THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED THE STORY (other chapters)
Nathan Riddle: I read all your reviews and thanks so much for them!!! And ouch! That's a little to harsh for writing Jiley! Despite how sadistic it sounds, I'm glad you felt really angry that John and Riley were together.
Dr. Pluto of 1812: Thanks so much for your review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story ^_^ Now, for the last chapter, prepare yourself!
rockfrek3: Hi! Thanks so much for reviewing, and I get it, life gets in the way of what people wants to do so…^_^
Amrita D: Ryan sacrificed himself to blow up the basement with Skynet and Weaver in it. He knows that if he ran with them, they'll never get out of there alive and he'll just slow them down with his injury. So he became sort of like a 'suicide bomber'. I feel just as sad killing of a character I took so long to plan! T_T
Now for the people who reviewed chapter 33/34:
Nathan Riddle: Don't worry, I had everything planned and I promise, the continuation would definitely be kick ass. Kill John? Wow, you really hate him and I SUCCEEDED!!! Cheers! I'll get the story going with or without Cameron, you'll see. Yup, John would be tortured but I doubt he should be killed; after all, that idiot still saves mankind!
Visi0nary: The website is in my profile. Though, it is preferable if you head for the discussion forum at Terminator wiki and search for threads there with people telling you to vote.
Pointzip73: Thanks! It is much worst for me to write Jiley, trust me… ^_^ I had a feeling all the sense of the Jameron's fans would be tingling…the idea of John talking Cameron out of killing herself was mainly based a Samson Delilah where Cameron begged John not to pull her chip, I figured it would be a good turn. Thank you!
Shaty: sighs…and yes, WTF Cameron!!!
tanks60808: No, I want you to type this review _! Thanks so much!
In x disarray: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Don't be sad, a sequel is on its way! Thanks once again!
jen88: LOLS!!!!! *rolls on the floor and scrambles back up to type. Thanks!
Jeff-Starman800: It's that a good thing? That is so foreshadowing. John was just confused but the fact that he dreamt about it meant he was thinking of Cameron when he fell asleep…he didn't know if he should go find Cameron…Well, you have to read to see if John kicked Riley away. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Stella: Thanks! And if I kill Cameron…yeah, I know, I'll get trampled on the way out of my house.
zahnfan23: Yes, I am evil and that's the way I like it, it is only right for a writer to be evil and cruel to the characters or where's the fun? Thanks!
Jeremy Shane: Thanks so much!
gul rahn: Sighs, I know. And you're not the only one glad. Thanks!
Sigma: Thank you so much! Yeah, I figured that would strike the readers that John still cares for Cameron. Thanks and you are not the only one who hopes Cameron's still alive. Well, you'll have to see if Cameron survives. But yeah, the odds are low with a thermite filled bullet in her brain. Thanks!
Kidtriss: *HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF!!! Stop scaring me! To be honest, a few readers really gave up in the midst of Jiley…it hurts, ouch!!! Yes, STUPID JOHN! Thanks! I am so glad my writing save my torturing-Cameron-story! Yes, I killed one of them, but not just any main character, I KILLED CAMERON!!!! Nooooo, made me wonder why I did that *sniffs…I did consider having Future John come to the rescue but damn it, it'll be too predictable so I blew her away. Yes, John needs to suffer or he wouldn't learn. Thanks so much for sticking with this!
Dim Raven : Really? Hope to see you still alive…I haven't update in almost a week because of a busy time…Wow, John travelling back in time? Never stuck me that one. But well…Thanks so much for reviewing!
djpc450 : Thanks so much!
Alright, this is it folks! FASTERN YOUR SEATBELTS and get ready to be brought on an emotional rollercoaster.
Chapter 34: Please, Hang On Tight
John wasted no time. He slipped his hand under Cameron's knees –noticing the thigh knife wound, cursing- and her neck, lifting her pretty easily. He felt his heart beat became erratic and his legs soften but John was determined to keep her alive. Adrenaline took over his heart and soul as he felt his love fading away in his arms with every lasting second.
He had to get help for Cameron. She can't be- no- she wouldn't be. She's a terminator. But then again her new flesh and blood. We don't know the extend of her 'change' yet.
John arrived at the jeep. He used his fingers to open the door, letting Cameron ride shotgun as John had to make sure she's still alive even in her dead state- no, she's not dead.
John slammed the door shut, running around the jeep to the take the wheel. He yelped as his boots slipped on the ice he failed to notice in the dark and fell. He shot out his hands to cushion his fall, feeling a jarring thud and his mind spin, red dots appearing in his vision. He blinked once, realizing he's on the floor.
