I don't own anything but the plot, grammatical errors, misspelling and bad ideas. Everything else is just borrowed, remodeled and used to my own selfish interest to create a universe I hadn't had a chance to see in the show.
As always: characters are more "out of character" than "in character", especially Cameron. Deliberately. I want them the way I write them and since the producers of the show didn't want to give them to me, I decided to create them on my own. Everything written in my poor English, without any help (apart from Google translate – sometimes I get really crazy suggestions) from corrective hand(s).
I have absolutely no idea how often I'll be able to update, but I expect not as often as I did before (In Vino Veritas). I can only promise that I'll post every new chapter as soon as it's written, corrected digested, matured, rewritten and found acceptable by the author. Oh wait … that's me … But that still doesn't guarantee it will be good.
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the ride although there'll be absolutely no battles, no different timelines, no attacking terminators. But there'll be a lot of everyday's activities, silly little romantic moments and my irrational satisfaction of creating something that some readers might even find amusing and worth reading. Oh, not to forget … I haven't decided yet how many chapters there'll be, but I do have a vague idea of more than 20 … if the muse stays with me. I'll do my best to convince her, but … sometimes that's not enough.
Chapter 1 – I've Got a Suggestion
Sarah and John Connor sat together with Derek Reese and their resident terminator, Cameron Phillips, in the living room in their rented house and discussed Sarah's plan to finally do something what normal families do all the time: to make a winter vacation in some, if possible, more remote resort. It was definitely a security risk, what Cameron, sitting beside John on the couch, pointed out bluntly immediately after hearing of Sarah's plan. But for once in the history, Sarah didn't want to hear anything about security risk or lurking terminators. One look into the bright eyes of her son gave her all reassurance she could ask for; he so wanted to have at least one normal week that she simply couldn't ruin that now.
„Listen folks, I've got an idea, how we could make our winter vacation even more interesting." John looked at Sarah and Derek, who returned his look somehow suspiciously. "Hey, don't look at me as if I were a moron! How am I supposed to lead a mankind someday if even my own mother and uncle don't trust my suggestions. Listen to my idea first and after you've heard it, you can try to convince me that it's a bad idea and that we should do it completely differently. Hell, you can even consider my termination." He grinned foolishly at his words.
"John, please, don't use such terms in relation to yourself." Cameron looked at him with blank face, but her voice did sound slightly irritated.
Sarah's look revealed that she had her suspicions concerning John's yet unrevealed idea too, but she sighed and took his side nevertheless: "Well, John, if you think that your idea is so good, why don't you just tell us what you think."
"Thanks mom … I think." Commented John a bit sarcastic. „Yeah, I really do believe that this idea might be interesting. At least for some of you." He cast a pleading look in Cameron's direction. "Why don't we just go to Lake Tahoe. It's winter and there is lots of snow and we could try snowboarding. Well?" After no one reacted to his idea he added: "Well, if someone doesn't like snowboarding, there's skiing, sleighing, skating and all sorts of sports that we could try."
For another while everyone remained silent, but after a second Sarah looked at him and nodded: "You know, this might not be such a bad idea. We should try to have at least remotely normal vacation and this could help us in doing it. John, for a change, I even like your idea. Sure it's not as remote as I hoped for, but still … I guess we could find some cottage far away from people."
Derek snorted: "It's idiotic and breaks every security rule you can think of. Besides, why would I willingly risk my limbs by doing something stupid?"
"Because it's fun, that's why! Not to forget that you really started to look a little rusty. Have you gained weight from sitting in front of the TV set?" Answered John with a smirk.
Cameron's lips curved up in the slightest at John's remark. She wouldn't admit it even to herself, but she enjoyed when someone annoyed Derek Reese. Especially if she was the one doing it, but if it was John, teasing him, it would be as good as if she would be on the giving end. In the last months she had set up quite a large file named "Things to annoy Derek Reese with" and it grew larger every day. Needless to say that she made extensive and often use of its contents and the effects on the resistance fighter were quite remarkable, sometimes really making her day.
