A/N: Didn't proof read this one so a heads up and apologies for any and all mistakes. Thanks for reading.
John places a fresh cloth on his mother's forehead, the memory of her inquiry concerning Cameron making him turn to Adam suddenly. "What will Cameron remember? You replaced her organs...her brain, is she going to have any memories? What about speech and stuff?" He answers while replacing the IV bag. "All memories up until the day she volunteered are imprinted into the donor brain, she should retain all of her knowledge and training. Everything since is stored on the chip, there is a device connected to her brain that enables you to upload video clips to the brain. As a fully functional human being these memories will just seem extremely vivid."
"You mean I have to go through everything she has ever seen...I don't need to see everything she's seen, I don't want to see everything she's seen." "Viewing is not required; the files are very accurately labelled." He is even more relieved than he thought he would be. Getting up he glances at his mother before heading to the door, talking to himself more than anything. "That's some of the best news you've given me since showing up. Might as well get it done...not like there's anything else I can do..." he continues to talk-mumble as he moves down the hall.
Finding the memory files is easy and the descriptions are really...descriptive is the first word that comes to mind. He selects everything in the files labelled 'John Connor' and 'Sara Connor' but only from the last time jump. He has all the necessary data on the disks and in the journals, and he figures being human again is going to be enough of an re-adjustment; having to deal with memories from different trips might just be too much.
Once done he moves back to his mother's side, her temperature has increased to the point where John is waiting for her to simply burst into flames, which is why he is getting things together to take her to the hospital when Adam announces her temperature stopped climbing. "Fifteen minutes...if it does anything but go down I'm taking her." Adam walks towards him, picks up the bag and proceeds out the door. "Well that inspires confidence!"
He is agitated and scared and exhausted and when Adam comes back and informs him that his mother's temperature is slowly but steadily dropping he uses the last of his energy to grab a pillow and blanket from the chair, simply stating, "Wake me if anything changes" before collapsing on the sofa.
He dreams that the world is saved and safe. It's like Alice in Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: he sees a slightly older looking him standing in a kitchen, to his right Cameron is attempting to build one of those 3D puzzles that looks like it might be the Empire State Building. Sarah enters the room and comments that The Tower of Pisa is coming along nicely, this gets her a punch on the arm from Cameron who looks offended, but then a smile unlike any he has seem from her appears as soon as their eyes meet. Sarah responds with a sweet, caring smirk of her own. The atmosphere is energetic yet comfortable.
The John that he is watching tells them to cut it out and asks if they are going to actually do the whole barbeque thing, or can he just go get some pizza. Cameron is about to answer when a red haired woman enters and stops next to dream him. "John honey, don't be like that. You know today is to show Cameron what it's all about." Cameron places two particularly stubborn pieces back on the table. "Thank you Claire." She goes on to list facts about barbequing but before he or dream John can make a sarcastic comment another voice, from somewhere else, is heard.
"John Connor. Subject Phillips' condition has changed." After a few seconds of trying to find who the voice belongs to another one rings out, and this one he recognises immediately. "John!" The first voice registers as Adam and it informs her, the owner of the second voice that he is sleeping. He is tries to get his body to work with him and get up but it demands more than two hours sleep. The sound of a bullet entering the chamber of the .9mm has him up and alert without having to think about it.
His mother is on the bed, Adam is to his right and between them stands Cameron; gun aimed at Adam's head. Her clothes are covered in dry blood and her hair is a mess. Scars, thin and almost healed, across every visible part of skin cause her to look like a porcelain doll that someone glued back together with great care. He noticed all of this in seconds, but only after staring at her eyes for what feels like close to a whole minute, and it is to them he returns again after accessing her physical condition because in them is a fire - a fire only caused by human emotion, only possible for those who are alive, who are human.
She doesn't take her eyes of Adam. "John, are you alright?" It strikes him that she has no knowledge of Adam. "I'm fine Cameron. This is Adam." He makes a move towards the terminator but the way her finger moves against the trigger makes him choose another course of action. Once next to the bed he goes to pick up the thermometer and Adam reports instantly that Sarah's temperature has dropped and stabilised at what is considered normal body temperature. He forgoes the device but places his hand on her forehead needing to make sure for himself.
Cameron's gun-free hand is wrapped around the wrist closest to her, John assumed it was to check her pulse, and it did perhaps start out that way but now she is simply holding on, caressing the skin on Sarah's forearm with her thumb. "Cameron, I...future John sent Adam back." This draws her attention to him, but it returns to the terminator just as fast. He is not sure it does any good until she removes her finger from the trigger, taking this as a positive sign he continues. "I programmed him to find a historic building not likely to be renovated or demolished, and to remain on standby. The programme that detected that I am twenty-one reactivated him. He found us and followed orders, my orders. It was part of the plan."
This time she fixes him with a glare that could rival that of his mother, flicking her chin down at the woman on the bed as she snaps. "And this, is this part of the plan?!" The hand holding the gun shakes slightly, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Adam speaks up, "Your system requires rest, the donor organs as well as re-exposed bone and muscle tissue needs time to adjust. You need to remain in the tank for at least another two hours, three for complete healing; it is an oxygen enriched environment with chemicals specifically designed to enhance healing."
Cameron takes another deep breath; her discomfort at doing something so simple is what motivates John to do the brave thing. "Cameron, you need to rest." She speaks through clenched teeth. "I don't have to follow orders anymore, I am not a machine anymore." John's voice is strong. "It's not an order. This is my mother and I will look after her. She is in the third and final stage of a futuristic cancer treatment. I will send Adam to get you the second she wakes up. There is nothing any of us can do. "
She is clearly exhausted but still hesitant to leave so he plays the card that will guarantee him victory. "The last time she was conscious she asked about you..." Cameron looks surprised but very pleasantly so. "I told her you're doing fine, that you're gonna make a full recovery, don't ruin it." She doesn't look thrilled about it but she hands John the gun and walks to the door where she turns. "The second she wakes up...John, please." The last word is spoken softly and it is then that it really sinks in and he sees her for who she is; a woman not only willing but who did give up everything for the cause, to save humanity, to protect him. No, not him...the words were spoken by future John so casually and yet they explain everything –
'I showed her the family pictures I have, she kept asking about the Disneyworld rides and plants in the background, and the only video of mom she ever allowed me to take; we were playing snap...she loved that stupid game, or it was just cause I sucked so bad and she found my tantrums entertaining...I don't know. Anyway, Cameron volunteered right after that. I think she wanted to know the world we were trying to save...it's not like that now, it's hard to remember there's anything worth saving sometimes.' John looks to his mother and wonders if it was perhaps not something other than the world in the pictures that Cameron wanted to know and save. He looks up and nods. "The second she wakes up. You got it."
She walks out and he sinks back into the couch, he never thought that he would ever value sleep above food but some wise guy once said 'never say never' and it would seem that he knew what he was talking about. He allows sleep to claim him and is met by red hair that means she will fight by his side, green eyes that makes a calm settle deep inside him and a smile that makes him believe that everything will be okay.