"No time to sleep John!" John growled to himself, getting up, shaking his head forcefully, and hoping to shake out the dizziness. He opened the door and got in, starting the engine with his blurry vision.
He drove with his feet pressing the accelerator hard and one hand on the steering wheel, the other on Cameron's hand. Her head was lolled to the side, blood dripping from her temple. John's hand felt hers becoming colder and colder. He muttered to himself, trying not to lose his head, "It's just the weather," As he spoke, puffy white air emerged from his parted mouth.
His heart ran astray and John couldn't tame it…
Don't worry y'know. She'll be fine. If she love you, ain't gonna die on you
John blinked…who said that?
"What about you? Have a love story with this beautiful gal here you can share?" Mark smirked, jerking his head to Cameron.
"Cameron, that's her name," John choked out.
"A beautiful name,"
"Means a lot to me when I hear it," John shook his head, eyes closing as he chuckled in embarrassment.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Every couple has their own love secret they feel for each other," Mark waved him off.
"I'm John," John decided. Mark nodded.
"You already know my name with my nametag on," Mark chuckled. John forced a smile, eyes still on Cameron, worried and anxious, "don't worry y'know. She'll be fine. If she love you, ain't gonna die on you,"
"Yeah, I know that too," John mumbled.
"Mark…" John mumbled, glancing at Cameron. Her blood is beginning to stain the cushion of the chair after leaving a long trail of it by the side of her face. John breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down.
But the consoling wasn't comforting enough. Soon, John found himself crying, tears streaming down his cheeks as he struggled to keep his vision in driving. Fear had never struck his heart in this manner before. John tightened his grip on Cameron's slender hand, feeling it becoming even colder than before.
"Hang on, please, Cameron hang tight, don't die on me…" John mumbled thickly behind his tears. Soon when John pulled over in front of the house, his face was covered in tears. John wasted no time scooping Cameron up and running down the path, kicking the fence open viciously, breaking the lock.
At the door, Sarah emerged from behind the brown wood, "John how's-" She spoke but pause, mouth hanging open as she sees limpless Cameron in his arms, half her face covered in dried blood from her temple which was still bleeding.
"Mom, help me out," John grunted, slipping into the house, running up the stairs, "Get me the first aid," He shouted thickly as he entered his room, forgetting totally about Riley but she was not there. He put Cameron down on the bed, holding her hand in his as he knelt beside her.
"I got it," Sarah rushed in clumsily with the first aid kit, towel, a bucket of ice and a basin of water in her arm. John stood up hurriedly, taking from her the first-aid kit and starting to dope her, "John, what's going on here?" Sarah asked, watching her son rushed to and fro the table and the bed, "John!"
"I can't explain," John spoke, tears rushing down the stream again, "It's my fault." He mumbled, injecting the anaesthesia into Cameron's arm, "It's all my fault,"
Sarah grumbled angrily and cursed as she took the towel and placed it under Cameron's head, one to wrap around her thigh and the last one to wipe the blood off her face while John pressed the ice against Cameron's cheek, under her bleeding temple and the gaping hole in it. The bleeding slowed and John got to work.
He deftly took up a scalpel and drove it into Cameron's head.
"What are you doing?!" Sarah gaped, forgetting Cameron's real nature with all the blood.
"Her chip, I need to see if it's obliterated by the bullet," John mumbled distractedly, tears streaming down his cheeks uncontrollably but also forcing himself to work. He's so scared…Sarah realized.
"Alright," she nodded.
But when the scalpel got in, blood flowed out. John pressed the ice pack against her head, slowing the blood loss as best as he could in the limited time. When he saw the blood flowing out slower, he carefully pulled aside the skin, revealing a small port hole. John reached out for the screwdriver, opening Cameron's port cover and revealing the chip.
John reached it and removed it, pressing Cameron's flap of skin down again, "Hold this," John muttered and Sarah lunged forward, holding her skin down with the ice pack, "Thanks," John nodded to her, holding up her chip for examination.
"How exactly does she work?" Sarah scowled.
"I don't know. But she's able to damage her skull, whether chrome or flesh. Cameron, she's so fragile and I just-" John said thickly, ready for the worst while he turned the chip around, sighing relief as it was still in one piece, at the very least, feeling his eyes stop 'watering' like a tap.
He looked closely, realizing there was a film on the main body of the chip, where the silver lining ran along the green base.
John looked closely at the film, realizing one side of the film was dented, bending into the chip. It stuck into the chip but not crushing it. However, the dented side did graze the chip's main body. John carefully removed the film around it. He realized it was made like a protector for her chip, a really strong protector. Like Ryan was to Cameron, like Future John was to Cameron, like he was to her, in the past.