John turned to her and noticed her ghost of a smile: "You know Cameron I think you would do it just fine. Especially if we would learn together." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and gave her a sly smile.
Cameron turned to look John straight in the eyes and said with her best poker face: "I think that concerning my outstanding learning capabilities and my physical superiority to any human being I would learn much faster and would be, according to my calculations, able to teach you within three hours."
John's mouth fell but he didn't miss that his beautiful protector looked at him amused, although her face revealed nothing. "Are you trying to say that I'm slow?"
"I'm not trying to say anything. I'm just stating the facts." Deadpanned Cameron, still looking at him with blank face but vaguely amused eyes.
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
"Why would I make fun of you? I'm programmed to protect you, not to make jokes." At this last words amusement in her eyes vanished and was replaced by slightly hurt expression.
"OK, OK, time out!" Interjected Sarah. „You two can have your heart to heart discussion later when I'm not around. I'm really not interested in your little games of who's kidding whom. We should decide if we're going to accept John's suggestion or not. I would put it to vote, but democracy in such matters only spoils everything and manages a great deal of confusion. So it's up to me … I made a decision … we're going!"
„Thanks mom." Grinned John and looked at Cameron. Her face remained set in stone but she suddenly winked at him and smiled slightly. "I knew it!" Exclaimed John and grinned wider at her.
"Man, I hate being cold!" Protested Derek and gaped at Sarah in dismay. "I've been cold all time in the future war and now I have to go somewhere where it's even colder just to have fun? Somewhere where there's even a lot of snow? Worse even; I'd have to go out in the snow! No, sir, no thank you!"
"We're going and that's final! You, however, have a choice: either you go with us or …" Sarah grinned at him wickedly, hesitated for a second and continued with voice full of malice. "You can stay here and clean the house thoroughly. Oh, and don't forget to paint the walls and windows. In all rooms!" Sarah suddenly looked at him completely calmly, she even grinned slightly at him.
Derek shuddered vigorously: "Yeah, right, as if this were a choice at all. I can only take bad or worse and I chose former; I'll go with you. It's still better to be freezing in the snow than doing the painting and cleaning." He huffed, turned away from Sarah and started towards the kitchen to get a beer.
Cameron suddenly giggled so quietly that only John was able to hear her. He turned to her in utter surprise: "What?" He never heard her giggling before and it sounded to him like clinging of silver bells.
Cameron got her giggling under control, put her terminator face back on and answered with deadly serious voice: "I imagined Derek in white painter's clothes with a paper cap on his head, climbing up the ladder to paint the ceiling while holding a bucket with paint and a brush in one hand."
John exploded in laughter: "That's something I'd gladly pay to see."
Sarah looked astonished at her son, who managed to suppress his laughter and looked back at her in fake seriousness, while his eyes still laughed. She shook her head at him but chose not to comment at this time. She turned to Cameron instead: "Tin miss, you will find us appropriate accommodation. Nothing too fancy and definitely something where we won't be exposed to too much prying eyes. Perhaps an adjacent cabin or something like that."
Cameron nodded and went for the stairs to get to John's notebook which was in his room. John suddenly jumped up from the couch and hurried after her: "Wait Cameron, I'll help you."
"As if she would really need your help." Snorted Sarah at his eagerness. "I believe it's just your desire to hang out with her constantly that influenced this sudden decision to make use of yourself."
"I could use some help from John. He knows things even I don't." Answered Cameron instead of John, who just stared at her wide-eyed not quite believing what he just heard. Did Cameron really say he would know something more than her?
Sarah snorted dismissively again and chose not to pursue this conversation further. To her it was quite obvious that her son wanted to be in Cameron's company. I should do something about his attachment to her. His affection for her is getting too obvious. And I don't like it.
John quietly followed Cameron upstairs, still thinking of her words and as they reached the landing, he grabbed her arm: "Cameron, what did you mean by I would know things even you don't?"
"I was just trying to reassure Sarah that you could really help me and in that moment I had no other idea how to convince her but to tell her you could help me in fulfilling my task." Deadpanned Cameron and looked at him with a hint of a smile.
