Sorry if that took a while, I had quite the busy weekend. Band rehearsal, graduation party, many a social event, but here I am with another installment.

Thank you again for the reviews, I hope you keep them up, they've been very kind and informative as usual.

Thank you for reading! I really do appreciate it.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. Some develops and such. I hope you all enjoy.

EDIT: Due to an overwhelming, informative, and very supportive response from you guys, I have edited this chapter. Mainly the parts with John/Sarah and most importantly John/Cameron discussing the conversation. It will help with the story's progression and the resolution of the multiple time lines. Thank you for the feedback and I hope this fixing some of those problems.

Chapter 14: No Fate but What We Make

"I don't know what Catherine Weaver considers essentials when it comes to food, but she was way off." John whispered as he pushed the cart down the next aisle of the grocery store.

"Her details on human nutrition don't compare to mine." Cameron responded picking several loaves of bread and throwing them into the cart.

"I prefer white bread, Cameron." John frowned at the multi-grain labeled bread.

"Multi-grain bread completes more of your required nutrients for you daily allowance." Cameron told John, robot face and all.

He laughed. "Okay, whatever you say." He turned the cart as they headed into the next aisle.

John grabbed another product and placed it in the cart. "You won the multi-grain bread battle, but I win this one. We are getting these and that's final." Cameron gazed at the bag and looked back up at John.

"They are those cheese things, the crunchy kind, not the puffy ones." She stated.

John nodded with a smile which Cameron returned.

"Let's go pay for these."

Sarah finished putting the rest of her clothes and guns away as Brian walked in, he leaned against the door frame.

"Any word on what's going on?" He asked.

Sarah looked up from her task. "No, not yet, but we know that will change."

Brian walked in the room, a few steps away from Sarah.

"What's been bothering you lately, Sarah?"

Another gun entered the drawer. "Nothing."

"Bullshit, I don't believe that at all." Brian responded quickly.

"Believe it." Another gun entered the drawer, with more force.

"Well, I don't, not at all." He folded his arms and sighed at the end of that sentence.

Sarah slammed the drawer closed. "You want to know what's wrong with me, what's on my mind? My son, the future leader of the human resistance is in love with a machine, who won't exist if we stop Skynet permanently in our present. John is only a teenager, how could he make a decision like that?" Sarah fell to the ground. "He would have to choose between love and the existence of mankind, he can't do that, he can't make a decision like that."

Brian kneeled down next to Sarah and put a hand on her shoulder. "John won't be able to make that decision, because he won't have to. We are not going to be able to stop Skynet now, postpone it maybe, but I truly believe that the future is set. The war against the machines is going to happen, Sarah, but thanks to John, he saves us, and that decision he can make and will make."

She wiped her eyes. "I can't believe that, we can stop Skynet now. No fate but what we make for ourselves." She spoke back to Brian, a sniffle exiting her nose.

Brian knew he couldn't win this argument; he got up and left the room. "If you truly believe you can stop the apocalypse, you might want to talk to John about what's bothering you." He repeated after exiting the room.

John started putting the groceries away while Cameron brought in the last of the bags, placing them on the counter she started sorting through them, handing John the ones that belong in the cabinet.

"Cameron, can you pass me the…." John felt a bag of chips enter his hands. "Never mind, thank you." He said with a smile. He opened the top cabinet and put the chips in, closing the cabinet doors.

Sarah walked in, arms folded and head down, her dark her covering her face.

"John, can I talk to you?" John and Cameron turned around to see his mother standing in the kitchen.

"Yeah mom, what's up?" he asked, audible concern betraying his face.

"Alone, John." John looked at Cameron before he left. She continued putting the groceries away.

John entered his mother's room. She walked ahead of him, her arms still folded. She turned around and stopped him from walking further.

"Do you love her, John?" she bluntly asked. John knew his mother agreed with the art of subtlety.

Oxygen escaped John's mouth as he gave his mother a questionable look. What was doing, where was this conversation going?

"Do you, John? Do you love her?" Sarah asked him again.

"Mom…" he sighed. He wasn't going to avoid this question. "Yes, yes I do mom." He looked down and then at her, his head tilted slightly.

"Do you want to stop Skynet? Do you want to live a normal life?" she asked him.

"Of course I do mom, what kind of question is that?" he asked.

"Well, you're going to have to choose. What if you have to choose between stopping Skynet and Cameron? You can't have both; she will never exist if we destroy Skynet now, and you'll save lives, but lose her. What will you…" she was cut off.

John's response was louder this time. "I know, mom! I know! You don't think I know that? I know what you're bringing up and I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't make sense to me, mom." He trailed off; his eyes became obscure from the liquid forming around them. Something kept flying through his mind.

