers. Nines smiled as he watched Gavin's head tilt this way and that. He was a lot like Pipsqueak when receiving scritches. Little hums and sighs escaped as he nudged into his hand for more. "Rinsing," Nines warned gently as he led him under the spray again. His fingers continued to soothe through the water, watching the bubbles wash away. Gavin shook his head once he was clean, shaking the wet locks from his eyes so that he could look up at him.

"Your turn," he mumbled as he tugged at the scrunchie. They changed places and Nines watched as Gavin poured out more gel. He enjoyed watching Gavin work. The way he focused as he scrubbed his skin, circling the scrunchie and watching a bubbly lather form across his pecs and abs. His hands were just as careful and thorough as his own. He traced a similar path up his toned arms and down his sides, trailing the scrunchie up and down his back in rough circles and down over his sculpted ass. Nines' was firmer than his own, and a little flatter. He bit his lip as he knelt at his feet. Nines turned and leaned back against the tiles, watching as Gavin slowly started to caress his legs. His hand automatically laced in Gavin's sodden locks as he knelt up to caress his genital component. Gavin looked up questioningly as he leaned into the touch and ran his lips along the mostly limp component.

"Be good," Nines chided softly as he caressed his scalp. He huffed at the small pout that got him before Gavin got to his feet to shampoo his hair. Nines leaned down a little to make it easier for him, not that he actually needed the extra height. Much as he was teased, he wasn't overly short. His height was perfectly respectable, and Nines enjoyed being able to lean over him a little. Nines hummed into Gavin's firm fingers as he worked his scalp, lathering his dark locks into a puffy white foam. He kept his eyes closed out of habit, since the foam wouldn't actually sting his eyes. A smile tugged his lips as he felt Gavin steal a kiss, just barely pressing their lips together. He stepped under the spray as Gavin led him forward to rinse off.

Their lips reconnected as Nines turned off the shower. Lazy, affectionate presses. Nines took the lead in opening the door and finding some towels. They were the usual rich, fluffy type that Elijah kept in all the bathrooms. They had the sort of thread count that Gavin had never dreamed of buying before. He'd always gone for the cheap, scratchy type. A towel is a towel. Elijah's towels were much softer on his skin and soaked up the water a lot better than his old ones. Nines wrapped his towel around his waist and ran his fingers through his dark hair, which was already falling back into its usual style. Gavin stood naked as he used his towel to dry his hair, huffing as he looked over his shoulder to see Nines watching him in the mirror.

"Take a picture, dipshit. It'll last longer." He watched Nines' LED spin yellow in response. A clear sign that he'd taken him up on his teasing offer. He chuckled to himself as he headed into the bedroom to find some clothes. Anxiety coiled in his stomach again. He was awake enough now to know where he was, and had been for some time. He also remembered why he was there. In the drawers, he found the usual neatly folded clothes tucked away for them. Jeans, T-shirts, socks, boxers, sweaters, shirts. It seemed Chloe thought of everything. Some of it he didn't even recognise. Did she just buy new stuff whenever she stopped by a shop?

"How are you feeling?" Nines asked hesitantly as he searched through his own clothes. He didn't even think about it before settling on his usual black turtleneck style and jeans. Gavin sighed heavily, unsure how to answer that question as he pulled on a new set of boxers. How the fuck did he feel? He was about to go downstairs and face the woman who'd literally died in his arms. I phcking killed her! I took out her power core and tossed it on the floor! He wasn't sure if it was better or worse that Chloe wouldn't remember that part. Did she even know about it? Had anyone told her what happened? Had they gone into detail? Did anyone besides him and Chloe even know the full details? Nines had seen the aftermath and reconstructed events, and he'd given an interview, but that wasn't the same as actually being there and going through it.

