The Idea

On a Los Angeles nature trail a woman was jogging with a stroller, her IPod blaring Lady Gaga's "Just dance" as she pumped her legs. Inside the stroller, a baby girl slept peacefully, the sun net blocking the glare.

She stopped for a moment and caught her breath. The menu to her playlist clicked as she switched to something less active to slow her pulse down. Bobbing her head to the new song she walked around and checked on her precious bundle. The little blond haired, green eyed beauty was smiling in her sleep.

The woman grinned, unplugging an ear bud from her headphones. The young mother brushed the baby girl's moistened bangs out of her face.

"Just down to the hot dog stand and we'll go back home Juju bean." She promised the sleeping baby, kissing her damp forehead.

Walking back to the stroller she wrapped her fingers around the handles and was about to start her last cardio rotation when all of the sudden the bushes separating the path from the woods started to rustle with the coming feet of a large group of people.

With a suspicious flick to her right, the young woman squinted into the tree line. Slow and steadily the feeling around the area started to change slowly.

Then without a warning she was surrounded by much commotion.

The air was electric and filled with the sound of battle. The war cries and shouts of curses carried on the warm wind. The thumping of armor and weapons clanked and clattered in mass across the serene setting that was peaceful only minutes ago. The war and brutality had started on the other side of the park and shifting across the area.

Men and woman clothed in chainmail and light armor littered the nature trail. Some were garbed in long robes and chanted around the violence, Pointing their wooden staffs and hands at others.

"For honor!"

"Lyanna!"

The fighters shouted the names they wished to fight for as their weapons clashed with each hack and smash. The goals for their nation realized through barbaric total war were no man or woman would be left alive in the pursuit of glory and fame of their combat prowess.

The woman screamed out of fright and ran away with the stroller at the mismatch of medieval dressed people.

Amongst the melee of the costumed people, two broke from the brawl and fled from the fighting.

The blond haired and blue eyed boy was no more than twelve and was dressed in green tights and a brown doublet with a flaming sword patch over his heart.

Next to him was a girl of seventeen. She had long curled brunet hair and golden flecked mocha eyes. She wore a tight leather bustier and leather skirt that fit her tight and toned body like a glove. Blue war paint streaked on her smooth cheeks and a flaming sword was painted over her taught stomach.

"Over here …"

The girl's voice was stoic and commanded with a sense of presence that no one could deny she didn't know what she was doing. The boy ran behind her, they jumped into some brush away from the fighting. There were a mass of people in red and gold surcoats and doublets striking down the last of the people in blue with flaming broadswords somewhere on their bodies.

"What are we to do gentle, ser?" The boy asked with a strange broken English accent.

The girl squinted at the massacre. "Keep your wits about you brave squire …" She advised gently touching his shoulder.

The boy nodded and sucked in some of his nervousness in a breath and let it out. Both turned back to the battle to find the group of red and gold enemy's surrounding a portly man on his knees. Both of his hands were behind him and he seemed to be acting as if he was somehow horribly wounded.

"Thou rouges and cures!" The fat man called to the laughing group of people. "You cut down my good men and maidens in this heinous betrayal!" The man was dressed like a knight and acted as if he was having hard time breathing, though he seemed completely uninjured.

Amongst the group of red and sweaty people standing around the knight a large homely woman walked up from the crowd. She was big of shoulder, broad of chest, and thighs of a softball player. She had a host of freckles on her flat face.

A nervous sweat leaked down the blond boy's face as he watched on, turning back to his knight who watched emotionlessly with a frown.

"Now my Lord Beric … you will reveal the location of Ser Cameron and her squire Egg!" The large woman announced aloud her powerful voice echoing through the trees around the nature trail.

The boy moved to engage but he was pulled back by his mistress. "But we must save lord Beric's life, Ser!" He whispered desperately. The beauty shook her head with an intense glare.

"It's what they want … we must not give into their trap. We are all that is left, we must bide are time if we are to win the day, egg." The look in her eyes made the boy nod.

