author's notes: Okay, first of all, I'm sorry this took so long. I had exams all last week and I've been working on my T:SCC Christmas story. Sorry about the wait.

Elessar-4-TnT - Don't worry. He'll come around. Hopefully, in this chapter, you'll kinda see where John's coming from, as far as forgetting the play. He really hasn't forgotten.

Tom 67 - Sorry about any confusion. There's actually a lot of references to the first story in this chaper. Yeah, and there will be a lot of Riley vs. Cameron.

Dirt Rider 712 - First of all, yes, John and Cam will get together. In this chapter, you'll see why John's attitude changed from the last story. And Riley and John never really "broke" up. She got mad at him for a while, but that was it. Just an argument. And about John's inner turmoil...well, he's obviously going to have some when dealing with Riley vs Cam, but it'll tone down. Thanks for your thoughts.

Drackner Clawrus - Thanks for the rating! :)

Chapter Four:

Romeo and Juliet

Riley woke up only to find that Cameron had already left the room. She quickly checked their agenda, seeing that there was an event scheduled at the Stratford Theater in an hour. Rubbing tired eyes, she entered the bathroom and looked into the mirror.

"Ugh," she grumbled to herself, wincing at her reflection. "I have major bedhead."

She reached for her hairbrush, only to realize it wasn't there. She frowned, momentarily confused. Where did I put it?

She searched the entire bathroom, wondering if maybe she'd misplaced it. When it didn't turn up, her second thought was that Cameron had taken it, which didn't seem too far-fetched considering Cameron's latest attitude, so Riley quickly checked around the rest of the room, her search yielding nothing.

"Great," she muttered sarcastically. "I have to go to an upscale theater production today and I look like the bride of Frankenstein…"

She exited the room, scowling at Jason Reynolds who tried to hold in a laugh at her frizzy hair. She tried not to look at John, whose eyebrows were knit together in confusion at her unkempt appearance.

This is so embarrassing, she thought. Riley knocked on the door of another girl's room, quickly asking to borrow a comb.

************

John looked around at the large theater chamber where the performances would take place. Ms. Darbus began to introduce their first activity. "This is a pre-show event where we'll meet the actors and actresses and participate in some fun activities."

John winced. Somehow he wasn't sure if Ms. Darbus' idea of fun was the same as his own. Cameron was standing at his side, as usual, and Riley had hung back, apparently avoiding her. John had heard her talking to another student about a missing hairbrush, whatever that was about. He sighed. If something bad had happened to Riley, he was pretty sure Cameron was involved.

Ms. Darbus got them all seats inside the Stratford Theater. John found a seat in front of Riley, with Cameron quickly filling in on his other side.

"Did you do something to Riley?" John asked, careful to keep his voice low so as not to anger Ms. Darbus.

"No," Cameron replied evenly. At times like these, he hated the fact that she could control her facial expressions so perfectly. It made it impossible to tell if she was lying.

The actors and actresses came out from backstage and introduced themselves, with the girl who would be playing Juliet coming forward with some special instructions for the 'fun' activity.

"We are going to play a little game," Juliet announced cheerfully. "In order to get you all used to the language used in Shakespearean plays, we'll be shouting out some Shakespearean insults. I'm going to pick a couple people from each school and you will come up, be given a note card with an insult written on it, and then one person on each team with go up against a student on the other team and shout your insults."

John tuned her out, glancing over at Cameron. "So where is her hairbrush?" he prodded.

"I don't know," Cameron replied.

"You don't know or you don't want to tell me?"

"I don't know."

John put his fingers on his temples. "What did you do to it?"

"I flushed it down the toilet," Cameron replied simply. "I do not know where it is now."

John shook his head in disbelief. "Down the toilet? Are you serious?"

"Let's have…the blonde right there…" Juliet was saying. John looked up to see the actress pointing at Riley, who stood up hesitantly and walked to the front, unsure of what to expect.

"And…the brunette sitting in front of her."

Cameron looked to John, confused. He simply shrugged. He didn't know what to expect.

"Just…go up and do what they tell you…" he suggested.

Cameron quickly did a quick crowd scan for any threats and reluctantly left his side.

John felt a bit nervous. Cameron and Riley were probably not the best choices.

He watched as the first two students began, with one coming from each side of the stage, meeting in the middle and shouting odd insults at each other while trying to appear "tough." Taunts ranged from biting thumbs to 'scurvy knave'.

