Before I go on, I'd like to send a shout out to my VIP reader rnbm for recruiting his lovely wife to leave a … umm, "Charming" review to push me across the 20 review line to get the next chapter.

So thanks.

Your Song

The lights were dimed low, in the small cramped living quarters of the regimental commander at the forward Command Post of the 132nd SOC out on the fringes of the frontline somewhere were a town use to be, now it was a unintelligible mess of ruined buildings and scorched picket fences whose tips were only visible in the unearthly drifts of snow sweeping down on the damaged planet.

The metallic and concrete room seemed like a harsh and bleak place for one to celebrate Christmas Eve, but then there were few that even cared what that meant, and others who didn't even know why that was so important. But to those few who still remembered tinsel, colorful lights on houses, and decorated trees they still held onto that special feeling of opening bright packages tied in bows to reveal that one item that they had set their sights on for months, if not years, those memories were still something to be treasured.

Since there were so few people who celebrated anymore, the arrival of the day seemed just as special to the little boy lying in the queen sized bed. His moppy and unkept head of lose black curls were constantly in his golden flecked brown eyes. Ryan Connor liked Christmas, because he was one of the few whose family still celebrated it, which made it more of a sacred day, and more special because he was getting presents that were just for him.

"Now I think it's time for you to go to bed?"

"I am in bed …" The boy replied with a pirate grin directed at the young man sitting on the edge of the family bed.

He was a young man in his early twenties with thick light brunet hair that spiked softly, a lock limply fettered on his forehead. He had a deep youthful voice, and haunted green eyes that were lightened to kindness for such a small boy. The tall youth sat straight and soldier like as he observed his son.

"Well …" Colonel John Connor trailed off playfully making the little boy smile. "You know, close your eyes or whatever." He poked the boy in the chest. "You know, if your mom comes home and you're not asleep, we're both going to get in trouble, Cowboy." He widened his eyes to make a point.

The boy scooted up. "But I want to see what I got for Christmas?" He protested.

John gave a surprised laugh at the bold statement. "Oh! And what makes you think you're going to get anything this year? If I remember correctly, there was a certain little kid who stuffed Captain Eiling's boots with mountain horse poop." He gave the boy a mock strict look.

Ryan tried to hide the smile on his face. "You can't prove anything …" There was a mischievous giggle covered with a cough.

"Really, because I remember your mom saying that she had to scrub your hands almost raw while the two of you were in the shower." He quirked an eyebrow with a long piercing glare.

"Alright …" the boy squirmed. "But he deserved it … he said that momma was retarded, and needs a helmet … I don't know what that means, but it sounded mean." He tightened his cheek.

John looked mad a moment and curled a half smile. "Well … next time you tell me when he says something like that, alright?" He nodded to his son.

"Are you going to stuff his boots with dispatch horse's dung?"

"No … I'm going to stuff dung down is throat."

"What?"

"Nothing … just shut your eyes."

"But I'm not sleepy!"

"Well what do you want, a dance number?"

"Sure …" Ryan yawned.

"I was being sarcastic, Cowboy." His father frowned.

"What does that mean?"

The cast iron door opened with a heavy clank just as John was face palming. Quickly John pressed a finger to his lips and tossed a pillow on top of a giggling face. He cleared his throat as the figure of a teenage girl swept in. Her long chocolate hair bounced around her waist. Her golden flecked brown eyes seemed devoid of emotion and her bronze skin was red around her nose and cheeks. Her lithe dancer's frame was protected from the winter cold by a simple purple motorcycle jacket, tight jeans, and her husband's scarf tied around her neck.

"It took time to find, but I think he'll be most pleased, tomorrow morning." Cameron Connor addressed her husband without looking back at John.

If she had, she would see the silent back and forth between a leering boy begging to see the box under his mother's arm and his father mouthing for him to go to sleep and pointing to his pillow.

"What do you think?" The girl asked as she began to strip out of her clothing that was covered in heavy snow. John darted his head back and forth, before he committed.

"What?" He asked distractedly.

"The gift …" She frowned slipping off her jeans.

"What gift?"

"My gift." Ryan whispered.