Back on the trail the man panted with a groan. "May the gods of Thodden cast you to the pits of 3,000 rapes!" He yelled. "You will never lay your hands on sweet Cam …"

"Quiet you!" An Asian kid kicked the man in the ribs.

"OW!" The man called out in a high pitched whine that didn't quite fit with the condition he would have people believe.

"Sorry Barry …" The boy whispered.

"SWORD!" The muscular girl roared to her companions.

The people made their way for an eleven year old girl lugging a large heavy looking great sword. The Squire tensed and the girl lifted an eyebrow at the size of it.

"You will tell me where the she devil Cameron is, worm, or I will give you the kiss of death!" The monster of a female warned the fat man.

The larger knight hacked to spit in her direction but ended up coughing on the motion. "I'd rather die a thousand deaths, than betray my sister in arms!" He made out through coughs.

"Granted …" The broad female knight replied sinisterly drawing the great sword from its scabbard.

The blond squire touched Cameron's arm "Ser" He hitched. Yet the teenage girl did not flinch.

"May the father of father's judge me justly!" The fat knight shouted.

The large woman brought the sword high in the air effortlessly.

"Ummm … hey."

A tall man wandered onto the path from the woods. He had brown spiked hair, a lock of which fell limply over his forehead. His hardened green eyes looked a bit amused, while he scratched his designer stubble.

All in the group of knights and warriors stopped and looked at the man in a black plain tee and jeans. They glared suspiciously.

The man looked at all of them and cleared his throat. "Yeah … hey I was wondering if any of you know where I can find Cameron?" he asked sucking on a straw from a drive through soda cup.

Everyone looked at everyone else, then back at the tall man with a confused scowls.

He spared a moment of observation at their clothing. "Cameron Baum? She's about 5'6, brown hair and eyes … painted stomach … anybody?" He gestured to them.

There was an awkward pause amongst the crowd of people and the man as they watched their feet and scratched their heads.

Finally the fat knight looked around and cleared his throat loudly.

"AHH … damn your craven tricks, Ser!" He called to the softball built girl. "You wish to trick me into giving, Ser Cameron away with you apparition from another world!" He called with a jolly bandit voice. "Come do your worst, Demon, I will not betray my dear friend and companion!" He replied gallantly.

The emerald eyed young man squinted in confusion at the rebuttal and "Huh" at him with a bite to his lower lip.

"Hmm … okay, well …" He looked back to the muscular girl still holding an enormous rubber great sword. "I can see that you guys are doing something. So if you see her, tell her that John is waiting for her at the hot dog stand." He announced awkwardly and nodded slowly, before starting to walk away.

"Not so fast!"

One of the team members called to John. The twenty something turned around with a lifted eyebrow at the stern voice that just wasn't doing the job it was supposed to.

"You might be a spy …" It was an eleven year old girl in aluminum half helm who walked toward him. John stifled a laugh at her with a strategic cough.

"Trust … trust me, I'm not a spy." He lifted an eyebrow. Patting her on the helmet, he began to walk away.

THUNK!

"AHH, fuck!" John hopped on one leg while clutching his hamstring. "What the hell!" He called at her.

"My lord!" A boy with glasses knelt in front of the muscular woman.

The softball pitcher snarled ill tempered. "Speak" She tilted her head.

He lowered his. "If he is searching for Ser Cameron, than perchance he might be of use to us in daring the devil maiden and her squire out in the open." He spoke quickly.

The woman observed him for a moment in thought. With a swift push she kicked him over and stepped around his body.

"You, peasant!" She called to John who was hobbling on his foot trying to get the feeling back from the rubber sword strike.

"What is the nature of your relationship to the wench Cameron?" She asked powerfully.

The young man screwed up his face. "If I had a dollar for the amount of times I'm asked that …"

THRACK!

"Goddamn you to hell!"

The little girl glared at the curse sent her way after striking John in the arm. "Ser Georgiana asked you a question, commoner!" The squire screamed at him.