"I don't know..." he grumbled quietly as he pulled on a fresh set of jeans and a white T-shirt that hugged his chest. He fingered the rich material quietly as he looked at his bare feet. His head tilted up as Nines' hand closed over the back of his neck and squeezed in comfort and support. "I just...Eli swears she'll be the same, but..." He hated the way the doubt was so obvious in his tone. Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe whatever clarity Elijah had given him the night before had slipped away with the alcohol. Or maybe I'm trying to escape blame by avoiding her...He guessed Nines read something of his insecurities as he was promptly pulled against his firm chest.

"She will be the same...She's Chloe, and she doesn't blame you, Gavin...If anything, she's grateful for what you did," Nines assured softly as he stroked his hair and caressed his clothed spine. Gavin sighed doubtfully as he leaned his head against his pecs. Nines' chest was firm but giving beneath the soft woollen top. Nines eventually drew back and gave him a questioning look. Gavin sighed and nodded, stomach swirling with nerves. He couldn't put it off forever, and it would probably be best to treat it like a Band-Aid. Do it quickly.

Nines let him lead the way, remaining a steady, calming presence at his back as they walked down the glass staircase and wandered through the halls. His LED span yellow as he checked with his siblings to see where they were. They were in the conservatory. The cooling system made it a better choice than the garden in the summer heat. Gavin paused a few moments as they approached the doors, which had been left open a crack. Chloe's voice rang through the hall as she let out a bell-like laugh at something one of her brothers had said. He felt a hand at the small of his back, nudging him forward in encouragement. He was hesitant as he approached the doors and pushed one of them a little wider to peer inside.

Outside, the sun was beaming already, even in these earlier hours. The windows of the conservatory had been tinted to limit the glare. Plants were flourishing. Leafy green bushes and small trees surrounded their usual round table. There were a few flowers, but most of the flowerbeds were out in the main garden. Connor and Colin were both smartly dressed for work as usual. Colin's suit was a deep charcoal grey that day, just a few shades darker than Connor's Cyberlife jacket. He was sipping from one of Chloe's china teacups; the saucer held elegantly in one hand. Connor was eyeing a buttered crumpet with distrust as Chloe giggled and added jam to hers. She was also dressed for the office, wearing a chequered grey tunic dress with a white shirt beneath. Her LED stuttered yellow as she turned her head and spied Gavin hovering warily in the doorway. The smile dropped a moment before reappearing nervously as she got to her feet.

"Gavin! It's good to see you again...won't you join us? I toasted some crumpets this morning," she greeted as she got to her feet and pulled out a chair beside Connor. One seat away from her own. She was giving him space. There were two empty chairs before Colin's seat on her left. They'd planned for his needs, seating him with Nines for support. Connor and Colin were both smiling, too. Warm but nervous smiles, as if they thought the tension was going to spill over. Gavin was still hesitant as Chloe bustled about over on his side of the table, putting a couple of crumpets on his plate and making sure he had butter. She poured him out a coffee, unsure he liked tea at all. "I don't have decaf, but I'm sure it's your first of the day, so..." She flitted back to her side of the table and took her seat again, fiddling with the end of her side tail nervously as Gavin stepped further into the room.

"Sure, thanks..." Gavin replied quietly as he padded over to the table and sat next to Connor, feeling awkward as he squirmed in his seat. Connor gave him a small reassuring smile as he looked across, still hesitating over his own crumpet. It wasn't like him to be distrustful of the things he put in his mouth. Gavin raised an eyebrow as he buttered his own crumpet. They were still hot, like they'd just popped from the toaster. He could only guess the plate they were on was hot. He bit into the small round disc. It was a strange mix of crunchy and spongy, thick with the butter that was melting into it. He quickly dabbed his lips with his napkin as liquid butter dripped from his lip. "You don't like crumpets?"

"I am...unsure of the texture." Connor gave a small grimace as he watched Gavin take a second bite. It wasn't that the sight of the melted butter disgusted him as Gavin wiped it away, but he didn't like the squishy, soggy feeling of the crumpet in his hand. It was warm and almost oily from the grease. Gavin gave him a small shrug. One of those you won't know unless you try gestures. Connor sighed a little as he returned to eyeing the small round disc. His LED span yellow with the analysis as he finally raised it to nibble the edge. Both Colin and Chloe had assured him they were delicious, but he still doubted it somewhat.

