Drabble 18-Cleaning


"Where to?"

"Somewhere abandoned. No people about. We can't exactly burn a terminator under an overpass or something." Sarah snapped. She was nervous. They all were.

"Got it." Charley turned back to the road and revved down the road a bit faster then he'd intended. Having a terminator in the ambulance, even if she wasn't functioning still scared the shit out of him.

Derek stared out the window musingly, trying to stifle a sigh. This wasn't how things were supposed to be…was it?

Sarah looked down at the unmoving Cam sprawled out on the stretcher. She looked like she was asleep, Like she couldn't possibly hurt anybody. So small and fragile…

John was rubbing furiously at the small piece of software in his hands. Holding it so tightly that sweat made it slip a few inches further out of his fingers as he rubbed with a rag, then, switching from the rag to a Q-tip he'd salvaged from the ambulance supplies, rubbing like a madman.

The body wasn't her. The chip John was holding was her. Sarah bit her lip nervously at the realization. "John…"

He didn't reply, rubbing with renewed vigor, turning the chip over, rubbing a hand surreptitiously on his jeans to clean it of sweat and going back to cleaning the chip.

Just a little more…a scratch there, shouldn't be too bad…bit of dust here…wipe it away. Pay special attention to the conductors, the contacts were mighty banged up…No worries…she'd be fine. His eyes every few seconds darted down to her calm and peaceful face. His stomach would lurch and he'd begin rubbing again with renewed vigor. He had to fix her soon. Make sure it was perfect or else they'd…Ugh…stomach flipped again as the car turned.

Sarah sighed and looked out the window hopelessly. John's eyes darted up at her. He stopped his incessant work on the chip and slipped a slightly sweaty hand out, touching Cameron's still one. It was cool…cooler then usual. He worked his fingers around it nervously. Her palm was lukewarm. "Geez, Cam…geez…" he mouthed to himself, giving her hand one last squeeze before going back to the chip. Sarah turned away from the window. She hadn't seen anything.

But she came and sat next to him anyway, watching his diligent work a bit worriedly.

"What she said back there…everything she said, it was a trick, you know that, right?"

Sarah's words made his lips tighten but he tried to ignore it.

"They don't feel anything. They don't have feelings."

Her words were like nails to his mind. He kept ignoring her.

Sarah swallowed nervously. "They don't know love."

John felt the moisture rushing into his eyes and forced it to remain there.

"I know that, mom." His voice cracked with emotion. But he kept cleaning…cleaning…


Drabble 19-Waves


Cameron ran across the beach front, her feet slipping in the loose sand, fists pumping towards the small dark shape that had washed up on the shore.

He wasn't moving.

"John!" she said authoritatively, as if he'd done something wrong. She knelt beside him and propped up his head, assessing his vitals as their skin touched. He was soaked, his heart rate was so low…

"John! Answer me!" she shoved a hand down his shirt to better assess any blockages. There. Water in the lungs. She parted his lips and pushed her hair back in order to administer the proper maneuver, but just as she'd leaned down, he coughed, expelling all the water. The coughs racked his whole body.

"Take it easy. There." she patted his back to help as he spat again to get rid of the salt water taste. He struggled to sit up in the sand, obviously still too shocked to speak. She helped him sit up, but instead of releasing her arm when she'd done so he held onto it.

"John?" she asked quizzically. He was shaking. "Are you alright? You're wet. I have a towel in the car. You must be cold…" he turned to look at her.

"You did it again." he said simply.

"Did what?"

"You saved me. Again."

"I did. It is my mission to."

John was quiet. Still shaking. He looked so small and miniscule sitting there on the wide beach.

"Where's my mom?" it was almost a whimper. Helpless and soaked and angry.

But angry at who?

"She doesn't know about this yet. She is back at the house. I thought it best not to alert her. I can handle it."

"Right…" John started to get up, but fell back, clutching his wrist. "Damn it…it hurts." he gasped. Cameron looked at him and then wrapped her fingers around his wrist, assessing the damage.

"It's a sprain. It will heal." she finally said, looking back at him. John only nodded.

"Cam, what would I do without you…Actually, strike that. I'd be dead." he laughed nervously.

"Yes. You would be dead if I wasn't here."

There was silence for a time, the waves crashing into the beach and pulling away. There wasn't any sign that he'd been followed after all.

"The temperature is dropping. You are still wet." She observed.

"I know." his teeth were chattering.

"I will go get the towel-" she started to get up.

"NO!" he barked, grabbing her arm. "Don't leave me…" he almost whispered. She sat back down in the sand, watching him quizzically.

"But this is inefficient. You are wet. You require a towel or a blanket to sustain a 98.6 temperature."

"I'm human. Sometimes I'm inefficient. Deal." he murmured, pulling his knees up to his chest and just watching the waves. She followed his gaze, but soon lost interest and turned back to him.

Suddenly, she moved over, until their hips were touching, wrapping her arms around him and spreading her jacket over his shoulder.

He jumped at her touch, but didn't flinch away. "Cam-what…?"

"My body temperature is 98.6 and I'm not wet. My body can help keep yours close to 98.6 degrees. It is an effective method." the last she said sort of defensively.

"Oh…okay…thanks." he breathed, conscious of their slightly touching cheeks. She cuddled closer. It was effective. Warmth raced through his body, most of it choosing to settle in his cheeks, rather then the outer limbs that really needed it.