"Why are you yelling at me?"

THRACK!

"AHH, stop it!"

"Answer the question!"

"We live together … we're freakin roommates, Christ almighty." He called when the girl lifted her rubber sword to hit him once more.

The Ser Georgiana squinted at him. "So you're valuable to this maiden." She rasped.

John shook his arm to get the feeling back. "Yeah, I mean if she likes having water and electricity in our apartment … AH AH!" John pointed to the little girl, raising his voice when she looked like she was going to hit him again.

The large knight pointed her great sword at John. "Then I claim you as captive and leave you the right to ransom!" She announced to all around her.

Like a band of pirates they cheered and laughed at the mild victory they won.

John looked completely unimpressed. "Seriously? Can't I like give you a twenty and we call it even?"

CRACK!

"Pain! … Lots of pain, little Debbie!" He chattered his teeth in promise to the squire.

A rubber axe spun from behind a bush and struck the boy with glasses in the back. Upon realizing what had struck him he launched into very melodramatic death scene. Finally after coughing violently he fell to the ground with a thump.

"If it's I you seek than you have found me!"

Cameron walked stiffly out of the bushes with a sword in hand. She looked cold and dangerous. The girl was flipping the weapon as if it was an extension of her arm.

"You couldn't have come a little earlier?" John glared at the eleven year old who got into a fighting position.

The large knight took her sword and stuck it into the ground. "I knew thou couldn't possibly stand idly by while I hold your moon and stars hostage." She laughed to which all of the others did so as she looked side to side.

"You weren't actually holding me …"

THUMP!

"Satan's whore!"

Cameron approached menacingly, a cold look of murder in her eyes. "You kill my friends and brothers, and then you capture my moon and stars? This grievous insult will be dealt with by the only god that is certain …" The girl raised her weapon and pointed at the knight.

"Death"

The nature trail went silent for a moment before the three people who remind ran at Cameron full force weapons raised.

The first who arrived was manhandled by the girl and tossed behind her with one graceful and fluid movement. The second to arrive lifted her sword to bring it down on the girl's head. But before she could, Cameron brought her own blade across her stomach, side stepping the charge. With a spin she took the sword from her fallen opponent and in one smooth motion dropped to her knees avoiding an attempted decapitating blow from the last of the other team. The brown eyed teen crossed her twin swords and brought them across the big youth's beer belly.

Turning cold eyes in John's direction, the little eleven year old girl dropped her sword and raised her hands.

"Yield, yield, yield!" She called over and over backing away from the seventeen year old.

"Chicken shit …" John smirked at the girl while she fled from the scene.

But Just as Cameron was rising the big female lumbered on her before she could see her.

"Come die, Wench!"

From out of nowhere the blond boy jumped out of the bush and in front of Cameron.

"NOOO!"

The great blade caught him on the shoulder and across the length of his body. John watched with an impressed smile when the boy hit the ground and despite there not being a mark on him he vibrated and coughed as if he had actually been cut.

Cameron turned and jabbed her blades into the large knight's neck. The woman took the blades in hands as if they had really been stuck in her and fell to the floor.

Taking a slurp from his soda John walked over and watched as Cameron got to her knees and cradled Egg, her squire's body.

"Did I earn my … my spurs, SSS … Ser?"

"You did, gallant friend … you did." Cameron nodded stroking his hair.

"Really?" John snorted.

Cameron turned and gave him an icy look. In response the young man lifted his hands and backed away slowly.

"Ser … Ser will you tell my true love that … that …"

"What is it, egg?"

"That I will wait for her."

Suddenly the boy went limp in Cameron's arms and he looked off into space.

"I will … I will indeed." She closed his eyes in tears.

There was a silence that took ahold of the community nature trail littered with the bodies of dead LARPs. A couple taking a walk took a moment to observe the scene of Cameron holding her squire.

"How's it going?" John lifted his drink in salute to them.

They both shook their head at him disapprovingly and continued onward.

