Weaver stands in front of an unmarked door. Her head tilts slightly as she rests her chin on her knuckles. Her expression seems thoughtful. "Perhaps this will help you reach your decision." Her other hand slides into the pocket of her crisp white dress and withdraws a red flare. "You may or may not need this." Ever the cryptic cyborg.

"And why would I need this?" I ask as I take the flare from her. "Expecting car trouble?"

She doesn't answer me. She's very nearly perfected the Mona Lisa smile. "Good luck, Sarah." She pushes the door open and holds it for me.

I'm walking forward before I can give it any thought. My eyes are on Cameron.

Cameron's got the Johnny Cash look down pat. She's wearing black from head to boot. A leather belt with silver studs providing the only color. Her arms are folded across her chest. There's at least a two inch gap between the bottom of her spaghetti strap shirt and the top of her low-rise, second skin jeans. The slight dip of her chin has caused her hair to fall forward and partially obscure her dark eyes. She manages to look bored and expectant all at once.

The room we're in is larger than I expected. The ceiling is high. There's a fire raging in a pit in the center. To the left is a cement bed much like the one Cameron burned the Triple 8 who'd gone after Derek in. There's a container of Thermite on the floor next to it. To the right of the fire pit is an actual bed. An oversized king covered in black satin. Dozens of blood red pillows of various shapes and sizes take up nearly half the ample space.

Cameron is just about perfectly centered between the two beds. Her expression hasn't changed. She's made no movement at all. The undulating fire highlighting the flecks of gold in her dark hair as well as in her eyes.

I reach behind me for the doorknob and am not at all surprised to find it locked from the other side. Fucking Weaver. "What are you doing here, Cameron?"

"I think you know." Her tone is soft.

There's no challenge behind the words. My anger rises anyway. "Damn it, Cameron, why does everything have to be so difficult with you? You never make anything easy. Why are you here?"

"You wanted me here."

"Bullshit."

We slip into a stand off for a few minutes. She's quiet. I'm quiet. She stands statue still, appearing to be content to mock breathe and watch me. My every nerve tingles. I'm caged and cornered.

"I understand you have a decision to make." She finally breaks the silence.

"What are you talking about?"

She scoffs in a manner than reminds me of myself. "You are the one being difficult, Sarah. You are the one in denial."

I try to speak but my mouth is suddenly too dry. I swallow, then lick my lips and try again. "What did Weaver tell you?"

She uncrosses her arms. For the first time I get a look at her left hand. It's naked of skin. Shiny Coltan from fingertips to wrist. She holds it up and lets the flames illuminate it further. "When you slept with me did you think I'd miraculously changed from a killing machine into an actual woman?"

Shit. Did I? Had I actually let myself believe a lie to justify the attraction? My eyes are drawn to the metal hand. Desire at war with fear and loathing.

I pace the length of the room on my side of the fire. I won't let myself look at her. She's beautiful. Deceptive. Too easy to get caught up in. Big eyes the color of a smooth, aged whiskey that sometimes have the effect of drinking a full bottle.

"Weaver has made two beds for us. You have to choose which one you want me to lie in. Do you want me burned and gone? I will go without a fight."

"I don't want to burn you."

"Good." she matches her pace to mine on her side of the fire for a few strides then pauses. "Look at me. What do you see?"

I stop with her. My eyes pausing on the hand a moment. I steel my resolve and reluctantly return her penetrating gaze. I could drown in her. "I don't see a what, Cameron. I see you. You're more than wires and circuits. You're not a thing. You've evolved. I'm not oblivious to the changes."

Her lips start to curve upward but stop at the halfway point. "You don't want me in Thermite." Her head turns toward the bed. "Does that mean you want me in satin?"

I use the ploy of brushing my hair back out of my eyes with my fingers to break the eye contact. "I don't know what it means." I admit after a bit. "I don't know much of anything at the moment. I need time."

"Do you want to know what I want?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Sure. Why not?"

"I want you." She moves quickly. Right through the fire. I inhale a breath and she's directly in front of me. Her hands grasp me just above the elbows. She's pinning me to the cement wall. Her grip is not painful. It is simply unyielding. The way she's looking at me tears at my heart.

Her eyes are unflinching. There's a hunger and a need that match my own. Her body only just comes into contact with mine. We are just about the same height. Our bodies line up almost perfectly. Knees, thighs, hips, and breasts lightly touching. Her lips so close we share breaths.

I take it back. Her gaze is not entirely unflinching. Underneath the facade is a hesitance born of a desire to be accepted.

Her nearness pries the lid on my emotions. The air around us suddenly heavy. A heady mix of desire and fear envelops me. "Cameron... please..."