Her hair tickled his neck, but he didn't mind. He leaned into her.

"Thanks…" he said again, this time so quietly only she could hear it. Her mouth quirked slightly at one corner and a foreign sort of program was now running the show. She wiped a bead of sea water from the side of his cheek.

He closed his eyes. He wasn't shaking anymore.

She leaned close and rested her slightly parted lips on his damp forehead. He was salty. She pulled away, smiling. The waves went in, and out, in and out.

"John…we have to go." her tone was urgent.

"mm?" he murmured, eyes opening already heavy with sleep. His brush with death had left him exhausted.

"Please…This is not…this is not acceptable. It will make people upset."

"Who gives a damn what people think…"

"You do! You should. You have to."

"Should've thought of that before you kissed me."

"My programming…I was not able to override the command. My chip-"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever, let's go." John was already up, his moment's rest having done a world of good. He cradled his sprained wrist and walked awkwardly along the beach. Cameron followed along behind, trying to puzzle out why…

The waves went in and out, in and out…


Drabble 20- Dear Riley


"I have to speak with John…alone." Cameron said flatly as Riley made to follow them to the empty living room. She sat back down on the kitchen chair with a slight thump of indignation, staring daggers at the back of Cameron's head as the two went out.

"What? What is it?" John hissed, clearly angry he'd been interrupted.

"You shouldn't be getting too close to her. It isn't safe." Cameron said quietly, her eyebrows slightly creased with worry.

John just stared at her with clear green eyes, unwilling to argue with her, because she was right, and yet also unwilling to agree. He just shrugged and moved back a step.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

Cameron was quiet for a moment, watching him with penetrating brown eyes. They flashed blue for a split second then settled back to brown.

"No."

There was silence for more then a minute. John finally realized she didn't plan to tell him anything else that she wanted to, and went back in the kitchen with Riley. Conversation ensued about the prom and how she wanted John to go with her, even though he'd quit school, and he was joking about how he'd need some sort of suit.

Cameron finally went over to the coffee table, picked up a Mead pad and a ballpoint pen and set about writing a letter…to Riley.


Drabble 21-Valentine


"Are you sure it was him?" John asked, unnecessarily of course. Cameron's scan would have been foolproof.

"Yes." She pushed him into an upholstered chair in the small, crowded café. There were two people sitting at every table, some holding hands, some kissing, some simply talking and laughing together. It made John uncomfortable.

Cameron stared steadily out the fogged up window for any sign of the one they were running away from. Cromartie. Again. This guy never cut him a break, John thought.

"can I get you two lovebirds anything?" a kindly lady in a heart-covered apron asked while holding an order pad. Cameron's eyes snapped to her and stared.

"No." she replied and went right back to staring out the window. John sighed.

"Sorry…I'll have a coffee, dark, no sugar. She'll have water." the lady smiled and gave John's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before going off to fill the order.

Valentine's Day. Of all the days of the year to be caught outside by Cromartie…

Cameron's hands lay out on the table, both of them in lightly made fists. John looked around curiously at the other tables and felt the heat rise in his cheeks at what he saw. They were REALLY standing out due to their lack of any affection. Every couple was being so lovey-dovey…If this kept up, and Cromartie came inside, they'd stick out for sure. He reached out a hand cautiously, resting it close to her right one. He took a deep breath and went all the way and took it in his. She didn't even look over, but wrapped her fingers gently around his own.

Her hand was soft and warm in his. "Cam…" he said gently, trying to get her to at least look at him. Staring out the window was no good to them if the terminator chose to enter. She finally looked back at him, her eyes glancing down first to their hands then up at him. They were bright…almost happy, not empty and fishy-looking like they usually were. He sucked in a breath.

"Yes?"

"I-" before John could finish his sentence, the door to the café opened and the bell jingled merrily. A tall man with empty brown eyes stared into the small space, scanning every couple.

A few were kissing quite passionately and his facial recognition scans returned incomplete. Cameron noticed his hesitation on these select couples and her logical programming took over.

She smiled slightly, trying to make this as easy a transition as she could for John.

"I know." she said simply and leaned forward. John found himself doing the same. Just as their lips met, Cromartie's scanning eyes landed on them.

John Connor facial recognition scan: 50 Incomplete Match-Obscured. He turned away.

John's insides turned to jelly as the kiss continued. It was soft and gentle and everything a kiss could be and more…And it was nothing like the one he'd shared with Riley not too long ago around Christmas. This one was…perfect…and did he honestly expect any less from Cameron? A Terminator?

Finally, it ended and they pulled away. John was surprised to see Cam had also closed her eyes. Was that strictly necessary for a kiss that was for cover purposes only? She did a quick scan. Cromartie was gone.

She blinked. "We should go." she said simply, getting up. John followed, a bit confused and still slightly punch-drunk from the kiss.

They were out in an alleyway before he could properly register his thoughts.

"What…just…what was that?" he asked as they walked along the alley to the opposite street.

"A cover. Obscuring our faces was the best possible plan to prevent Cromartie from completing a facial scan and targeting you."

She was walking quite fast. John struggled to keep up. "Wait-but…a kiss? Couldn't we have just left or something? Surely there were other ways to-"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

She stopped, and he skidded to a halt before he ran into her.

"There were other ways."

And with that, she continued out into the street, John running a light finger over his lips, storing the feeling away in his memory. There was next to no chance he'd ever get to feel it again…