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

In unison, the sound of twenty watch alarms went off at once. Suddenly all those who had been claimed by death rose from their spots and stretched or yawned. There was a moderate mummer of conversation as the costumed people began trudging back the way they came.

"That was awesome …!" The kid that had been dying in Cameron's arms was now wide awake and on his knees next to Cameron.

"Yes …" She acknowledged with a nod. "You fought well today." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

The boy got to his feet excitedly. "I can't believe how outnumbered we were and how you took them out, Conan style. I swear Cameron … you're the best sword here." He punched the air excitedly.

The girl leveled him with a tilt of her head. "I would be dead if you hadn't jumped in the way, the victory belongs to you as well." She explained.

The boy had a look that said that had just won a metal. He ran up and gave her a hug before breaking apart quickly. He was blushing hard for a moment until he giggled like an idiot and ran off as fast as he could.

There was a pause while she watched him. John came walking up next to her sipping his soda, sharing the view.

"I believe he just realized that he wants to copulate with me …" She turned to John blankly.

He snorted. "Can you blame him?" He bumped her shoulder looking at her tight leather outfit.

She looked down at her body and back at John. "What about it …?" She asked innocently.

He gave her a smirk that said that he wasn't going to be pulled into her games. "You notice how you're the only one dressed like a Xena out here?" He widened his eyes as he took another gulp.

"It's an effective strategy …" She claimed hiding the ghost of a devious smirk.

"So why LARPing?"

The spoils of a victorious LARP tournament were a fifteen dollar prize gift certificate to "Eddie's Slices and Ices" on the Santa Monica Pier. With evening rolling around, Cameron decided that she would spring for Dinner for her and John.

Both were standing in line as couples waited on the staff who took orders in the small trailer and sitting area. The cyborg had noticed that no one seemed to bat an eye at her costume. It seemed to be an interesting perk to living in L.A.

She turned, watching John as he looked her in the eye.

"Sarah said that I needed a hobby, since we got back from the future and I wasn't going anywhere since John Henry has gone online." She tightened her cheek. "She said … "Hairy women didn't burn their bra's so that you could just sit around the apartment and wait for John to come back home from class, girlie.""

John laughed at her impression of Sarah as she quoted her surrogate mother from their phone conversation.

Cameron tilted her head with a smile at his infectious laugh. "I don't think she and Derek likes us living together without their supervision." The girl stated as the line moved.

The former resistance officer sighed. "Yeah well, we're in college now … They're going to have to get over it someday." He replied in an uncompromising voice that had shut down any protest Sarah Connor and Derek Reese might have had of John and Cameron sharing an apartment several years ago.

"Community College …" She corrected.

"Whatever … the point is we needed to get out on our own for a little bit." He sighed at her.

"You were in the future for five years on your own …"

"Cam"

Whenever he called her that with a sigh she knew that meant that she was "Taking a rabbit trail" and that she was missing his point.

"Sorry." She apologized.

As the line moved closer he gave her a lopsided grin which was a tell-tale sign that she annoyed the living hell out of him sometimes but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"How bout you grab us a table?" He motioned her toward the umbrella shaded white tables.

It was a small moment but one which started happening more frequently since they returned from the future. It was something in their gaze that held the other; it was awkward because it made the other feel hesitation almost like when jumping off a moving train. It intrigued Cameron as to what would happen if they ever jumped off one day.

"Okay" she nodded breaking eye contact.

When she moved away she heard John audibly shake out of whatever it was about the young cyborg that was holding him in thrall.

Making her way toward the tables she paused a moment at the noise of electronica music buzzing close by. Frowning in thought she followed the sound to the entrance of a nearby pier. By the sea wall a woman was dressed in a shiny silver leotard, skull cap, and matching body paint.

Cameron observed the woman as she made stiff movement that didn't quite match the music. It took her a beat or two to comprehend just what she was doing.

When it occurred to the girl that the woman who was obviously a street performer was intimating a robot, the terminator oddly found herself touched.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

She walked over to the street performer and stood in front of her, watching what she could only label as loose interpretation of cybernetic movements.