Now, John knew, he'd hurt her again but it hurt him twice as much to watch…
John didn't know what the film was made of. But whoever planted it there knew there would be one day Cameron would get fatal damage that would kill her if not for a protection around the chip.
He sat at the table, setting up his laptop.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked as she patched Cameron up, using a small tweezers to remove the bullet in Cameron's head and later wrapping rolls of bandage around her head, covering both temples and her forehead. Sarah realized the side of Cameron's skull is badly dented by the bullet. She would've sworn she saw a crack running along the chrome if not for the time of this night. She started working on her thigh.
"I have to check if her chip can work. It's not obliterated," John replied.
"How's that possible?" Sarah narrowed her eyes, clipping the bandage.
"There's a protection around the main body of her chip that protected it from the bullet, maybe future me placed it there to protect her, or not... But the protection was dented to the inside, grazing the chip. Who knows what a graze on a chip can do so I have to check," John said distractedly as Cameron's chip came online. John put in enough voltage for her to function but not activate higher level functions. If she's really still 'alive', John preferred to talk to her face to face.
But instead of the loading symbol appearing, a big red sign flashed time and again:
ACCESS DENIED
"What?" John gaped though he did not intend for it to be audible. Sarah frowned, walking to stand by him, "Since when did Cameron know how to block out viewers?" John scowled. He pushed in the plugs in the port, trying to make sure none of them are loose.
"What's wrong?"
"As you can see, Cameron's denying my access," John scoffed, bending over to check her chip. John took it out, examining it. He cleaned it with a brush in the first aid.
"Just hack in," Sarah grunted impatiently, "We have to find out,"
"I can't. Hacking in may damage either her chip or my computer permanently if this Cameron's new 'wall' is too persistent," John spoke, "I'll try again and-"
They were interrupted by the door downstairs opening and closing. The Connors tensed and exchanged nervous glances.
Sarah drew her pistol, "Stay here," She held it in both hands, walking out of the room and shutting the door. John watched her leave, dreading who might that be and at the same time, his mother's safety. He glanced at Cameron, on his bed and suddenly something struck him.
He left his seat and walked around the room, bending over and using his hands to rummage through the collection of scattered blocks on the floor and moving aside toy boxes.
First thing's first…
He had to find his birthday present!
*
Sarah held the gun at the ready, upright in front of her face. Her feet touched the ground noiselessly. She heard shuffling of a pair of feet in the living room. As she descended the stairs, she heard the cocking of gun and before her eyes can adapt to the dark living room, she heard a familiar voice.
"Sarah, it's alright, it's me," Derek spoke in the darkness, switching on the lights. Sarah blinked a couple of times and truthfully, Derek stood in the living room, by the switch. Sarah relaxed instantly but not fully, lowering her gun as Derek stowed away his, "What's going on? You're getting all uptight at me?" He raised an eyebrow at her glare.
Sarah descended the stairs, "I wasn't expecting you to visit at such late hours," Sarah scoffed, walking to the kitchen,
"Visit?" Derek raised an eyebrow, following her into the kitchen, "Don't I live here?"
"You do?" Sarah countered, sipping a cup of water thirstily.
"I've been…busy," Derek scratched his chin awkwardly.
"Yep," Sarah replied, "Very busy," She scowled, standing in front of him.
Derek frowned, "Where's the kid? Anything going on while-"
"Busy? Really?" Sarah interrupted, almost in a mocking tone. Derek grunted, annoyed with this interrogation. Sarah faked a smile, "No, nothing's gone wrong. Even if there was, none of your business," Sarah scowled deeply, putting her cup in the sink and making her way upstairs.
"Hey," Derek called gruffly. Sarah turned, annoyed and frustrated with Derek, "Where're you going?" He asked, to Sarah's surprise.
"My room, do I need to get a release form?" Sarah sneered.
"No," Derek shook his head, "It's just, your shirt…" He pointed at her abdomen. Sarah frowned, looking down at her shirt. On the white fabric was a patch of Cameron's blood, "A fight? You hurt?" He said casually.
"No, tomato juice," Sarah replied just as casually, turning and walking back upstairs. She had a good mind not to tell Derek about Cameron. That, she finally believed and trusted that whatever's got to do with Cameron is John's decision, not hers, not Derek's, not even fate's nor god's. It's John's, John Connor's decision.
"I'll be sleeping in!" Derek shouted after her. Sarah ignored him, heading for John's room.
But in her heart, she knew Derek and her were both bluffing. She didn't meant what she said and neither did he.
