Thanks to those who reviewed and read!
Mitchellsunf: Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint you with this but don't worry; I'll eat up some of Cameron's character plot as well!
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Keep reviewing people! We're coming fast to an end to part 1 of 'I'll always come for you'. And one excellent reference to the title in this chapter too! Enjoy!
Chapter 25: Learnt
"This is it?" John frowned, looking pass Cameron and at the small warehouse. It had a fence surrounding the perimeter and a few vehicles parked inside. The warehouse looked like any old warehouse.
"Yes, this is it." Cameron nodded, stopping the engine and stepping out of their newly stolen Mercedes.
"This better be," John muttered as he checked his magazine on his pistol and slapped it back in. Cameron did the same with hers, wincing as her arm pushed forward, "Hey, will you be alright?" John asked, gesturing to her shoulder with his pistol.
"We've been in worst situation before." Cameron assured with a smile. She turned to face the warehouse across the road. She narrowed her eyes and took a look at it. All the exits and entrances were close where there is a door or anything to cover it. It seemed like no one was there.
John chuckled, "You sound like my mom."
"I quoted it from her." Cameron said matter-of-factly.
"Still I'd better have a closer look before we sneak in. So if anything happens, you can rescue me." John changed the subject, following Cameron's gaze at the warehouse.
"You made it sound like a videogame." Cameron stated stoically.
John chuckled, "My whole damned life is one."
"I'll go."
"Your arm-"
"All the more I should be the one to be captured and you can rescue me." She countered. When John didn't rebuke her, she walked away from the car.
"Hey!" John called after her, "Be very careful and keep in contact," He said with a small smile, holding up the necklace. Cameron nodded and smiled before walking briskly across the road and to the warehouse.
John narrowed his eyes as he leaned over the car, spying on her environment while his love walked straight into the enemies' territory. John would admit this was one of few times where he felt worried and fear at the same time. She's in danger! Every of his sense screamed at him, hitting him hard like a warning. He tightened his grip on his pistol as Cameron walked behind a white van.
*
Cameron couldn't deny it; she felt uncomfortable and scared being away from John. She felt it for John. What if Kaliba saw through their plans and kidnapped John before she can turn? She shook that thought out of her head forcefully. She could almost feel her child, in her now, agreeing to her fears and cautioning her; like a reminder of John's importance, of her importance to John as well.
She shoved her hand into her jeans pocket just as she approached the white van parked by the curb. It was opened and she could plainly see many tubs of water in water cooler tubs, stacked up in the back of the van. It was dark and Cameron couldn't see if there was anything or anyone else in there even if she tried.
She held her head high just as she walked pass a man, coming out from the warehouse. She did a brief analyse to her best and confirmed he's human, catching his eyes once or twice. Once it was confirmed, Cameron was satisfied he wasn't a threat. It wasn't long before he shut the door of the van and drove off.
Cameron walked up to the fence, scanning the plates on the van and three BMWs parked on the inner side of the fence. After making sure that the coast was clear, she gave John the message and he was soon running across the road, relieved and happy to be able to at least be near her.
"You okay?" John muttered under his breath while keeping a keen eye out.
"You saw me get hurt?"
"No." John replied, confused. Cameron gave him a smirk before reaching up to get a hold on the fence, "What are you-"
Before John can finish, the fence was ripped into two pieces, wide enough for them to walk in.
"There may be an alarm."
"It beats walking through the front door." Cameron gave him a look before walking through the fence, pulling out her Glock. John shook his head. He noticed she seemed more impatient after getting pregnant but come to think of it; she's never had patience. She's just being her…John mused. He followed her hastily, realizing she had already marched away at a distance.
They were quiet as they walked into the warehouse. John glanced at Cameron often just to make sure she's there. There were many empty water tubs at the side of warehouse and some things covered up with dark canvas sheets.
"FREEZE!"
John cursed a grabbed Cameron's good arm and pulled her down for cover as gunshots rang out. He held her under him, shielding her from any shell casing that might have bounced to them.