John barely noticed the other students, waiting anxiously for either Cameron or Riley to appear on stage. Finally, he spotted Cameron next in line on the left, and instantly felt sorry for the poor soul who would be going up against her. He looked to the right to see the victim and almost choked.

Riley was up next too.

"Great," he muttered. "Could it get any worse?"

The call was given and Cameron stalked forward towards Riley, reminding John yet again that she was indeed a killing machine. If not for John's order not to murder anyone, he would have bet money that Riley was about to be terminated.

Riley's tough walk was credible, but a bit of nervousness had crept into her face. And honestly, who could blame her? John had been terrified when he'd seen Cameron coming after him during her 'malfunctioning days'.

The two combatants stopped about a foot away from each other. Neither spoke their lines, locked in a staring contest that John knew Riley had no hope of winning.

"Uh, one of you, speak," Juliet prodded, seeming uncomfortable at the tension build-up. You picked them, John thought.

Riley finally blinked, and John saw a slow smile of victory light up Cameron's face.

"Blondie," the young man playing Mercutio cut in with a twinge of annoyance. "Your line."

Riley flushed and looked down at her notecard. "You soulless villain."

Cameron's eyes flashed and John hoped she wouldn't take it too literally. It was probably the worst insult picked to be told to a heartless cyborg killing machine. Cameron looked down at her own card, stating in her cold tone, "You are death's fool."

Riley backed down and John sighed. Even Juliet and Mercutio seemed relieved…either that or they were wondering if they should kick Riley and Cameron out of the theater. John watched as Cameron turned away from Riley and headed back down the stairs. He felt some of his anxiety leave.

Riley was less than happy.

***********

"Taco Bell," John stated, glancing around the crowded restaurant with a raised eyebrow. "I like how we're eating at an American restaurant in Canada."

"Taco Bell is Mexican," Cameron replied seriously. "And I don't understand why you are complaining. You like Mexican food. It reminds you of when you lived in Mexico."

John raised both eyebrows, surprised. Sure, that was true, but… "I don't think I ever told you about that."

"Not yet."

John couldn't figure out how to respond. Riley came up to his side, keeping her distance from Cameron. She had a look of worry on her face. "Do you think they only take Canadian money?"

John's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. "Oh, crap," he muttered. He only had American money in his wallet. "I forgot to switch my currency," he moaned. Cameron. Cameron never forgot anything. Surely she had already switched hers over. "Cam, do you have any Canadian money?"

"Yes."

She made no move to give him any and he realized he hadn't been clear enough in his request. "Can I borrow some?" he prodded.

"Yes," Cameron said, handing him a five.

John took it gratefully. "Thanks."

Riley hesitated. "John, do you think I can borrow some money?"

John looked to Cameron again. "Can I borrow one for Riley too?"

"No," Cameron replied coolly. "That's all I have."

John scowled. If he hadn't said it was for Riley, she probably would have given it to him. Then again, she may have guessed his intention. She wasn't stupid, and she knew him well.

Riley looked from John to Cameron uncomfortably. "It's okay, John. I'm not that hungry anyway."

John glared at Cameron and handed Riley his five dollars. Cameron watched indignantly, but didn't offer him any more money. Maybe she really doesn't have any more.

After Riley ordered, John sat down with her and she offered him some nachos. He took them thankfully, stomach growling. He didn't notice Cameron coming his way until she plopped her tray with a chicken quesadilla and nachos in front of him without stopping. His eyes followed her as she made her way over to where Jason and Ms. Darbus were sitting with a couple other students.

Riley shot John a puzzled expression. He simply shrugged, mind whirring at Cameron's gesture. "She's not a big eater," he reminded her, unwrapping the quesadilla. It was exactly how he liked it. When Riley started eating again, his gaze drifted towards Cameron, who seemed a little out of place among Jason and his friends.

He felt an intense wave of guilt for leaving her out.

**********

"This is going to be nothing compared to our school's performance," Jason bragged. Cameron was seated beside him in the balcony with John on her right. Riley had gotten stuck sitting in the row behind, next to Ms. Darbus.

"You were the bomb in that play," Jason said to Cameron.

Cameron cocked her head to the side. "I'm a bomb?" She looked over at John, eyes wide. "Am I putting you in danger?"

John exhaled. "No. It's just an expression. It means you were really, really good."

