"OH MY GOD I WASN'T EVEN GONNA DO ANYTHING! WHY THE FUCK YOU GOTTA BRING 2020 INTO THIS?!" Your directive glared daggers at the male prototype, still holding onto your hands. "AND WHO THE FUCK GAVE YOU A MEGAPHONE ANYWAY?"

"BACK. AWAY. DETECTIVE REED." Connor's dark eyes glinted in his aggravation... which, to you, felt rather misplaced.

When no one moved, the RK800 started to storm over; that was enough to get the two of you to separate, the human grumbling and crossing his arms. "I thought you said you trusted me with this shit? What, are you changing your mind?!"

"I said I trusted you at that point in time, yes. Because your intentions were to sleep." Bringing the megaphone back to his mouth, the android added, "WHILE YOU ARE UNDER THIS ROOF, BEING SUPERVISED, DO NOT THINK WITH THE WRONG HEAD."

"Oh my God, I'm gonna go deaf," Gavin spat, upper lip curling back. "You honestly think I'd fuck this up? I would've stopped the second she felt uncomfortable!"

"We were not being supervised, nor are we located under Elijah's roof," you chimed in. "So based on your ground rules, you have interrupted us, Connor. And that is incredibly rude."

Realizing you were rebelling on a technicality, the device was aimed at you instead. "NOVE, YOU'RE GROUNDED."

"You can't be serious, Con," Reed bemoaned, though the way his mouth twitched told you he was trying not to laugh. "How are you gonna ground someone when this isn't even your house?"

"GROUNDED. GET INSIDE, BOTH OF YOU."

"I'd do what he says," came Hank's voice from nearby. He and Chloé were in the driveway, the latter holding onto Sumo's leash. "That thing isn't even at full volume. Plus you're grounded, sweetheart, you can't logic your way out of it!"

"Why am I the one being punished when this predicament is not about me?" Arguing back and forth was fairly amusing... though you wondered where Connor really got the megaphone.

"G R O U N D E D."

A thousand responses were considered before you opted for humor: "YOU'RE NOT MY REAL DAD!" From the driveway, you heard the lieutenant cackling so hard that Sumo began to bark. Beside you, Reed had a hand clapped over his mouth in a valiant attempt to stifle his laughter. But he doubled over, leaning far and just giving in, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"... is that your most clever comeback?" The male android allowed a smirk to creep across his face. "I told you, Nove, you were built to counter him. Not myself."

Unfazed, you tuned out the echoing laughter. "I am built to counter Gavin, but I am also capable of adapting to other, lesser opponents."

Eyebrows rising half an inch, the RK800 gestured to you in a vague way. "By all means, counter this lesser opponent."

"Daddy."

While your directive let out a loud groan amidst his laughing, Connor merely blinked. "That does not faze me."

Hand shooting out, you stole the megaphone out of his grasp, seeing that there was no resistance, and increased the volume by a notch. "DADDY."

He just shrugged. "Will that be all? If so, get inside the house."

[So he is challenging me.]

Shifting gears, your eyes narrowed dangerously. "DAD I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERCOURSE."

Connor's smirk dropped right off his face, shaking his head slightly. Red-faced, the human male stood upright again, grinning like an idiot and watching what may end up becoming total devastation.

"SHOULD WE BE SAFE AND USE PROTECTION? I AM UNSURE IF I AM CAPABLE OF CONTRACTING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES. MY SCANS SHOW THAT GAVIN IS CLEAN, BUT I WOULD LIKE MY DAD'S ADVICE." Turning on his heel, the male prototype made a beeline for the ladder. You followed right behind him. "DAD. I NEED ANSWERS. DAD. DAD. DAD. DAD. DAD. DAD. DADDY." The sheer volume from the megaphone echoed your words throughout the inside of the house.

From the kitchen, Elijah poked his head out with an incredible look of concern. "What's, uh... what's all the noise about?"

"DAD WON'T ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ABOUT SEX." Refusing to put the megaphone down, you kept it pointed towards Connor even while he tried to escape down the hall. "DAD, PLEASE COME BACK, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS."

Snatching the device out of your hands, Eli turned it off. "So... why were you chasing him and shouting?"

"That's her brilliant way of clapping back at Connor," exclaimed Gavin, finally catching up to you and grinning. "He tried to ground her for some fuckin' reason, and she was hell bent on making him embarrassed."

Covering his face with both hands, Kamski wondered just what the hell he'd agreed to for the entire weekend.

◇___#$&!___◇

Several hours passed again; though it was incredibly late, Elijah had been making dinner for the three humans. Soon afterwards, most everyone retreated into the rooms. Both Hank and Conner had their own, and Reed supposed that the one he'd crashed in was his. Before his brother disappeared for the night, he asked, "Where's she gonna stay...?" he questioned, nodding towards you, standing nearby.

"There's one last room, down the hall. Away from yours." With a pointed look thrown at the shorter male, he nodded. "All the cameras are on. Goodnight, you two."

Master bedroom door now shut, Reed sighed and heard you approaching. "... all right, cara mia, we'd better get to bed... I guess." Walking you down the hall, since your room was as far as it could be from his, your directive glanced towards your form, barely seen save for the moonlight from the windows. "Do I need to put you into sleep mode? I... guess I should've asked some basics in the first place."

Shaking your head, the smile had crept up before you made note of it. "I can put myself into sleep mode, though it can also be scheduled if that is something you'd prefer." Standing outside the guest room, there was a pause. "...... I have a request, sir," came your quiet voice.

The detective almost didn't speak. "Anything."

There went your regulator being ironically irregular. "Please do not overcompensate for what's happened. You are driven and stubborn, and while admirable, I am just an android. I am made for you, there is no reason for you to go out of your way to make things right to a machine."

The hand covering your mouth was unbelievably warm. "Don't say shit like that," Gavin murmured. "You're not a machine. You have machinery, but you're as self-aware as I am. It doesn't fuckin' matter what you're made of physically, all right?" Lowering his hand from your mouth, he used it to gently poke his index finger against your chest, right where he regulator was located. "If that's still beating, then you're the same as I am. Just, y'know... slightly more attractive," he added, a cocky little grin appearing.

"Gavin--"

"Hey. No. All right? That's an order. I wanna make it up to you. I can't overcompensate for the shit I did, cara mia. But I sure as fuck wanna try."

Like hours prior, hands took your upper arms, carefully turning you to face your directive. But Reed didn't even get any closer; from nearby, Hank's voice called out down the hall, "Bed. Now. We're not stupid, Gav, keep your distance if no one's around. Don't fuck this up."

God damn it.

Those hazel eyes captured yours, the male managing a smile before he pulled his hands away. "Buonanotte tesoro, sogni d'oro," he mumbled, waiting for you to be secured in your room before retreating to his own.