It wasn't bad. He was right about the oddness of the texture, but it tasted doughy and buttery. There was a crispy crunch from the toasted base that contrasted with the spongy centre. It was good, though perhaps not his favourite. Nines seemed to disagree. By the time Connor had finished half of his first, Nines was already on his second. He and Gavin liked them with just butter, but Colin and Chloe were both partial to raspberry jam on theirs. He followed their lead, deciding that the sweetness did add something to the flavour, though it made them messier to eat.

Gavin ate slowly. He knew he should say something, but he didn't know what. Chloe seemed to have a similar problem, waiting for him to give her some sort of cue to follow. He felt like he was being stared at, like they were all waiting for him to do or say something, but he knew they weren't actually looking. Colin was sipping his tea, apparently finished with breakfast. Nines was eating his crumpets while Connor was focused on his plate. Chloe was looking down at her teacup, anxiously fiddling with the handle, and Elijah was nowhere in sight. Gavin looked up. That was an innocent enough question.

"Where's Eli?" He picked up his coffee, wiping his free hand on a napkin to get rid of the greasy feel of liquid butter. Chloe looked up, apparently relieved that the tense silence had been broken. Connor and Colin also seemed to relax somewhat. Gavin hadn't directed the question at Chloe, but the fact he'd spoken at all was promising. Despite their nerves, their LEDs were at least circling blue, though he noticed Chloe's dip to yellow a few times.

"He had to leave early this morning for a meeting with Markus. The first teenage models are entering the lab testing phase today. They're quite excited," she added brightly as she raised her cup to sip her tea. Gavin followed her lead and sipped his own dark coffee. It was the same as usual. Rich, strong, and black. She'd poured it into one of the larger, thicker mugs rather than the delicate little tea set they were using for their tea. He was hesitant as he met her crystal blue gaze. Her eyes looked the same. He didn't have a photographic memory or anything like Elijah, but he didn't see any noticeable difference. They were just as clear. Just as soft. Just as round.

"Does that mean Niles will be able to upgrade soon?" Gavin asked as he glanced sideways at Connor, who was wiping his hands on his napkin. His LED blinked yellow at the thought, as if it hadn't even crossed his mind yet. If the early test phases were starting, then the bodies would likely hit the market in a few months. He seemed uncertain. Niles had only been active for a couple of years, to his knowledge. It seemed he'd barely had time to be a child yet, but his classmates would age and move into junior high school in a couple of years.

"Perhaps not right away...I believe we may wait two or three years until he leaves elementary school." Connor didn't want to set him apart from his friends by having him suddenly appear much older and larger than everyone else. He also didn't want to leave it too late, to where he was being teased for not upgrading yet. He'd have to liaise with Markus about the other Jericho children so that Niles upgraded at around the same time they did, or he'd look at his human friends and see if they were at the point of growing into teenagers. Either way, there would be a slight delay. There was no way to make the transition seamless. He'd either look too old for a couple of years, or too young.

"Makes sense. It'll leave time for them to work out the kinks." There would likely be some teething issues. There always was with any new technology. Androids were no different. That's why deviancy had been so easy to pass off as a malfunction when it started appearing in newer models. Probably some issue with the fancy new software or something. It was when the older models became infected, making deviancy widespread, that it became a genuine problem. It had gone from being a malfunction to a virus. Turns out it was neither. It was a program Elijah had built over the years to be easily passed from android to android. It worked like a virus, but it wasn't harmful.

Silence fell again after that. It was still awkward. They were all finding it hard to look at each other. It hadn't been this awkward when Colin had come back. No one had been expecting him to speak or lead the conversation then. Gavin couldn't help glancing at Nines. He was poised with his teacup, much as Colin was, legs casually crossed as he leaned back in his chair. His silvery eyes were soft as he caught Gavin's eye, LED was blinking a gentle yellow. It didn't take Gavin long to realise he was talking to at least one of the others. What if they're all talking about me? Shit, did I mess up somehow?