Even the softest sound of their child's voice turned Cameron's head just a moment, and like it was a click of a pistol hammer, the stoic cyborg whirled on a dime. Suddenly John was standing in front of her.

"My gift … Umm my gift …" He stammered a moment. Cameron frowned and tried to move past him. Suddenly, remembering one of the last things he had said to Ryan, John grabbed Cameron's arm, and turned her to face him.

"My gift is my song!" He sung out loud.

There was a silent pause as Cameron stared blankly at John. "Your gift … is your song?" She tilted her head.

John cleared his throat. "Yeah … Umm, and this one is for you." He bit his lip.

Clearly confused, the cyborg tightened her cheek and turned her head.

There was a pause before John started.

"And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done"

John smiled at her face and stroked his warm hand over her cold cheek lovingly, a way that only someone who had been together with one person so long knew how too.

"I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, just enough of a kiss to let her know he meant what he was singing. Cameron returned it with more force and after they broke apart John suddenly lost why he was doing what he was doing.

"I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on"

Cameron frowned. "Why where you sitting on the roof? That's not safe." She asked in confusion and worry.

The youth cleared his throat. "Just a song … Angel." John stroked her hair gently.

"Sorry …"

"And I'm kinda on a role here."

"It's not over, yet?"

"No …"

"Oh, you may continue."

"So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen"

Smiling at the complete idiot he was making of himself in the private of the family quarters, John took Cameron's hand and twirled her as he reached the climax.

"And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done!"

After the tight twirl, John swept his wife off her feet and grunted at the forgotten weight difference, masked by a slender frame. Because of the struggle to distribute the weight evenly in his arms the song took a pause as John's strained face suddenly got caught in his wife's eyes and suddenly there was a smile and with weight forgotten the man spun her around once.

"I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

The last lyrics were not sung, but spoken softly and sincerely, a statement from a man who couldn't have come as far as he had without the being in his arms. Cameron smiled softly and pressed her head against John's and the two stood there a moment.

But when John opened his eyes due to taking in the scent of her hair, he found Cameron staring at the bed.

"He's got his present doesn't he?"

"Yes"

"…"

"John, this isn't my actual present, is it?"

"Nope … got it two weeks ago."

"Good … because, you were a little off key."

"Love you too, Angel."

It had been twenty five years since that night and much of Ryan Connor had changed. Tall like his father, Slender like his mother, with sleek fluid motion in his fighting skills. His raven curls where grown out and parted stylishly. He had grown from cute to handsome, a face that could break hearts, even with the thin, brutal facial scar across his right eye. He lay back on the Connor family couch.

A tear ran down the rugged man's cheek as he remembered that night, and the several other nights down the precious few years they had together afterward. How magical they had made those Christmases, even in the hell of a genocidal war, they tried to make him happy. Even when things were bad they never let it get him down, they cared and protected him. For those Christmas nights he had a childhood, he had two parents who loved each other, and who loved him.

Sarah Connor was snoozing on top of him, his button down dark brown leather coat draped over them. Her New Year's Eve operation didn't quite go as planned and by "go as planned" he meant he was still wondering exactly how they got home in one piece after all the crap that just happened to them. Also, by the amount of alcohol in his future grandmother's system he wasn't sure if it was an undercover operation at all as it was her idea of bonding time, Which as of thirty minutes ago was naming him a scholar and gentlemen, hugging him with maternal passion while passing out with a Boa Constrictor hold around his neck.

He couldn't help the string of tears that ran down his only human eye. He wrapped his arms tightly around a sleeping Sarah in a childlike embrace, and buried his nose in her hair. He let himself go for that one moment, while she slept. All the childhood memories, his mother's rare but brilliant smile, his father's funny comments and witty one liner that made even his worst days seem a little less bleak. Now they were gone, and he was the last man standing, lost in another time, miles and decades away from where he was born.

"I had a home ..."

He whispered into Sarah's hair, before he loosened his embrace and returned his composure with a harsh sniffle, whipping his eye with his long sleeve Henley shirt.

Suddenly the front door opened, followed by someone walking in with conviction and shut the door with a loud bang. That person shuffled desperately by the couch.