"We're all damned." John spat before standing up and firing at the men in business suits. He swore upon realizing they are the same people that have been chasing them.
"I'll be taking cover on separate grounds." Cameron said, patting his back before leaning over and running to the opposite side for cover before he could stop her. John fired at the men continuously, hoping to be able to provide Cameron with some cover. He shot and scanned his surroundings. He couldn't find anything that would work to his advantage, they were too far out. He glanced nervously over his shoulder, praying that no one would attack them from behind.
Cameron bent over at her waist and ran with all her might. By the time she reached the other side, she was panting. Cameron could feel the bullets close to her as she ran but that was least of her worries. She leaned against the wall, biting her lips so that she wouldn't cry out as her leg start to cramp. Her hand explored her belly for any injuries, pleased when she found none before the cramp worsen. She sat there, trying to look neutral, watching as John duck down to reload. Their eyes met for a while before Cameron pull out her Glock and shot down three approaching men.
She duck down just as the bullets hit the wall behind her. Cameron saw John pull out the necklace and starting speaking into it. Just as she expected, her HUB flashed:
1 NEW MESSAGE
OPEN? Y/N
Y
OPENING….PLEASE WAIT…
CAMERON, THIS CAN'T KEEP UP. SOMETHING'S UP WITH YOU, ISN'T THERE? I HAVE A PLAN; I HAVE ONE MORE MAGAZINE. I'LL THROW A SMOKE GRENADE THEN ENGAGE THEM. THERE ARE ONLY THREE MEN OUT THERE. I KNOW I CAN TAKE THEM, SO YOU JUST SIT THERE AND DON'T MAKE A SOUND. IF THERE ARE MORE MEN, I'LL RUN. I SWEAR I WON'T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU OR ME. AND DON'T, I REPEAT, DON'T BE A HERO.
LOVE,
JOHN
P.S. HOLD YOUR BREATH, SMOKE'S BAD FOR MY BABY.
REPLY? Y/N
Cameron sat there, feeling the fists in her leg tightened. She growled in frustration softly, considering if she should oppose John's stupid at a time like this. He seemed to be making her job more and more difficult. She worries and John knows but he never seemed to stop letting her and neither does she stop letting him protect her. There always seem to be something that caused her incapable of protecting him like she is supposed to, like she used to.
REPLY? Y/N
…
N
RUNNING DIRECTIVE…DIRECTIVE CONFIRMED
She felt wet tears roll down her cheek as John nodded to her and pulled the ring of the smoke grenade. Cameron brought up her hand and cupped her nose and mouth, watching guiltily as John Connor ran out, sacrificing everything for her survival.
She heard screams of pain and two gunshots…
All the time, tears streamed down her face as she listened intently if John was hurt. The third gunshot rang out and…
"Cameron!"
She screamed out in shock and fear.
"Shh, it's me, it's John." John whispered. Cameron looked at his bloodied face. Slowly, she removed her hand from her mouth and nose and reached out to clean the blood out of his eyes so that he can at least open them, "Thanks." He chuckled, bringing up his clean hand to cup her mouth so that the smoke wouldn't get to her.
Cameron sat there, forgetting about the cramp, busy cleaning John's face with her hand. She found out that he had a cut on his forehead. Not a very deep cut but it made his face all bloody.
"Cameron, that's enough thanks." John smiled, "Can you stand? What happened?" He held her under her elbows and tried to help her stand. Cameron shook her head and bit her bottom lip.
"Cramp." She choked out.
"Baby's sure a trouble at the wrong time," John chuckled. He knelt over and ran his hand gently over her left leg, "Left one?" He looked up at her. Cameron gave a nod.
"John we got to go." Cameron said, hands clutching his jacket. John gave her a small smile before starting to light squeeze on her calf to ease the cramp.
"I'll fix this, very quickly." John said with a nervous smile. Cameron nodded, feeling his massage getting to her. Her muscles started to loosen from the strain. Cameron gazed at John while he put his heart into easing her pain. He looked up, smiling, "Cam, is this good?"
"John," Cameron placed a hand on his shoulder gently, "I'm feeling better. Thank you."
