"You ready for this?" Dawn asked Cameron as they pulled into the driveway.
"Yes."
"Ok. Let's get this over with."
They exited the vehicle and Dawn led Cameron up the steps and in through the front door. "Hello?" she called, "anyone home?"
"In here Dawn," Came Buffy response.
They followed the voice into the living room where Buffy, Willow, and Xander waited for them.
"We have to talk," Buffy said sternly.
"Yeah, I reckon we do," Dawn answered.
"What's going on Dawn?" Buffy demanded. "I know you like Cameron. Willow thinks you 'like' like Cameron, which weirds me out to no end let me tell you, but we won't talk about that right now-"
Dawn felt her face grow warm in a deep blush. Cameron glanced at her, an unreadable expression on her face. 'How embarrassing,' she thought, 'thanks Sis.'
"She's your friend, I get it," Buffy continued. "BUT. You haven't known her very long. You can't tell our secrets to people, Dawn, no matter what kind of crush you have on them. You just can't."
Dawn shot Buffy a look that screamed to lay off the 'crush' talk but, if Buffy got the signal she didn't seem to care. Thankfully Willow interrupted whatever embarrassing thing Buffy was about to say. "Lay off the insta-mad Buffy," she said, "maybe she has a good reason." She gave Dawn a sympathetic look, knowing how torturous this must be.
"Willow is right Buff," Xander chipped in, "even if they're going all 'L Word', maybe-"
"Stop!" Dawn shouted. Four heads turned to her in surprised silence. She shot each of the Scoobies an angry glare for good measure before continuing in a quieter voice. "I am not going all 'L Word'. I don't even like that show. I'm not gay, ok?"
"Dawn, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was mad at you for that," Buffy said apologetically. "You know I have no problems with gay people. My best friend is like a team captain. It'll just take some getting used to, is all."
"Yeah Dawn, I can show you two the secret hand shake!" Willow chirped.
"There's a handshake?" Cameron asked innocently.
"And you're both really hot," added Xander, "which makes it even better. Hot lesb...-" he cut off when he noticed the four sets of feminine eyes glaring at him. "-never mind," he ended in a deflated voice.
"Guys, I'm seriously not gay," Dawn explained, "Drop it. And I haven't really told Cameron anything, but I think we should. She saved my life from Paul and Dredge. She killed them."
"Really?" Buffy asked, turning to Cameron, unconvinced. "You killed Paul and Dredge? You?"
"Yes," Cameron answered simply.
"How? You look sort of fragile."
"You tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine," Cameron said.
"You're a robot!" Willow exclaimed suddenly.
"What?" Cameron, Buffy and Xander asked in unison, turning to Willow who seemed to be concentrating on Cameron intently.
"She is. I knew there was something weird about her life-force," explained Willow, "But I just shrugged it off. But when she said she killed Paul and Dredge I delved a little deeper."
Dawn noticed Cameron's eyes had a curious, but somehow dangerous, look as she regarded the witch. She obviously didn't like her cards being on the table so early. 'This could get ugly really quick,' Dawn thought. "Cameron," she whispered.
No response. Cameron just continued to stare at the redhead.
"Cameron," Dawn whispered more urgently.
Nothing.
Dawn knew what kind of thoughts were going through her mind. Finally she stepped closer to her, and reached out to grasp Cameron's hand in hers, successfully gaining her attention. Cameron glanced down at her hand in Dawn's, her fingers threaded through Cameron's, then to Dawn's face, her expression questioning.
"It's ok," she whispered reassuringly to the taller girl.
Cameron seemed to consider the words for a short moment before giving the tiniest nod.
Dawn realized the room was quiet. She turned back to the Scoobies, who all had their wide eyes on the two of them, holding hands. 'Let them think what they want,' Dawn told herself, 'I just saved them from a wicked fight.' Still, she felt her face getting warm again, and she couldn't help but examine the carpet as her family scrutinized her.
"Anyways," Willow continued, obviously noticing Dawn's discomfort, "what threw me off at first was that she is by no means a normal run-of-the-mill robot. Buffybot and Ted have got nothing on her. She is actually living blood, skin and tissue. So even when an experienced Witch, like me, sees her, all she'd notice is a living girl with an odd life force. Nothing really abnormal. A strange life-force is nothing to make note of, something as minor as a crappy breakfast could cause it to go out of wack for awhile."
Dawn squeezed Cameron's hand as Willow babbled excitedly. Willow had just absentmindedly told her she was a witch and Dawn was afraid of what kind of reaction it would cause; but if Cameron registered that fact her face didn't show it.
"And just the fact that she has a life force!" continued Willow, smiling in the excitement of discovering something new, something Willow lived for. "A robot with a life force! Can you imagine? Wow. But anyways, under her skin, blood, and all that goodness, is metal. She has to be the most advanced Robot on the planet. It's amazing."
"Wow," Buffy said, her eyebrows rising.
"Where did you come from?" Willow asked Cameron.
"The future."
"You're kidding," Buffy scoffed.
"No. I've been sent back to protect a future leader in the war against Terminators, and attempt to prevent Judgement Day," explained Cameron.
"Judgment day? What's that?" Buffy asked.
"I bet it's the day Judge Judy and Marilyn Milian finally duke it out," Xander chimed in.