"Cameron!" The voice sounded familiar in promise of more maturity to it, but for now it sounded only like the echo of a man that raised the raven haired soldier as a single parent in the future.

"Cameron!" John Connor called into the kitchen.

There was a heavy thump from upstairs and the sound of wood squealing against polished wood from the hallway above, just in front of the landing. The shadow whipped around and jogged out of the kitchen, and accelerated back through the living room and up the stairs.

"Cameron!" The shadow of John disappeared up the stairs.

"Cameron I got something to …"

"…"

"What's with the …"

Suddenly there was a loud squeal of polished wood on polished wood and a thunder of feet, The shadow of Ryan's future father was jumping four steps at a time, a he pounded down the stairs in flight. Just as he was two steps from the base, there was a storm of banging, clunking and then a wide rectangle shape came rumbling down the stairs right at John.

"SHELF!"

The teen leapt out of the way as his book shelf exploded where he was only seconds ago. Three boots scrapes later, there was a hammer blow of a door slam that shook the ceiling.

"You alive?" Ryan called.

"It's a common question …" John suddenly appeared tipping his head up pinching his nose bridge, holding back blood. "People who say Shakespeare is hard, have never been hit in the nose with Othello." His voice sounded weird with no nasal pitch.

The man's face lightened. "Tough night?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"There's been better …" John observed the sight in front of him. "Good night?" He asked with a frown.

The soldier looked down at Sarah and back up at her son. "I wish I could say …" He sighed.

"Can't remember?"

"Can't tell you …"

"Sworn to secrecy?"

"When she gets sober."

Despite the bloody nose from one and the looming asphyxiation from the other, the two found a strange connection and chemistry that somehow helped the two commiserate with the other. The two chuckled at the others strange happenstance.

John scoffed and scratched his ear. "God I've made a mess of things." He shook his head.

"Pretty sure she was the one who threw the shelf."

"No, I mean personally."

"Oh …"

The teen sighed and stared at the man in his mother's embrace for a moment with a puzzled look, as if he was questioning something in his mind. The raven haired soldier quirked another eyebrow at the look on the teen's face, when the young man found what he was doing he gave a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry …"

"Don't worry about it … something on your mind?"

"I'm not sure I should say."

"Did you kiss a girl and you liked it?"

"No …"

"…"

"Well, alright, yeah … but I'm not sure I should talk about "it" with you."

"That hurts …"

"Oh … no offense."

"I'm the only one in the room."

"It's just …"

"Lady problems."

"Sort of … No not those kind … I'm not fooling around."

"Well then I think I found her problem with you."

"You know what this was a mistake."

"You brought it up …"

John scoffed and walked away several paces to the sound of teasing chuckles from the couch before he suddenly rounded and went straight back at his future officer and unknown only child.

"I love Cameron, okay … there I said it. I love Cameron, I love her, I love her, I love her, I love her … That's right, and you know what I dream about at night?"

"I'm not liking where this is going …"

"I dream of marrying her, I'm talking full on flowers and her in a white sleeveless dress, made of silk with a silver sash around her waist and a lacy veil! … Is it weird I sort of planed my wedding already?"

"A little bit."

"I was raised by a strong woman, sometimes my dreams get a little Lifetime … But that's not important! My point is that I love Cameron. Do you got a problem with that?

Ryan just stared at his father with an awkward pause as he took a moment to collect his thoughts before he answered the outright admission that made him feel more relieved than the teenage boy could ever know.

"Nope …"

John took a strong stance and took a deep breath. "Well you know what?" He raised his voice before he shifted his eyes around in confusion. "Really?" He breathed out heavily.

Ryan snorted. "Yeah, my life kinda depends on it." He muttered.

"What?"

The older man cleared his throat. "Look …" He sat up a little, deflecting from his last retort. "My old man told me once that what a man believes in is important … truth or lie, it's important for someone to believe in something. So you think that this cyborg can feel? That she can love you … who's to say you're wrong? Not me. If she's what keeps you going in the morning, if she's what you need to face the storm … that's your truth, not Sarah's or Derek's and it certainly isn't that douche bag Dixon's. If Cameron is what you believe in, then believe it. Don't let anyone tell you different." he shrugged.