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

The lights dimmed and John watched as Romeo and Juliet got underway. Onstage, a fight broke out between the warring Montague and Capulet clans. John noticed right away that they were starting off with a modern twist, with the actors wearing regular clothes. Interesting, he thought.

Paris charged onto the stage, and held up a machine gun. Cameron suddenly slammed into John with enough force to knock the wind out of him, sending him out of his seat and onto the floor, behind the cover of the balcony wall.

"Stay down!" she ordered.

John struggled, vision blurring after knocking his head on the floor. "Get off!" he hissed. "He's not trying to kill me!"

Cameron pulled herself into a kneeling position, peering over the top of the balcony. Paris was addressing the bickering families. John scrambled to his knees, glaring at her, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the other theater patrons.

"Why'd you do that?" he demanded.

"Your life was in danger," she said simply.

"That was part of the play!" he hissed.

"There are no guns in Romeo and Juliet."

"They've modernized the beginning to show that the lessons are still relevant!" John protested.

"Mr. Baum, Ms. Phillips," Ms. Darbus hissed sharply. "There is no roughhousing in the theater! Now take your seats or I will have to ask you two to leave!"

John quickly sat back down, trying to tune out the chuckles of his fellow classmates. Cameron took her seat as well, looking more confused than embarrassed.

John tried his best to ignore her for the rest of the play, tried to focus on what was occurring onstage. He found this increasingly difficult as the ending drew near, remembering vividly his own performance with Cameron.

"Oh, Romeo!" Juliet cried in despair, holding her husband's dead body. John could almost hear Cameron's voice in place of Juliet's. The way she'd projected the emotion, the feel of her arms around him…

Behind him, Riley let out a breath. "Wow, she's a really good actress."

Actress. He knew she was referring to the Juliet on stage, but Riley's words resonated in his heart. Because the Juliet on stage right now was just acting. And Cameron had just been acting too.

He stole a glance at his Terminator protector. "Yeah," he agreed. "She is…"

Back on the stage, Juliet had desperately kissed Romeo again, and John suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and quickly made his way to the exit. He was all too aware of Cameron hurrying to follow him. Fine. Let her come. She needs to hear this…

When he entered the garden outside the theater, he turned to her, face contorted.

"It was all a lie wasn't it?" he spoke softly. Derek was right. You're only a machine. You can't feel. You can't love me…

Cameron cocked her head, confusion crossing her features. "What?"

"In the play. Everything was just…a lie…"

"It wasn't a lie," Cameron replied. "It was just acting."

"Just acting," John snorted in disgust. "Don't give me that crap. If it was just acting, you wouldn't have locked Riley in the closet, would you?"

"I locked Riley in the closet because she was a threat to you."

"How was she a threat?"

"She could have given you the good-night kiss."

"Good-night kiss?"

"Yes. Kiss of death. Derek told me about it. He saw it on TV."

"Riley is not a threat to me, okay? Has she ever threatened me? Has she ever tried to kill me?"

John saw a flash of hurt cross her face. Her eyes locked onto his, but it wasn't her usual glare. There was sadness in it. John held her gaze, his own eyes burning with intensity. She had to understand. Riley wasn't the machine. Riley was not a threat.

Cameron was.

As if reading his mind, Cameron cast her eyes downward, and John realized he had just won a staring contest with a Terminator. With Cameron. He took a step closer, feeling bolder.

"If you were just acting, you wouldn't have gotten jealous. You had to have felt something. What was it?" Some small part of him screamed for her to say the words he was secretly longing to hear, the words he'd heard before but hadn't believed: I love you John and you love me!

Cameron appeared to hesitate. "I don't know."

John pursed his lips, heart sinking. "That's what I was afraid you'd say." He shook his head slowly. "Derek keeps telling me you're not human, not worthy of any love or trust. Is he right? Are you anything but a weapon?"

"I'm not a weapon, I'm a cyb—."

"You kill things for me, you're a weapon," John shot back. "But I…I thought, stupidly…I thought you might be more than that. I thought you were different." He shook his head, staring at her sadly. "I guess I was wrong."

Cameron looked troubled. "I don't understand. What do you want me to do?"

I want you to be human. "Nothing," he said instead. "Just…just leave me alone. Please."

He turned away. He didn't see the single tear run down Cameron's face, didn't see her touch it in confusion.

He didn't see because he no longer wanted to.

author's note: Sorry if the end was a bit angsty again. It gets better. There's a happy ending, don't worry. :) Please read and review!