"Please what?" She continues invading my space. "Kiss you?" She leans in and does just that. A slow brush of her lips across mine. "Make love to you?" She presses her body tighter to mine. "Fuck you?" Her left hand goes behind my neck and draws my lips back to hers. The metal is icy at first but warms rapidly. Her lips part and her tongue slides lazily along my lips. At the same time the nails of her right hand graze me from hip to breast.

"The last one." My words little more than a whisper against her mouth.

This is new. Every other encounter we'd shared had been initiated by me. Cameron never takes the lead when it comes to sex. It's the only time she's timid.

Not this time. This time she's acting like I'm a mission. Instead of killing me, she's intent on pleasing. Teasing. Stealing my breath in ecstasy instead of death.

Her lips and hands roam freely as she guides me away from the wall, backward toward the bed. It seems as urgent for her to touch me as it is for me to be touched. I've wanted her before, but never like this. This is all consuming lust.

I push her away just for a second to drag her shirt over her head. A sheer black lace bra barely covers the bottoms of her breasts. A hint of her taut, tan nipples comes into view. I bend forward to lick one and am rewarded with a soft moan. I go from a lick to a soft suck and she's growls low in her throat.

The backs of my knees bump the mattress. She gives me a nudge and I'm sitting. She takes hold of my hips and pulls me flush with her body. My knees part to her. Her kisses are hungry. Her hands as busy as her lips. First, jerking my boots off then settling on my belt and the button of my jeans. Soft, persistent lips sliding down my neck as her fingers slide the zipper down.

"Fuck."

"Exactly." I feel her smile against my neck.

"Lose the bra, Cameron."

"Always so bossy." she whispers against my breasts. She finishes removing my pants and I'm already raising my hips to meet her.

I bite my bottom lip, sliding backward to make room for her between my legs. Her mouth meets mine again. Her hands covering my breasts, adept fingers pinching and toying with my nipples until I'm breathing ragged with need.

At some point during the lingering kiss she did follow orders. Her bra joined mine on the floor. She arches against me. "Fuck."

She laughs softly. "You keep saying that."

I laugh with her. "I'm trying to give you an order."

"Mmmmmm," her head dips and she's licking in the valley between my breasts. "that's an order I'll happily follow." She kisses lower at an achingly slow pace. Kisses spread from side to side in no particular pattern. Her soft hair dusting across my ribs and chest.

"Fuck." I hiss when her tongue darts lower.

"I'm getting there, Sarah." she teases. Her breath against my flesh is an added caress. Her mouth hovering below my belly button. Alternating kisses with licks and nibbles. Her hands traveling from my knees up to my thighs.

My knees skim along her bare hips and ribs in an effort to embrace her. My fingers weaving through her hair. Slowly tracing patterns on her scalp.

She starts to lower her head, but I catch her and urge her back up. Sweat slicked skin sliding over mine. I pull her in for a deep kiss. My fingers move between her thighs. A surprised gasp from her lips to my mouth. She is wet, warm, and inviting.

Her hand grasps my wrist and stills my questing digits. "I need to be in charge. Just this once. Please, Sarah."

"Okay," I find my own self gasping as her hand mimics what I had just done to her. My body writhes at the twin assault of her mouth and fingers.

"You twisted bitch." A distinctly Australian female voice cuts through the fog my brain is wallowing in. "You're sick. Sicker than I ever imagined."

I know who it is before I open my eyes. The dark wavy, hair surrounding a face contorted in anger. She's got the Thermite in her hands. Shaking it so the powder covers Cameron and I. The flare Weaver had given me is clenched in her other fist.

Cameron is frozen in place. The only thing moving is her eyes. She's poised above me. The horror I feel is mirrored in her eyes. A single tear drops and splashes my thigh.

"Any last words?" Jesse asks.

"I'll save you a place in hell."

She smirks, ignites the flare and allows it to fall.

There's a blinding flash. Flames engulf us. The heat is intense. Consuming. Alive as it brings death.

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"Sarah. Wake up. It's just a nightmare."

I open my eyes and Kim is standing beside my bed. I sit up fast and put a chunk of distance between us. My breathing is as ragged as it had been in the dream. I clutch the sweat drenched shirt cover my chest. My heart hammering and head pounding. Nausea making me try to hold my breath.

"That must have been a hell of a dream. Are you all right? Can I get you anything?"

"Water," I choke out.

Kim backs away and enters the bathroom. She returns in a hurry with a full glass. "Anything else?"

I take the glass and chug the whole thing. "As soon as I catch my breath I need to see Weaver again. She's going to bring Cameron back and then her and I are going to throw an Aussie bitch on a barbie."

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More to come...

"Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this"

Lyrics from "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

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Apologies for the uber long delay on the update. I got waylaid with work and side projects. Hope you enjoyed. Happy New Year. One of my resolutions is to be better about updating. We'll see how that goes :)

As always, comments are much appreciated.