"Excuse me …" She interrupted the performance.

The robot dressed woman turned stiffly and made a steam turbine sound with her mouth. She paused blankly facing Cameron making a hiss with her mouth.

The girl blinked. "Your motor function subroutine seemed to be damaged." She explained with a pleasant smile.

Once again the performer made a steam turbine noise as she turned her head. When she found the position she liked she hissed again.

"Do you not understand?" She tilted her head as well speaking pleasantly. "What I mean is that your joints are sticking too much, you are in need of maintenance?" She tried to clear up her original statement.

The fake machine looked down slowly making the same obnoxious sound as before and then back up as if mockingly scanning Cameron.

Hissing she looked Cameron straight in the eye.

"Me. Love. You. Long. Time."

The woman spoke with a cheesy and slow mechanical voice.

The cyborg tightened her cheek in confusion. "I do not understand."

Now making piston noises the woman jerked forward. "I. model. 69. Need. Your. Sex." She continued.

"Most cybernetic organisms don't require the need for human intimacy … you should restructure your infiltration techniques." She corrected the robot.

The robot stopped with a hiss and once again tilted her head. Then slowly she raised her hand in a closed fist. Then as if being cranked by a lever she lifted her middle finger till it was standing at attention for Cameron.

The girl frowned for a moment. She didn't understand why she was being so rude to her. In her mind every infiltrator needed help if they were going to blend in. Cameron wasn't sure where she would be if John hadn't been there to help her assimilate in 2007.

Then it hit her.

"You're mocking me." She stated.

"Aren't. You. Smart. He. He. He." The woman placed her hand on her stomach and made a fake mechanical belly laugh.

Cameron glared at the woman for a beat before reaching over and ripping off the silver skull cap on the woman's head and threw it down the dock.

Suddenly the machine broke character and the painted woman glared daggers at the real cyborg.

"Bitch!" She spat and chased after it.

She watched her go with a blink till John waltz up next to her with a basket of pizza slices and a flyer under it.

"Hey I thought you were going to get us a table?" He said.

Cameron squinted in the wind. "Something came up." She said vaguely.

John snorted at her answer, almost as if he didn't want to know. Cameron caught a aqua colored paper in his hand.

"What's that?" She asked taking it from him.

The young man shrugged as the two started walking down the sidewalk with the ocean to their right and the road to their left.

"They're looking for a "Tall, dark, and handsome" With a little bit of "Desperate to be noticed" for good measure." He chuckled as Cameron read.

She looked up at him. "Is it an acting job?" She asked innocently.

The soldier sighed miserably. "Can be …" He ripped off a piece of breadstick and handing it to her. Cameron usually didn't eat but when she was with John she had to or her best friend would feel guilty.

As she chewed on the bread she tilted her head at him expectedly. When he turned to look at her and saw her face he gave a loud snort.

"They're making a stag film, Cam."

She frowned a moment. "They're shooting an instructional video on how to hunt deer?" She asked.

He sighed good naturedly at her. "No … how do I put this?" he rubbed his stubble.

"How do you put it?"

Watching her, John groaned. "They're looking to cast a porno."

"Porno?"

Cameron felt bothered when she had to ask a string of questions like this. Ever since she was unsynced from John Henry she had lost some valuable knowledge from her database. So it seemed as if she had to relearn all of which she lost. She knew that these questions annoyed John some times.

"Yeah, you know when people film themselves having sex …" He said quietly.

She looked out to the setting sun across the water in thought. "But I thought people don't like other's to see them doing their private intercourse?" She asked.

"A lot of people don't , but … a lot of people like watching it." John sounded somewhat uncomfortable.

She looked puzzled. "Why would people do films if they're morally ambiguous?" She posed her question to the young man.

John sighed. "Well the truth is, the people tend to want to be noticed, or they need the money. A lot of people watch porn, so I'm sure they think that someone will notice them and they'll get a "legit" job in Hollywood." He shrugged as he ate.