John stopped hesitantly, "You sure?" He asked, wiping the blood out of his eye with the back of his hands.
"I'm sure, come on." Cameron stood up unsteadily, grabbing John's hand.
"Wait. We came and now we have to get what we're looking for," He smirked and took the gun from Cameron gently.
John walked cautiously over to a man, moaning in pain, clutching a bullet hole in his leg. John pressed the sole his boot on his cheek.
"Tell me what is Kaliba doing?" John growled, "Or I'll blow your head off." John pulled the safety off.
The man stared fearfully at John, eyeing the muzzle of the gun, "I-I d-d-don't know."
"Don't lie to me." John gritted his teeth angrily, hitting the trigger and embedding the bullet into the concrete an inch beside his temple, "I hate liars!"
"I DIDN'T!" He screamed out, "They didn't tell us anything. J-just to kill you!"
"Go on, I'm listening."
"Hey what the hell is-"
John looked up and saw a man in grey uniform and a cap standing deeper in the warehouse. He pointed his gun up at him. The man, who was reaching for his weapon, raised his hands into the air.
"Who are you?" The man asked.
"Who are you?" John countered.
"I work here."
"Really?"
"Check my pass," The man dared John, bringing up a pass.
John walked forward cautiously, taking the pass from him, "Don't move." He muttered and glanced down at the pass, not to check his identity but John was wishing the pass could tell him what Kaliba is doing.
"John!" Cameron shouted out. John dropped to the floor on just the trust for Cameron and a shot rang out. He felt fear gripped his heart for her but before that, John cried out in pure anger and tackled the man in the stomach. John heard a clank as his gun fell on the floor. He drove the man into the wall. The man elbowed his back but the pain was numbed upon the thought if Cameron was hurt by the shot.
The man kneed John in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"John get down." He fell to the floor, flat on his stomach, part of him happy that she didn't sound hurt at all.
Another shot filled John's ears and he felt the man fell on top of him.
"Are you okay?" Cameron asked anxiously, pushing the man off his body. John got up, turning around and grabbing her by the sides of her face.
"Cam, you don't come for me!" John seethed angrily. He looked into her innocent puppy dog eyes for a while before taking a deep breath and felt the pain in his stomach, "I'll come for you. I'll always come for you."
Cameron placed her hand on top of his, "The feeling's mutual." She whispered, rushing into his embrace and burying her face into his chest. John wrapped his arms around her petite body, taking in the scent in her smooth long auburn hair.
"I know, I know." He mumbled planting a wet kiss on her head gently. She slowly withdrew from him, and their lips met. John gently probed her lips with his tongue and she let up. Her lips parted, letting his tongue find hers and he brushed against her teasingly.
Cameron could feel John's hands holding her firmly by the small of her back, assuring her and making her feel safe for the first time. Future John had never made her feel this way no matter how he hard tried because she was his protector and it'll never be the other way around no matter what he said.
However, Cameron now felt protected and safe because she's the weaker one, she needed protection. She would die for John but she knew he'd always be the one protecting her no matter what she did and Cameron knew very well their baby has given her this, to cherish.
They parted with John pressing close to her, ready to close in for another kiss.
"John," Cameron whispered, "We got work to do." John smiled, nodding.
"Alright-y. What we got here?" John bent over and picked up the pass that he'd previously glanced at, "Peter, show me what you got." John mumbled as he began searching all over the dead man in the grey suit. Cameron walked over to the man they last interrogated and pulled out her gun.
"P-please don't kill me!" He cried out, wincing as he shifted. John turned around and crossed his arms. Cameron was oblivious to his attention, she pulled the safety off; her finger on the trigger, "PLEASE DON'T!"
"But you'll have a more painful death if I don't-" Cameron frowned, innocence reflected in her chocolate doe eyes. Her hand didn't tremble like a normal human's should but she was practically drowning in confusion.
"Please, don't kill me!" He pleaded.
"I don't understand," Cameron lowered her gun, pouting at her problem. John couldn't help but smile, taking in her endearing look.