"So, you didn't really mean it? You don't believe I could know more than you?" John was obviously having hard time to digest that Cameron thought he wouldn't know anything more than her, especially after just being led to believing the opposite. In a matter of seconds he felt like he'd be taken into the heavens and expelled from it just few seconds later.
Cameron sensed that John was getting annoyed and that was the last thing she wanted. Since he proposed this vacation she felt how some until now unknown warmth spread inside her and she wouldn't want their relationship to revert back to the strained one they had before. So she stopped, turned around to look John straight in the eyes and gently laid her other hand on his, still gripping her forearm: "John, I'm not trying to insult you. You know much more than anyone your age. And in the future you'll have even better information, better than anyone else. But you shouldn't forget that my database is much more extensive than your brain could possibly remember. I'm a machine, remember? The most advanced learning computer on Earth." She made a short pause and added bitterly: "And the most effective killing machine. You said it yourself. Quite a few times."
John felt how his cheeks began to burn. The bitterness in her voice as well as irritation and hurt in her eyes couldn't be overseen, even by someone who wouldn't know her as good as he. She was subtly trying to remind him of all the times he regarded her as just a machine, a tool. But at the same time she was trying to reassure him that he was important. "Cameron, you're probably the only person in the world who can tell me how important I am while at the same time make me feel like a total jerk."
Something like an involuntarily grin and appreciation flashed over Cameron's face. "It wasn't exactly my intention to make you feel bad, John. I was just stating the facts. But nevertheless … thank you for considering me as a person" Her face still showed no emotions, but her voice was much warmer than before. She felt happy that John obviously understood what she was trying to tell him between the words and even happier that he used the term person in relation to her.
John smiled at her sheepishly: "I'm sorry for ever hurting you. You must believe me, it was never my intention, just … clumsiness, ignorance. And I most definitely don't consider you a killing machine. No, Cameron, you're so much more than that, you're … you're my Cameron. Am I forgiven?"
This time Cameron's face didn't remain emotionless, her lips curved up slowly in a beautiful, albeit small smile: "You are, John." She suddenly felt warm inside, warmer than anytime before. He thinks of me as his Cameron. He doesn't see in me the killing machine he used to see before. Then she returned into the terminator mode: "We should start searching for some accommodation."
John jumped on the chair and opened his notebook: "Yeah, we should. And I already know what we are looking for. I mean … what we are going to find." He grinned goofily at Cameron, who looked at him quizzically with raised eyebrow not really wanting to know what John was up to right now. But after a while, curiosity got better of her and she asked: "May I ask; what are you looking for? If my memory serves me well, and it always does, your mother assigned the task to find suitable accommodations to me, not to you."
John's grin grew even wider while he nodded enthusiastically: "Yep, she did. And that's why we'll be doing it together. Come on Cameron. Let me enjoy this moment. I promise that you'll be satisfied with my choice."
"I would prefer if Sarah would be satisfied with your choice." Deadpanned Cameron and looked at him slightly irritated.
"And I don't give a damn if she's satisfied as long as you are." John looked at her apologetically.
His exclamation caused Cameron to slightly open her mouth in utter surprise. Why would he want me to be satisfied? I'm just his mechanical protector and not someone who should be considered. Although … he did say I am a person and his Cameron. "Why would you want me to be satisfied?" Her voice clearly depicted her confusion and she looked at him with questioning eyes.
"Well … because … you know … because you are very important to me." John stuttered before he found a way to answer her question and not reveal his true feelings at the same time. Man, this was really lame! I can only hope she won't insist on getting a true answer. We'll definitely have a chance to clear this weird situation between us on this vacation. If I could only gather the courage to finally admit my feelings to her. He prayed that he wouldn't blush and reveal his feelings to her inquisitive eyes, gazing at him without blinking.
Cameron knew very well that he wasn't telling her the truth, at least not all of it, but she saw his embarrassment and decided not to pursue this matter further. I guess he feels attracted to me but is afraid of admitting it. We'll have enough time on vacation to sort these things out. Maybe we'll have a chance to talk in private and I'll force him to tell me what he really feels for me.
TBC