"Well it makes sense to me, John and it's a decision you might have to make, John." Her voiced lost its stiffness and she placed a hand on his shoulder. John moved away and headed out of his mother's room.

John walked up to his room; Cameron was sitting on the bed staring out the window. He forgot it was their room. She turned her head and looked at him, she saw right through him.

"What is wrong, John?" her voice was full of genuine care.

"My mother brought up something I really don't want to think about, but, it can't really be true." He spoke as he sat down next to Cameron.

"What did she say to you?" Cameron looked at John leaning towards him. John's eyes slowly moved to her direction. Did he tell her? Should he, he didn't know.

"My mother… she told me a decision might have to be made eventually, a decision that could affect the entire world…" he trailed off

"That you might have to choose between me and saving the entire world?" Cameron finished, looking away at John.

"I know, but it doesn't make sense." John actually had time to think without his mother throwing words down his throat, it started to come together. "If I destroy Skynet, wouldn't I disappear since Kyle Reese wouldn't travel in time to protect my mother?" The silence in the room was concentrated, the tension pushed into John's chest.

John let out a breath of frustration; he didn't know what he was going to do if that circumstance arrived or what Cameron was thinking right now.

"Why wouldn't you exist… unless…" Cameron was cut off.

"Kyle Reese is my father, Cameron." John told her. Cameron tilted her head.

Cameron placed an arm around John, her index fingers drawing circles on his shoulder. He looked at her slowly with a face full of sorrow. John looked at Cameron whose face looked full in thought.

"Then, I wouldn't disappear, I'd still exist." She told him.

"How is that?" John gave her a quizzical look.

"You changed the future John; you changed the date of Judgment Day. When Kyle came back he changed the future, and when you destroyed Miles Dyson's research, you changed the future, the time lines have altered." Cameron explained.

"So Cameron, what you're saying is that there are multiple time lines? That the Kyle that saved my mother is different from the one you know?"

"Correct." She nodded quickly.

"Do you think Brian realizes that?" John asked.

"I don't know, but I doubt it." Cameron replied. John sighed.

This information twisted John's head, living in the present and having information pour from the future was like missing the essential puzzle pieces, but he just got some of them back from Cameron. Now, if he could convince his mother of what he just learned.

"You talk to John yet?" Sarah turned to see Brian standing in her doorway again. She wasn't in the mood for visitors.

"Yes." She responded, trying to keep it concise.

"How did he take it?" he asked.

"Bad." Sarah's voice dripped with anger.

Brian rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Look, you knew that was going to happen…"

"Was it so important to tell him? He isn't stupid; he had it running through his mind daily. Sometimes he shouldn't be reminded of what can happen and of the responsibility; he needs to be a person sometimes, if we can stop Skynet, then he can." Sarah said.

"With a war against machines inching it's way towards us? I don't think so; Judgment Day cannot be stopped, Sarah." He responded.

The anger was rising again. "Then why did you think it was so important for me to tell him?! Why would you if you don't think Judgment Day can be stopped?" she yelled at Brian.

"I believe that you should've told him because it'll make him stronger, he needs to be. He needs to grow up, Sarah." He responded, still keeping a calm voice.

"I know that! The savior of mankind doesn't come over night, he'll be the person you know in the future, don't tell me how to raise my boy." She was seething, clenching her teeth together at Brian.

Sarah stared at Brian until he turned around and left her room. She still wanted to be alone. She clicked the safety on another gun before putting it away.

John Henry finished his seventh model with its various decals and paints. Catherine Weaver entered the basement, John Henry greeted her politely.

"Good evening, Ms. Weaver. How are you today?" he said placing another sticker on his new toy.

"I'm good John Henry. What are you doing?" she asked.

"These are new toys that Mr. Ellison got me. They are from the Transformers toy line which started in 1984. These figures were produced in 2006." John Henry picked up his most recent finished toy. "This is Starscream, he is a member of the Decepticons, who is led by Megatron and their enemies are the Autobots. Starscream is very treacherous and devious, which leads to him getting into trouble." He picked up another one. "This is the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. He is a heroic character and would sacrifice himself to gain peace in the universe. These two are both very different, but they both have disguises to fit into human society."

"Is that so John Henry?" Catherine said with a small smile.

"Yes, machines disguised in human society. Isn't that what we are, Ms. Weaver?" he asked.

"It is quite the parallel, John Henry."

"Yes, it is." He puts the toys down on the table.

"John Henry, how are you operating?" she asked.