"No," said Cameron, oblivious to the joke, "Judgment Day is the day when the machine's first attack: a series of strategic nuclear strikes to key targets all over the world. After that the Terminators begin their systematic extermination of the human race."
"Whoa," exclaimed Xander, sitting down heavily onto the sofa.
"What's a Terminator?" asked Buffy.
"I'm a Terminator," Cameron said coolly.
"Wait, I'm confused," said Buffy. "I thought you just said you were trying to kill us all, but you're also trying to prevent you from killing us all...what?"
"I fight for the resistance," Cameron explained. "The humans who are waging war against Skynet. Primarily it's humans against Terminators, but there are a few humans on Skynet's side, just as there are a number of Terminator's on the Resistance side."
"And what about- " Willow began, before being interrupted by Dawn.
"Guys," she said, "Cameron has answered your questions, and you can ask more later, if she's willing, but I think you better tell her who you are first."
Cameron gave Dawn's hand an appreciative squeeze.
"Yes, of course," Willow agreed, smiling. "We have a potential apocalypse three or four times a year-"
"One more and we get one for free!" added Xander.
"-I don't see why this one will be any different, we can handle it." Willow finished.
"I'm a Vampire Slayer," Buffy told Cameron. "You came across Paul and Dredge last night, so you've seen vampires. I'm a girl who has been 'chosen' to deal with them, and other demons and unmentionables. I have super strength, agility, speed. Pretty standard superhero stuff. I used to be the only one, but now there's hundreds, all over the world. I'm their leader, I guess you'd say, in the 'ongoing war of Good vs. Evil'."
"Interesting," Cameron commented casually.
Willow was next. "I'm Willow, and I'm a Witch," she began.
"Hi Willow!" Xander called in his best AA impression, another joke that Cameron didn't comprehend.
"I use spells and magic and all kinds of good stuff," Willow continued, "it's pretty neat."
"She's super powerful," Buffy added.
"Aw, shucks," Willow said, grinning and feigning embarrassment.
"And you?" Cameron asked, turning to Xander.
"Oh, um, er," Xander stammered, "I guess I'm the non-super representative. The sometimes moral support and usually useless group member."
"I see."
"That's not true," Willow told Xander sympathetically, "you have lots of uses. At least four!"
"Aw thanks Will," Xander responded appreciatively.
"So what do you think?" Dawn asked Cameron.
There was a short pause before Cameron answered. "I would like to spend more time with you all. I'd like to learn more about you, your powers, vampires, demons. Perhaps we could come to an equally beneficial amalgamation of our two organizations."
"Yeah, sure, amala'whatever," said Buffy, "and we should meet your people."
"No," Cameron said instantly. "Not until I am sure you pose no threat to them. The future depends on their survival."
"I understand your concern," Buffy said, "but I think we should at least have one of ours meet yours."
Cameron considered this for a moment. "Fine. I will bring Dawn to meet them. Tomorrow."
"Ok," said Buffy. "In the meantime, you're welcome to hang out here for the day."
"Thank you, I will," said Cameron.
That seemed like the impromptu end of the meeting, and the room became more casual. 'That went way better than I thought it would,' Dawn thought to herself, 'I hope meeting Cameron's family goes as well.' She had a feeling she wasn't going to be that lucky though.
As Buffy and Cameron conversed and Xander turned on the television Dawn noticed Willow looking at her, grinning broadly. Dawn shot her a questioning look, and Willow darted her eyes towards her hand, still wrapped in Cameron's. When she had forgotten to be embarrassed she had been totally comfortable with her hand interlaced with Cameron's that she had somehow forgotten that it was there at all.
Dawn unlocked her hand from Cameron's and walked the short distance to Willow. "It's not like that Will," she whispered into her ear, "I was just holding her hand for moral support."
"Dawn, I see the way you look at her," Willow whispered right back. "I know the signs, trust me. I'd be concerned, she is a robot after all, but she seems so advanced that she has conscious, independent thought. And an Aura! Can you imagine Dawn? A robot with feelings? Emotions?" She grinned, "And if the way she looks at you is any indication I'd say she has strong ones when it comes to you," she added, almost like an afterthought.
"Willow, you're way off base here."
"Heh, we'll see."
Dawn glanced over at Cameron, who was still talking to Buffy. Was Willow onto something? Could the tall, slender brunette really have feelings for her? She had assumed Cameron's feelings towards her were completely platonic, if she even had 'feelings' at all. Was it possible?
'Nah', she told herself, just as Cameron's eyes glanced towards her. Their eyes locked for the briefest moment, and Dawn's heart stood still. Cameron's perfect face was almost always totally inexpressive, but sometimes when she looked at her, there was something in those big brown eyes that could take Dawn's breath away.
When Cameron's eyes darted back to Buffy, Dawn turned back to Willow, who was nodding sagely, as if she knew more about Dawn's feelings than Dawn did herself.
'Maybe she does,' Dawn's inner voice said.
'Shut up Inner Voice!' Dawn thought angrily.
Dawn had been ignoring, avoiding, or disregarding the subject since meeting Cameron, but even though she tried, she couldn't deny that when she looked at Cameron her heart skipped a beat. Maybe it was time to examine those heart fluttering feelings.