The question plagued him for weeks. That life was so normal made it worse. The Hickory Killer had gone silent. The AAL and AHL were playing nice for the moment. Even Stan's case was over and done with. He'd come in himself to give him the good news. It hadn't even gone to court. His lawyer had cited breached rights and harassment of a minor, pointed out the lack of physical evidence that tied him to the event besides his being found at the location, and the whole matter had been dropped. Stan had decided to follow in Gavin's footsteps and join the academy. All he needed was a recommendation, and Gavin was happy to give him one, proud that he'd had something to do with his turnaround. His mother wasn't thrilled, but being on the force was better than being in a gang.

From what they knew, the gang was simply letting it go. They hadn't tried to contact Stan throughout the legal proceedings, nor had they turned up after the fact. It seemed they'd either written him off as dead at the scene or let it go because he hadn't incriminated them. Losing new members had probably hit them, too. They may not have the time and resources to follow him around. They were a relatively small gang that would likely be swallowed up at some point. It was also no secret that Stan was close to Gavin, who had a reputation on both sides of the law. Being a sergeant, it was unlikely they'd want to tangle with him.

Gavin's duties as a sergeant were going well. His recruits had all settled in nicely over the past month. All of his pairings had been a success. The newer officers were gradually seasoning and learning from their new long-term partners. There was almost a strange sense of harmony in the bullpen these days. With androids becoming more common and accepted by the day, the level of harassment had calmed. Fowler's last email about the consequences of android harassment and sensitivity training may have had something to do with it. Connor had conducted the training, with Nines making the modules and grading written assignments. All humans had been required to complete the training. Even Fowler and Hank had sat in and completed the work as a show of humility. No one was above learning. Everyone could make improvements. Gavin had completed the modules too, though he'd been downright insulted to learn he didn't get extra points for being Nines' partner. He hadn't even accepted sexual favours for extra credit.

"You'd happily choke on my cock if I told you to anyway, assignment or not." Nines had watched with smugness as Gavin almost choked on his decaf. He couldn't deny it. "Choking on my cock is one of your favourite things to do." Again, not a lie. Gavin had snickered quietly, eyes darting around to make sure they hadn't been overheard. They were lucky that Connor and Hank were out, so no one had been listening. Because of the fraternisation code, they rarely talked about such things in the bullpen. No one heard, but it was always best not to take any chances. They were already pushing it by living together, and they could hardly pass it off as a father-son relationship like Hank and Connor.

Despite the good things that had happened, the lack of activity had given Gavin time to think and time to think was dangerous. Especially when the Hickory Killer's words kept spinning in his head. He'd told him it felt good to hold someone's life in your hands. He'd done that now. Experienced that power. He'd chosen to end a life. An innocent life. How had it felt? It hadn't traumatised him, so maybe on some level, it had felt good. He shuddered every time he thought about it. He was beginning to doubt himself. What about all the other times he'd ended a life? Had that felt good? Sure, he'd sighed in relief after dropping a perp before. Those were kill or be killed situations. It always felt good to know you were going to live, but was that really why it had felt good? What if it had felt good because he was the one who'd just snuffed a life out? It felt good to save lives, but did it feel just as good to end them? According to the Hickory Killer, it did. Was that how he felt? Was he just trying to dress up his true feelings as something more palatable? Something that made him feel less like a monster?

Things with Chloe had improved, at least. Since they'd cried it out, they'd kept in touch regularly. They hadn't gone out alone again. Neither of them felt ready. Chloe would come to the hotel with Elijah, or he'd drive up to the estate with Nines. They'd managed to finish their paintings. Nines had found it much easier to complete the task with his newfound freedom. He'd altered it a little. Once he was finished with the red city and the chain links, he'd painted a series of cracks across the canvas, each one glowing with light and colour. There was white and yellow, with hints of blue in the sky and green in the section across the garden. It was like the picture was about to be blown wide open to reveal a more colourful canvas beneath. Gavin guessed that's what deviation was like.