John Henry looked away, his lips slightly pursed. He then looked at Catherine. "I am operating at one hundred percent; my security systems are intact and have yet encountered another worm." He made another toy fly in the air.

"Excellent John Henry, any leads on your brother and Kaliba?" she asked folding her arms.

"Yes there is, it seems that there has been activity out in a rural town near Acton of the Los Angeles County." John Henry said.

"What kind of activity, John Henry?" Catherine asked focusing on one of John Henry's toys.

"Reports of drones flying in the air and unmarked trucks full of equipment never seen before by eyewitnesses, it is a vague lead, but I think it is where we should start. The direct approach wouldn't be advised, we should stay away from Kaliba's corporate headquarters for now." John Henry replied to Catherine Weaver.

"I agree with you on that, John Henry. I will have Mr. Ellison inform the Connors on the lead."

John Henry gave Ms. Weaver a smile as she walked away. He continued playing with his toys; they flew in his hands and landed on the table.

Cameron walked back into her room to see John lying down on the bed, his headphones on, she could hear the muffled music playing from the door frame. She walked up to John and sat down next to him.

John looked up at her to see her smile; he forced one back at her.

"Hi John."

"Hi." He mumbled.

She took off his headphones and placed them to his side. He sat up in objection.

"John, get up. We are going out." She said standing up.

"Going out? I really don't feel like it." John was still sore from his argument and epiphany Cameron threw at him.

She looked straight at him. "Too bad, John, we are going out, so get up."

"Okay… okay… where are we going?" John stood up, much to his refusal.

"Italian ices, my treat John." She smiled and walked up close to him.

He smiled back, not forcing this one. She put her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Cameron." He said, sorrow being lifted from his voice.

"You're welcome." She smiled back and placed a kiss on his lips.

John walked alongside Cameron down the street, both with spoons in one hand and an Italian ice in the other. John took another spoonful and ate it, closing his eyes at the soothing coolness that entered his mouth and dropped down his throat. It was the most relief he felt that day, besides Cameron who graciously offered him this outing from his stresses.

"Are you enjoying your Italian ice?" Cameron asked John taking the plastic spoon out of her mouth.

"Yes, I am. Thank you Cameron." John said with a smile.

Cameron looked at his cup. "What flavor is that?" she asked her eyes directing down towards his hand.

"Cherry flavored, what about yours?" he asked nodding towards her cup.

"It is lemon flavored." Cameron said.

"Do you taste?" he asked her taking another spoonful towards his mouth.

"I do not, but I can identify the ingredients and nutrients when I ingest something. I mostly eat to regenerate my living tissue or to blend in." Cameron explained.

John nodded in response and took another spoonful, scooping the last of the ice out of the Styrofoam cup. Cameron looked at John and took his cup, passing the garbage she threw them both in.

"We shouldn't litter." She explained and took his hand into hers.

John chuckled to himself and squeezed her hand. They closed the space between them and continued walking down the street.

Sarah was sleeping, the problem with slumber was that dreams came and these dreams were often nightmares.

She found herself in a huge room, a military control room. She locked the door behind her and heard shuffling behind the door.

Machines, terminators. Sarah was barricaded in and trapped, a metal and mechanical death on the other side of that door.

Sarah walked ahead, she realized where she was. This was the Defense Core System, this was the heart of Skynet. She knew what she had to do. She started running forward, but she noticed two people in front of Skynet's core.

It was John and Cameron.

"John! You need to destroy that computer, it is Skynet!!" Sarah yelled towards John.

"You can save all of mankind now, live a normal life!" She ran up to John and shook him. John pushed her away and turned towards her, Cameron following suite.

"And lose the one I love? I don't think so, mother." John growled.

"But, John… you can prevent the war from happening, live a normal life."

Cameron walked in front of John, showing no emotion on her face.

"I'm sorry Sarah, but John has chosen me. Not you or the destruction of Skynet." She said with a smug smile on her face.

"John, no!" Sarah heard a noise behind her, it was the door, it was gone now. Several terminators walked through and surrounded her.

She looked for John and Cameron, there was no sign of them, they had vanished.

The terminators opened fire.

Sweat dripped down Sarah's face as she sat up violently, sheets flying into the air. She wiped her forehead and took a deep breath. The doorbell rang again. She got up and headed for the door. She picked up her 9mm and looked through the peephole. She sighed again and opened the door.

"Good evening, Sarah. May I come in?" Mr. Ellison said.

Sarah didn't say anything; she just gave him a permissive gesture. He straightened his tie and walked in.

Sarah didn't know what he was going to say, but she knew things were going to pick again soon. Real soon.