There was a silence as both walked down the shoreline. In the distance a sailing boat glided by them.

"Is taking naked pictures of yourself, considered porno?" Cameron asked.

"If they're meant to get someone off, then I guess …"

"…"

"To stimulate sexual desire …"

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

John squinched at her. "Why do you want to know?" he asked carefully, knowing that asking his companion loaded questions was a lot like opening a Pandora's box of things he didn't need nor wanted to be informed of.

Cameron chewed emotionlessly. "Cause Riley once attempted to send you pictures of herself naked as well as provocative texts." She stated as they walked.

Grinning, the youth squinted in thought.

"I don't think I remember any "Sexting" from Riley … ever." He turned back to Cameron.

The cyborg didn't seem to share eye contact as they moved along the sidewalk.

"You wouldn't have, because I got to them first …" She admitted.

"Well … what happened to them?"

Cameron paused. "John, I have a confession to make." She turned to look at him.

He stopped and stared hard at the girl for a moment with a humorous smile.

"Cameron … Is this a story for Penthouse?" He asked somewhat nervously.

Looking him straight in the eye she didn't flinch.

"I redirected them …"

There was a silence between the two that was filled by the ocean and a passing ice cream truck.

"To where?" John shook his head.

"Sarah's phone."

For a beat there was complete silence. Then John burst out laughing at her.

"OMYGOD … You're … you're serious? Is that why …?"

"Sarah felt uncomfortable around Riley? Yes, that was one of the reasons." Cameron confirmed with the ghost of a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Did … did Riley and mom ever?"

"Work it out? No, Riley never knew I sent them to Sarah and Sarah never knew that they were meant for you." She confirmed as John coughed on some pizza.

It took a minute for John to get his breath back before he returned to normal, his face flushed, and his sides hurting.

When he got himself back under control he looked down at Cameron and shook his head.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." He widened his eyes tossing an arm around her shoulder as they went on their way again.

It was quiet for most of their absent walk, not sure where they were going, just enjoying the journey together.

"Man …" John snorted. "Can you imagine how awkward it could've been if mom and Riley would have actually had a conversation about that?" He looked down at the cyborg tucked platonically at his side.

"It would probably be more awkward for Sarah than Riley." She admitted.

"Yeah? How's that?"

"Riley fantasied about Sarah."

John hacked at the pizza in his mouth out of complete surprise to which Cameron gave one hard smack helping him cough it out.

"What!"

Cameron squinted at John's reaction.

"Riley was a Lesbian …"

"How do you know!"

"I hacked and read her online journal. She often imagined what Sarah looked like naked, she also posted mock love letters to Jesse Flores."

John took a moment to let it all sink in, knowing the implications of this being true.

"Okay now you're just making stuff up." He defended his manhood.

"Am I?" Cameron turned her head just a touch, taking the pizza from his hand and biting into it.

Blinking, the cyborg strode of in front of him, taking the lead.

"You're joking about Riley being a lesbian, right?"

"…"

"Cameron?" He chased after her.

The coast was alive with the cawing of sea birds and the distant horn of a large ship leaving the harbor as dusk settled on the Pacific Ocean. A gentle mix of purple leaked across the orange sky reflecting in the gentle slosh of low tide.

Sitting on the large rocks near the shore line, John and Cameron spent the rest of their dinner in silence watching the sun set and feeling the wind whisper the coming of the cold wind of the Southern California night.

"Mom … she keeps riding me about what I'm going to do next, now that it's all settled."

John sighed staring out at the day fading around them, crumbling a napkin in his hand.

Cameron watched a small bird stuff its head into holes in search of crustacean to eat. "She's always had a type A personality, She doesn't feel comfortable without a goal." She turned to John next to her.

The young man shrugged. "I guess … but I just don't know what I'm supposed to tell her." He picked up a rock and looked at it. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with my life now." He shrugged, side throwing it at the water.