Scratching his head, the teen let the advice settle in his mind before he dragged himself to a chair like a tired old dog and plopped down. It would seem from the light reflecting in bright emerald eyes that the advice was working its magic.

Finally, John scoffed and looked back at Ryan. "A wise man, that father of yours." John chuckled with a shake of his head.

Ryan's face suddenly fell at the self-praise that could've been construed as big headed if he had only known it was his future self who had lectured his eight year old son of the merits of belief and inner strength.

"Well …" the man frowned. "Let's not get crazy." He corrected with some humor in his voice. "This is a man who thought he had a pen pal fling with a famous actress." He chuckled.

John shrugged. "It happens … I use to trade letters with Jennifer Connelly once. She's nice, kinda intense though … She liked my mom, probably because they kinda wrote the same way and used a lot of the same words ..." He sighed longingly.

The soldier just stared at his father, and then down at Sarah a moment before going back to John blankly. "Ever thought about why that is?" He asked flatly.

The teen rubbed the back of his neck. "No, not really … probably just went to the same acting school or whatever." He shrugged again.

"Right …" The man shook his head after a moment of disbelief. "You know who would love to hear that?" He asked. "Cameron …" He finished.

The boy shook his head. "Naw … Cameron didn't like Labyrinth, I don't think she liked the concept." He paused a moment. "Oh" he cleared his throat, catching on to what they were talking about. "That's easier said than done." John got up suddenly and walked anxiously to the window, his feeling catching him again.

His son snorted. "Well you better think of some way to get her to understand … before she goes for the ottoman next." Ryan closed his eyes in thought.

"I've had time to write a book
About the way you act and look
But I haven't got a paragraph
Words are always getting in my way
Anyway, I love you
That's all I have to tell you
That's all I've got to say"

He opened his eyes at the sound of the voice and how almost touching the sound of pure honesty in it seemed to come out in such a strange way for someone who would someday be the leader of a great resistance. "Wow …" Ryan watched the hauntingly familiar silhouette standing against the rays of the moon breaking out of the obscuring wall of clouds in the late hour of the night. When the teen turned to look back at the couch, he looked just like the man who raised him, if only for a moment.

"What?" John screwed up his face.

"What the hell was that?"

The teen turned back and shrugged. "Just some lyrics from a movie I used to watch with mom when I was little … She really liked it, so did I, but I always told her I didn't." He sounded almost embarrassed.

"What's the movie?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Well either way that was actually really great." The man scoffed in surprise.

John smiled. "Really?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well … a little off key."

The teen sneered. "Everybody 's a goddamn critic." He cursed.

Breathing a chuckle, Ryan lifted a palm.

"Boom … hold that thought."

"You got an idea."

"I've got an idea."

Author's Notes

The music follows in order as it was sung.

"Your Song" By Elton John (Or Ewan McGregor if you like that version better)

"That's All I've Got to Say" By Art Garfunkel. (From the animated movie "The Last Unicorn" )

So if I had a graphic for this chapter it would be a troll face from Tumblr … LOL!

Yeah this story was actually going to end in this chapter but at the last moment I decided to move up the count to four chapters, just because I got to hear Cameron sing one more song to end the story with duel John/Cameron songs for the finale.

So yeah, I've decided to drop Derek/Sarah portions of their love story because I don't think I would live to see a Sarah/Derek musical number before someone murders me for even having a concept.

Like I said the only reason Ryan Connor is in here is because John getting drunk and serenading Cameron was part of a Chapter of Because the Night that was cut out. Plus John is going to need help with something in the finale and I really don't see Derek helping him out with what he's going to do.

Sarah's there because she and Ryan's stories genially revolve around each other usually more than John/Cameron … plus the point was to show that Sarah/Ryan had a night worthy of a "Hangover" movie and this episode with Jameron is just one weirder thing to happen.

As usual if I get 10 reviews I will release the new chapter.

If not … then it ends on a cliffhanger. (So another words It will get updated maybe a year and half from now.)