They took them home after. Gavin's was hung on the wall in the entryway, opposite Aaron's memorial, and Nines' painting was in Gavin's room. He stared at it in the early hours if he woke up before Nines exited stasis or on those rare nights where Nines would charge alone in his room. He often slept in Nines' bed on those nights, exhausted and fucked out as he lazily stared at the blue light spinning on his temple. Sometimes dark thoughts would find him. Thoughts of what he'd do if the Hickory Killer came for Nines. He'd hurt him before, but it was only a matter of time before he hit him where it really hurt. He'd already proven that he could take him out. It was just finding the right setup. Creating the perfect scenario. His heart always started racing at the thought of what that could be. How it could look.

It could be anywhere, at any time. He could snatch Nines when he was at work. They already knew the Hickory Killer had ways to incapacitate androids. He'd already done it to him once, with the EMP barrier at Christmas. Connor had been taken out with a smaller handheld disc version of that, magnetising him into a temporary shutdown. He could also just take a shot and blow his electrical brains out. He'd already proven he had the resources to damage him. What if they were just walking along one day and a bullet struck out of the blue? The thought was enough to almost start up a panic attack.

He got his next letter near the end of September. Stacey called him over to give it to him as he walked by the barriers one afternoon. He didn't really think about it as he entered the breakroom to make a coffee. The letter had been delivered by private courier. The return address was listed as a warehouse. Gavin frowned as he looked it up on his phone. It wasn't a place he recognised. It was an old Cyberlife owned place, recently shut down. The return address likely wasn't important. It could have been chosen simply because one was needed. With the address noted as the DPD, the sender didn't need to worry about it being missed. Someone would always be there to accept delivery on his behalf. Nines was at his desk and Tina was out, so he was alone in the breakroom as he peeled it open.

It looked normal from the outside. Typed script. Just a simple Sergeant G Reed with the DPD address and a return to sender instruction. He didn't recognise the address, but it could easily be a case related message. It wasn't unheard of for witnesses to send in anonymous tips. Informants would sometimes do the same. Sending a letter was just easier and safer sometimes. He still didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as he shook the paper open, cursing quietly as a small set of pictures fell on the floor. He huffed as he leaned down and picked them up. Who the hell uses prints anymore? He hadn't seen physical photos since...

A lump filled his throat at the memory. Sitting on the sofa in his room at Elijah's mansion. The pile of photos slipping from his hand. Aaron. Taken apart piece by piece. The terror in his eyes. Blue on the table. Everything clicked out so neatly. He took a breath and frowned as he noticed they were shots of him and Nines. His throat locked as he recognised the places. The salad bar where they had lunch. A scene they'd worked a few weeks back. The local supermarket Nines dragged him to for their weekly food shopping. The café they met up with Chloe, Connor, and Colin. A nearby park they sometimes walked through in the slowly cooling evenings. On each picture, a small red dot had been penned on Nines' head. The middle of his forehead. His LED. His bare temple. Just above his ear. The back of his head.

"Gavin?" Nines' concerned voice interrupted from the doorway, making him jump out of his skin. He automatically held the pictures against his chest and sighed in relief. It was just Nines. Of course it was. The Hickory Killer wasn't exactly going to walk into the breakroom for a conversation. He was about to ask why Nines was there when he remembered his watch. Nines had been very particular about it since the incident with Chloe. Every morning before they left the house, he checked for it, and even on the days he helped Connor with extra work, he made sure he was wearing it before he left. He found in intolerable to be apart from him without his wearing it. He didn't like not knowing. Fair was fair though. Gavin still had emoji Nines, and he checked the app regularly when they were apart. The emoji would often blush or poke its tongue out as he checked up on him to make sure he was alright. It was nice to have that security. The problem was, he couldn't have a meltdown in private without Nines knowing about it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing-nothing, go on back to your desk," Gavin replied in a falsely dismissive tone as he shoved the note and photos in his pocket to deal with later and turned back to fix his coffee. Nines' LED span red at the blatant lie, silvery eyes almost hurt. He was hesitant as he considered obeying, still spinning red and yellow as he looked at the floor. Gavin turned and backed up against the counter as Nines prowled further into the room and crowded into his personal space. He was firm but gentle as he tilted his chin up in a rare public show of intimacy. Gavin felt his voice stick in his throat for a whole new reason as Nines leaned closer.

