To Put Away Childish Things

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Act two

John's appearance had an immediate impact upon all three individuals of the room. Derek, stunned at his nephew's sudden presence let the muzzle of his rifle dip toward the floor. Cameron, who only moments before had wished she could see John one last time before her existence ended now frantically tried to calculate the best means of shielding him from the dangers lurking in that room. Jesse was thunderstruck. It simply wasn't possible, she thought. He couldn't be here. He was at the hospital. And then she realized that Riley had done more than break. The stupid little bitch had betrayed her.

Slowly – carefully- step by step John moved into the room. His youthful face gone, now an unsettling mask of ruthless determination. His eyes never left Jesse's face, the pistol in his right hand never wavered. It was pointed directly at her. John continued to edge forward until he reached Cameron.

"Cameron" he said softly. "Get behind me "

Every component of Cameron's programming told her that she could not do as he said. She could not take refuge while Jesse still threatened him. Once again she prepared to leap at Jesse.

"Cameron" John's voice cracked like a whip. "Get behind me NOW."

Derek looked at John in amazement. The tone of his voice was like an old song the Derek had once heard but never expected to hear again. It was a command that permitted no disobedience. Cameron heard the same thing. There could be only one response.

"Yes John" she said meekly. Fighting against every fiber of her being she stepped behind him – placing his body between her and Jesse's fearful weapon. As she did so she heard a quiet sigh of relief escape from John's lips.

"John, please", Derek said. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know more than you think I do Derek" John snapped. "I know that you are my uncle, my family and I care about you. But if you ever, ever try to hurt Cameron again, I will shoot you down where you stand."

The voice in Jesse's head had returned louder than ever before. "Adapt, improvise, carry out the mission!" Jesse shook her head wildly and cried out plaintively to Derek. "My God, baby. Listen to him. Listen to what the bitch has done to him. We have to stop this."

"Give it up Jesse. It's over." John eyes had never left Jesse's face. She felt his uncompromising stare drill into her. How did he know her name? How could he possibly know who she was? She had never met Connor in the future. She had once seen him at a distance walking by as fighters leaped to their feet and saluted some with tears in their eyes. But this John Connor didn't know her. Once again the bitter realization filled her mind. Riley, Riley the stupid weak little bitch must have told him.

"John" Derek was pleading now. "She hurt your girlfriend. She almost killed her. She put her in the hospital."

"That's a lie isn't it Jesse?" John responded. "Riley tried to kill herself because she couldn't go on with Jesse's plan. Cameron had nothing to do with it. She was standing beside me when it happened."

"Plan, what plan?" For the first time Derek looked across the room at Jesse with a growing shadow of doubt on his face.

"She has been lying to you Derek. Jesse brought Riley with her from the future to tear Cameron away from me. It's been a Skynet operation from the very start."

"No! No!" Jesse cried out.

"Yes" John snapped. "Everything was already set up. They had a hotel room rented, money, weapons. Everything was ready and waiting. Dammit Derek, think! Who would have sent her here? The resistance wouldn't concoct a scheme to take away my strongest protector. Only Skynet would want that."

Jesse could see the suspicion growing in Derek's face. It was unraveling. It was all coming apart. "Improvise, adapt." The voice was now a constant scream. She shook her head again as her hands tightened on the rifle.

"Jesse" John's voice softened. "It doesn't have to go this way. Put the gun down and walk away."

Jesse tried to listen to him but the voice would not allow it. It crowded out everything except its own commands.

"I called Riley's foster parents and they're going to take her back. She's out. You can get out too. Just put it down and walk away."

The voice locked in her brain had changed. It was the recording that had played over and over and over again when she was bound to the table. "Better he dies than lead the fight with his machine whore. Better he dies than lead the fight… Better he dies…"

In a numb monotone Jesse began to parrot the recording. "Better he die. Better he die. Better…" Slowly she began to raise the muzzle of her rifle toward John.

"Don't do it Jesse" John's tone was softly pleading. It was useless. She was beyond convincing now. The gun continued to move upward.

"No!" In horror Derek realized what she intended to do. He launched himself across the room in a desperate effort to reach her even though he knew she was too far away. He would never get to her in time. His wild shout had had an effect, however. For the briefest of seconds she shifted her gaze away from John and toward him. Mistake.

The pistol in John's hand fired.

Jesse staggered backward as the bullet struck her chest. Her mouth opened to scream but only a gasp left her. The rifle she held slipped downward but she was still struggling to raise it when Derek jerked it away from her grasp. He threw the gun across the room and grabbed Jesse as she sank to her knees. She turned to look at him before falling back into his arms.

The voice was gone. Jesse marveled that there was no longer another person hiding in her brain. There were no loud commands pounding in her consciousness. It was quiet now. Looking up she could see Derek's face contorted with unspeakable anguish. He tried to apply pressure to her wound knowing it was hopeless. The room was getting dark. Why was dark so early in the day Jesse wondered. Tears were pouring down Derek's cheeks.

"Don't cry baby" Jesse gasped. " I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Fischer… Fischer… I didn't want to hurt… He made me… Fischer… Don't cry, it will all be apples…" Each word took more and more effort. Then she died.

The room was again eerily quiet. Derek held Jesse's lifeless body in his arms. John stood utterly immobile with his hand still griping the Glock hanging limply at his side. Cameron leaned around to look at the tragic scene that unfolded before her.

An animalistic roar of rage broke from Derek as he leapt to his feet. He surged forward toward John who made no effort to evade his uncle's attack. Cameron was not so willing. In a move as graceful and balletic as her earlier dance she spun around John and held out her hand to strike Derek in the chest. Her rocklike immobility brought Derek to a stop. Then as she pushed slightly he fell backwards striking the wall and sliding to the floor beside Jesse's body.

Derek's fury was spent in the same blink of time that it taken to arise. He turned to Jesse and began to stroke her hair. The only sound that could be heard were his tightly choked sobs.

"Cameron" John whispered in a tender voice." Go up to your room and shut the door. I'll be there as soon as I can. We'll talk."

Once again Cameron tried to resist John's instructions. Derek's anger might return. John might be hurt. "I don't think I should leave, John. I should stay until…"

To her surprise John interrupted her by placing his hand gently against her cheek. "I will be all right Cameron. I need to talk to Derek now and it will be better if you are not here." He kept his hand against her cheek and he nodded slightly with an expression of warm affection that she had not seen for so long, for so very long.

Cameron raised her hand and covered his holding it in place against her face. "All right John." She turned to leave the room. At the doorway she looked back to see John kneel beside Derek, put his arm around his uncle's shoulders and lean forward until their foreheads touched. He was whispering something to Derek that even with her enhanced hearing she could not quite pick up. Slowly Derek was nodding his head in acquiescence.