"Connor, Colin, perhaps we should clear the table," Nines suggested meaningfully as he tilted his head slightly towards Gavin. Gavin wasn't stupid. He knew what he was doing. The three of them would clear off, hoping that leaving him alone with Chloe would get them talking. Chloe objected immediately. She was the host, and it would be incredibly rude for her to let them clean up. Connor assured her it was nonsense and that she'd done enough of the work by making breakfast. Chloe and Gavin watched the RK brothers leave, each laden down with empty plates and cups.

They eyed each other, instantly dropping their heads as they noticed the other looking. This is phcking dumb! It's never this hard to talk to Chloe! Was that a sign that she wasn't the real Chloe? It was sort of understandable that it was awkward. She knew how he felt about replacement bodies. She was worried about how he'd perceive her. He honestly wasn't sure he'd made up his mind. She didn't look any different. She had the same ringing laughter. Her voice was the same. She just sounded a lot more anxious. Gavin licked his lips as he looked up again. She looked fucking sad! She was staring into her teacup like she was about to cry.

"I'm sorry..." Gavin mumbled, dropping his own head as Chloe looked up. She seemed quizzical, crystal eyes searching as she examined him. He seemed just as vulnerable as she was. She understood some of what he was feeling. They'd spoken about it a little after Colin's return. She knew he'd only half accepted Colin, though he'd never let on to Colin directly. They may not have told him, but Colin was aware. It was hard not to notice. "It's hard...being here like this...I-I mean, you look fine! You look like nothing happened, but the last time I saw you was-" He cut himself off with a small cough. He didn't know how to put into words how bad it had been. Horrible didn't sound like a big enough word to describe it.

"I'm sorry, too...I don't remember what happened, but I know what you did...what I asked you to do...I'm so sorry, Gavin. You should never have been put in that position." Her voice was so soft and apologetic. She sounded downright ashamed of herself. That just made him feel worse. She shouldn't have to apologise. He understood why she'd asked. She'd been in so much fucking pain. He could still remember the shrill, choking sound of her screams and the rasping static of her voice box. Her eyes had been glistening with saline. Filled with agony. Begging him.

"Would you have hated me if I hadn't?" His voice was thick as he swallowed the lump trapped inside. He could feel his eyes filling as he raised his head to look at her, brow creased and lips trembling. Hoarse coughs escaped as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. He wasn't sure which answer would hurt more. That she would have forgiven him and he hadn't needed to kill her, or that she wouldn't have forgiven him. If she wouldn't have forgiven him, he'd done the right thing, but would it really have been that bad?

"I-I'm not sure...Not having those memories is...difficult. As I sit here now, I can say no. I'd never hate you, Gavin. Not for a second. Whether the memory of that incident would have changed that, I can't say...You did what I asked, Gavin...You put my needs, as an android, above your own. I adore you for that." She was soft and sincere in her response. Gavin wasn't sure if that's what he'd needed, but he couldn't stop himself as his shoulders started shaking. He'd barely raised a hand to cover his eyes when Chloe's chair clattered to the floor. He stood so that he could hold her better, wrapping her in his arms and squeezing her so hard he thought she might break.

"I-I'm-sorry..." he sobbed quietly as he leaned down against her small shoulder. He felt her shaking, too. She didn't even remember what she was crying about. She was just crying because she'd made him feel bad. Phck, does that mean I made her cry? I'm such a phcking asshole..."Sorry..." He couldn't help mumbling the apology into her shoulder again. She hushed him through her own tears, telling him again that he'd done the right thing. She was sorry she'd made him do it. It was her fault he felt like this. Part of him wished she remembered so they could share the pain properly, but the other part was glad she didn't. She never would have been the same Chloe after that. How could she be? Who'd be the same after that? What the phck does that say about me?