"Cameron," He said as she turned to him quizzically, "You know what to do."
"I don't understand." Cameron titled her head with confusion in her eyes. That was definitely familiar for John. He remembered how she used to do that a few days after he first met her. He always thought she was hardwired to do that by Skynet; John assumed it thought a girl acting that way was cute, which is true for John.
However, John realized Cameron isn't wires anymore but she still kept doing it. He realized that was her habit to do that all this while He watched as she placed the gun in her holster and bend over the man.
"You'll be okay." He heard her said to the man, "I won't kill you." Cameron reached out and took his coat, tearing a cloth from it and tying it around his wound.
"Thank you," The man breathed out, "thank you…" His head lolled to the side.
Cameron smiled and stood up, "We should get out of here John,"
"Why?" John frowned.
"He needs an ambulance." Cameron smiled, her hand bringing the man's phone out of his breast pocket and pressing it to her ear. She spoke in his voice, wheezing and breathless, "911? I've been shot."
*
John gave her a nervous smile while he sped up the car.
"Cameron, check the ammo." John said. She nodded, turning around and pulled the duffel bag to her lap and started rummaging through the magazines and rifles they have.
"We have little."
"Little means?"
"Means we do not have enough for distraction. Every shot has got to count." Cameron replied.
"Figure we go home first?"
"Then they kill the girl,"
"And sweet Jesus kills me." John muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Point is, we can't go home Cam," John said, frustrated with their cornered situation, "Look, we need a plan. Think you can come up with a solid one?"
"No, not without the floor plan of our environment," Cameron replied, looking at John earnestly. He gritted his teeth. She recognized that look; it meant that the explosion is coming next.
"Damn!" John slammed the steering wheel angrily. There it is… Cameron mused.
"John," Cameron whispered softly, taking his hand in hers on her lap. She stroked it gently.
John kept quiet for a moment, taking the time to breathe but he was angry and a little upset at himself for making such a stupid mistake. Sometimes, he'd wish Cameron would be like last time, taking control of all this and nothing would've gone wrong since she would have anticipated all the things that could go wrong. She could always come up with something good and they wouldn't be in this situation, but then again; if Cameron was like last time, they wouldn't be having a baby together.
"We can do this." Cameron said earnestly, "It's not the first time we've done this."
"It's not the first time you said that." John managed a chuckle. Cameron broke into a smile.
"Keep your head. I know you can do this. You always do this right." Cameron held his hand firmly in hers. John gripped hers back, nodding, "I trust you John."
"You always do." He smiled. The car was silent for a moment, giving John time to think and Cameron some calm time, "Cam,"
"Huh?"
"Back there, why'd you decide to let that guy go?" John asked, deciding this is a good time to bring his head out of frustration with a new conversation.
"He is in distress and you told me when people see others in pain or in trouble they'll try to help. Empathy." Cameron smiled.
"I told you?"
"You will."
"Future changed, Cam. I've never had a baby with you when I told you that." John gave her a small smirk.
"But that's what you told me. So I learn and understood."
"But you never done that, before; when you were with me?" John asked.
"I never felt like how I did back there before, until now." Cameron replied stoically, "He pleaded to me and I just wanted…to let him go. To give him a second chance in that, to try again." Cameron explained, frowning at the complex feelings she actually went through.
"You empathize him."
"I guess so." Cameron nodded, feeling John's hand gripping on hers tighter.
"But did Future me tell you something else to go with that, to give you a reason to empathize with the needy? Something that answers partially why we're doing this?" John glanced at her.
"No."
He turned to her earnestly, "We're people. People are not murderers. We're not murderers, at least we're not meant to be."
"That's one for the human race." Cameron chuckled, leaning back and relaxing on the headrest.
"And this girl needs our help. We don't know her but we'll help her." John gestured to the blackberry they took off that man, "I think that's important. Don't you think so?"
"Yes," Cameron nodded lightly with a small smile, "We should help her."
To be continued…
NEXT CHAPTER: John and Cameron's mission to stop Kaliba continues as they intercept another of their plans with the information gathered off the blackberry from the workers.