The rock plopped and skipped three times before losing momentum and sinking into the water. Cameron screwed up her face to humor him.

"What do you want to do?" She looked down where John's shoulder leaned on the side of her knee.

"I don't know … I've never had much of a choice till now."

She blinked. "What is it you want most out of this new life?"

Slowly as if nervously he met her gaze and lock eyes with her again. There was something in his haunted emerald gems that was different, something deep and longing.

"I don't know …" he said quietly as if he was in a church. The sudden flash in his gaze seemed to contradict his admission.

The cyborg watched her best and closest friend for another moment trying to decipher what this all meant, but before anything could happen he chuckled to himself disbelievingly and turned to look out over the bay with a shake of his head.

She tightened her cheek. It was there again, that emotion (if it could be called that.) She had felt it since she had met John all those years back in New Mexico. It was an attachment that went beyond the normal mission perimeters. Back then she found that in tight situations she could pull from it to encourage herself to complete tasks when it came to John. This knew found glitch in her programing even abled her to override her programing when it demanded the death of her former charge. She found it to be a great ally but hardly understood what it meant.

When she merged with John Henry even for that short period, The "glitch" became more defined since of all of John Henry's devolvement transferred to her. Now it consumed her most of the days and well into her long nights.

She wanted to ask John. The "glitch" and why it was only came up when she thought of him?

But strangely she had found it hard to put into words. One night when John was hard studying for midterms she sat on their couch and called an emotional call in help show on a soft rock radio station.

The supposed female doctor was nice, but replied that she couldn't help till Cameron found out for herself and was honest about it. However the talk jockey hung up on Cameron when she was asked where she got her medical degree, because posing riddles is hardly acceptable.

"Brain surgeons don't require their patients to locate their tumors before surgery, do they?"

But tonight there was something about the atmosphere and the smell of the night that seemed to prompt her to address it.

"John …"

"Hmmm"

She paused when the young man lifted his arm and without even thinking rested it lazily across her Thighs expecting her question.

It was that feeling again, like she was standing on a moving train, the scenery blazing before her. All her systems tell her it won't hurt her to jump and yet that "Glitch" was holding her back.

"What happens when you want to say something … or put something into words, but you can't?"

John arched his right eyebrow at her with interest. "Well …" He drew the word out as if to buy time for an answer. "Some people do it by actions." He shrugged.

"Like …"

"Like … art." He replied right on her heels with a shrug.

"Painting?"

"Sometimes"

The cyborg took time to consider if it was the proper way that she could express the swirl of inconsistencies in her mind.

"That doesn't seem tangible."

John snorted. "Okay then …"

"Anything else?"

"Poetry?"

"I tried that once …"

"Oh, yeah, I remember, English 2, Mr. Amedon's pre winter break poetry project."

"The Councilor gave me a heartfelt hug for twenty minutes and sent us home with an abused women's shelter pamphlet for Sarah."

John groaned as if the memory was going to give him a migraine. "Yeah and mom sat us down and gave a lecture on how much of the truth we're supposed to implement into our school work." He shook his head. "I've seen capital punishments more humane …" He chuckled with a sigh, laying his head on her lap playfully.

Cameron patted his head sympathetically.

Flicking down she saw the aqua flyer sitting underneath their dinner containers. Suddenly she had a thought.

"Could making a movie be an appropriate option?"

John lifted his head from her lap and gave a mock pensive face. "Yeah I guess, I mean sometimes people's interpretation of your script could ignite one's realization." He widened his eyes at her teasingly.

"Like a consult?"

"More like a change of prospective."

It seemed suitable and doable judging that every time she sat down to watch television and new movie trailer comes out, both Derek and Sarah made comments about how studio's were pulling blockbusters out their ass.

Maybe that was what she needed. If she could somehow put all her "Glitches" nuances into a project maybe she could better understand them coming from someone who was more experienced in emotional situations like an actor.