"I'm a deviant now, Gavin...You can't just order me to go away whenever it's convenient." Nines' words had him stuttering instantly. That wasn't what he'd meant at all when he'd told him to go back to his desk! He would have said as much if he hadn't continued. "I know something happened..." His silvery eyes were soft and imploring, making Gavin's gaze dropped guiltily, because he knew he should tell him. Everything Hickory Killer related had to be handed to Nines, so that he could get it to Colin and Perkins at the FBI. He hadn't read the letter yet, but who else would send him pictures like that? The silent threat was clear. I know the places you go, and I know when you're most vulnerable. I could take him from you at any time, and there's nothing you can do about it.

"I didn't finish looking through it yet," he mumbled as he pulled out the photos and handed them over. It was a weak excuse. He felt small and vulnerable as Nines took the pictures. The yellow of his LED quickly returned to red as he looked through them. He hadn't noticed anyone watching them during those times. His background scanners were running constantly, so he was sure he would have noticed the android if he'd turned up again. Either the Hickory Killer had more than one android, the images had been lifted from security cameras, or the Hickory Killer had exposed himself and taken the photos in person. He set a background program running instantly.

There were details he could pick out to pinpoint the exact time and date of these pictures. He remembered every moment of every day with perfect clarity, which also meant he remembered what Gavin had been wearing in those locations on every occasion they'd visited them. He could analyse the level of sunlight, the shadows, and the probable location of the sun in the sky to figure out the approximate time. It would take a while, but he was sure he could work out the exact day and time of each photo. From there, all he had to do was scan the footage he'd picked up before and after that point and note each person he'd seen in the area. From their position, he could likely work out the angle and direction the photographer had been standing, though possibly not their exact location. They could have zoomed in from a distance.

"You know you should tell me about things like this as soon as they occur...Why did you try to keep it from me?" Nines asked softly as he lowered the photos to level a searching look at Gavin. He looked suitably ashamed of himself. Guilty for his transgression. He sighed as he tugged the crumpled letter and envelope from his pocket. Nines' lips thinned further in reproach as he watched Gavin fiddling with the paper. "I'll contact Colin after we've reviewed the contents." It wasn't a question. Gavin nodded meekly as he unfolded the paper. Nines snatched it as Gavin's stress level skyrocketed and hurriedly helped him to sit down on one of the high stools and rest his hands on the table.

Gavin's eyes closed with a shaky breath as the familiar hand closed over the back of his neck. Nines was still there. He wasn't dead yet. They still had time to end this. Nines' voice was soft as he soothed and reassured him. He hadn't even looked down at the paper yet. Gavin's mental stability was far more important. The sound of his voice was enough to calm him somewhat. Soft reassurances that he was still there, still unharmed. Gavin looked scared. His heart pounded as he took deep, slow breaths to calm himself.

Nines jaw tightened as he squeezed and stroked Gavin's neck. The Hickory Killer hadn't even shown his face, and he had Gavin quaking with just a few photos and a simple letter. Nines hated it. He hated that this unknown human held such power over Gavin. For years, before he'd even been activated, this man had hunted Gavin in the shadows. He'd caused him such pain. Taken those he'd loved from him. Threatened and taunted him at every turn. He was working his emotions like some sick form of marionette. Pulling his strings and making him dance. He hated it. He hated it more now that he was part of the performance. A tool for the Hickory Killer to use. An instrument for Gavin's destruction.

With Gavin breathing deeply, Nines returned his attention to the paper in his hand. The letter and photos had scared Gavin. They did not scare Nines. They made him feel...angry. It was a raw, fiery feeling that scorched his insides. This person, this human, this unknown insect dared to threaten him. He dared to threaten him to get to Gavin. This human was certainly a coward, despite his clear intelligence. He was wise not to face him head-on. If he ever got close enough to touch him...Nines crumpled the paper as his LED span red.

Oh, what a canvas I will paint!