She would need a large audience so that even if her cast didn't understand what was going on, maybe someone out there had gone through what she was feeling and could connect with the material. Possibly even contact her for the answers she sought.

"Like a Hallmark card"

Her gaze and her thoughts came back to the flyer sitting idly nearby.

"Hey, Cam …"

"Yes" She broke away.

"Back at the LARP tourney those guys in red, they called me your "Moon and stars" what is that all about?" He asked.

She blinked. "It's a term for someone very close to you, someone you covet with all of your Gyiean life blood." She repeated.

He smirked at the LARP language.

"Was their interpretation right?"

Cameron tilted her head. "You risked yours and the lives of everyone on the planets to save me. You left your mother, timeline, and home because of me. No one has quite personified the definition like you have." She explained innocently.

John had a smile that seemed no one got from him but her. It was like peeling back layers and looking into his soul. She smiled faintly back at him, she couldn't fathom how she couldn't.

It would have been a perfect time to tell John what she has been trying to find the words for these last couple of years. But she couldn't seem to find what they were or what they meant.

He snorted a breathy chuckle and got up with a sigh. Cameron watched him as he stretched and gave one last look at the ocean and darkening bay. The lights off the marina twinkled in fading light of the day looking like a flurry of firefly's fluttering on the waves.

"Come on, Moon and Stars, let's go home." He offered her a hand up.

Smiling at the name she took it as he at least pretended that she need help up. However when she was on her feet he didn't let go of her hand.

She waited on him to be the first to release, she could sense that his heart rate elevated as they're hands were grasped. But he didn't let go.

"Come on …" His face was stoic with a smile for her, despite what she knew what was going on inside him.

He tugged her arm lightly motioning his head back to the car. Hiking over rocks they didn't break their grasp.

When they threw away their trash, John didn't seem to notice that the flyer wasn't amongst it.

Author's Notes

So this story is a bit of a turning point in my writing career in this fandom.

You know in the last several months I've been accused of having mental problems by Miahoneydo just because my stories have took some dark turns. I've had M1919 talk some mess here and there.

And I started to get a temper as it all piled on over the months. I just really just started to loath the people that once claimed to be fans of the show.

Several days ago I got banned from the blue wiki on trumped up charges that were completely false. Of course I complained and tried to get the main administrator to see the injustice of it all. He could care less.

So I went and talked to some old friends, Meanoldmoe and SarahWannabe.

They gave me some very good advice, but it was something they didn't say that got me thinking.

When did loving this show become a choir and not fun?

Then it hit me.

What made me love writing for this fandom was that I had fun immersing myself in it and cared less about what the Miahoneydo's, m1919's, and RDO's of the fandoms thought of me and my opinions.

I love reviews don't get me wrong, but I stopped writing for me and started living and dying with other people's expectations. Stories like the beginning of" Because the Night" and "Purpose" Had very little reviewers but I was having fun writing them because I loved the material. "Phillips Anatomy" was what it was all about in the peak.

I want to have that feeling again, so this is what this story is all about.

In fact if you want the truth if you're a budding FF writer that's the key. In the times I've been in the Blue wiki I've seen so many people drop posts like "I think I'm going to write something tonight." Or "Have you written anything yet?"

Anyone can write a story, but if you're doing it because other people pressure you to or because everyone else is.

It won't be as good.

So if you write something, anything, let expectations go. Don't worry about what someone else will think of it. Write what you want when you want.

Just have fun with it.

And if you don't get reviews who gives a fuck? You wrote the story you want to read that someone else couldn't or wouldn't write.

Don't be discouraged by flames … you've put yourself out there which takes more courage than the hater who's to chicken shit to writing anything.

Just dropping some knowledge from an old pro …

So if you've read all of this and are offended for the people I mentioned in the "Sunday sermon" or you don't like what you've read. Even if you laugh at it or say "He's lost his nut."

I don't care, I'm just letting people know where I was and where I'm heading.

Get on or off the train.

R&R as always (The story that is! any review of the Author's Notes will be deleted, that's what PMs are for).