*
"John?" Sarah popped her head into the room. He was seated at the chair, hands behind his neck, tying something, "What's wrong?" Sarah frowned, walking in. She stood behind John, noticing he's trying to tie a knot of two strings which was actually one but was broken. Sarah's hands covered her son's, tying the knot for him.
"Thanks mom," John mumbled.
"You're welcome," Sarah smiled, sitting beside Cameron, on the bed, "Where'd you get that?" She pointed at the shiny device hanging from the broken string.
"From Cameron," John replied flatly, turning back to face his computer, plugging in the chip. Sarah knows that tone anyway. It means her son doesn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Alright then," She stood up, "You need anything, call me. And, Derek's returned, sleeping on the couch," She said. John nodded, not even looking at her, eyes glued to the screen. She sighed and left the room.
"Mom?" John spoke, to her surprise, stopping her at the door. She turned to find him still staring at the computer screen, "Thank you for everything. Patching up Cameron, caring and most importantly keeping this from Derek," John turned, smiling.
Sarah nodded with a smile and left the room, going across the corridor to hers. John's not stupid and she knows. She's sure John knows Derek would be starting a riot if he knew about Cameron. But since there isn't any, John concluded he doesn't know. Sarah can hear Derek's blanket swishing in the wind was he fanned it out on the couch. She shook her head into sense and entered her room.
She smiled as she saw Ryan lying on his stomach on her bed, head lying on the bed by the side; eyes wide open, looking at her.
"Hey little guy," Sarah cooed softly. She walked to the wardrobe and took out a fresh set of shirt. Swiftly, she removed her bloody shirt and wore the fresh on. She knows Ryan wouldn't mind since he's still young, from Cameron's knowledge, and once again, Cameron's right. Ryan couldn't careless.
Sarah walked to the bed and sat down on the other side. Ryan's eyes followed her. He got on his fours, crawling to Sarah and standing on the bed, a hand on her shoulder to tackle this new 'choppy' terrain on the bed. Sarah grinned, wrapping her arms around Ryan's smaller body and bringing him closer to her, feeling his warmth on hers. He gurgled in her ear, maintaining her smile to grow wider and wider.
*
Downstairs, Derek's having the worst time of his life, tortured by his conscience.
"What the fuck Reese?" Derek mumbled to himself as he shifted on the couch, "Why are you feeling guilty?" His mind twirled as he recalled Sarah's rude remarks to him, "She's obviously mad I'm not always here but why is she?" Derek frowned, closing his eyes and thinking, Man, this is stupid, and I sound like some sort of family man! Where's Kyle? Isn't this his duty? Take care of his unlawful wife and his son?
Derek continued to ponder on the problem but things got worst. He didn't even know in the first place why did Sarah being upset affect him so much? Women are just temperamental Derek. Why are you caring about this?
"Damn, I got to talk to her in the morning," Derek gritted his teeth, feeling his head hurt from all the blood rush. Deep down, he felt Sarah's rage at his absence.
He felt so guilty that if he didn't come to a conclusion tonight, he swore, he'll march up to Sarah's room and confront her about her being upset about him being away and satisfy his conscience, After all, this is our mission. We share one mission and she needs help. That woman is officially unstable. Derek concluded, before smiling to himself in satisfaction and happy not having the need to confront Sarah. The last thing he need tonight is a fight.
Gripping his gun tighter under the pillow, Reese fell asleep, dreaming of Sarah Connor's horrifying rage which send shiver down his spine. He'll rather face a second judgment day than face Sarah Connor when she's unstable.
*
John smiled down at his necklace, looking at the photo, he chuckled at the memory. He tore his eyes away from the necklace and to the computer screen which continued to flash, Access Denied. John pulled out the chip, sighing.
"I guess I'll just have to find out if she'll kill me," John muttered, doubt it though… sitting by Cameron and leaning over her to pull aside the ice pack on her head. Gently, he moved the flap of skin aside, pushing in her chip and closing the port cover over it, pressing her skin down.
John leaned back, waiting for Cameron to regain consciousness from the doping and the insertion of her chip. It's been awhile so the medicine effect must have worn out at least a little to let her come to. A soft whirling was heard and pools of brown were once again visible.
John looked closely at them and sighed relief silently as he didn't see the things behind them that he saw before she almost kill him. He saw eyes he saw before he slept the last time, soft, gentle and almost vulnerable.
In them, a light blue light flashed once as Cameron looked around. He leaned over to get into her vision.
"Hey," John cooed softly, "Does your wound hurt?" John asked. Cameron frowned up at him, attempting to sit up, eyes filled with confusion, "You scared me," John muttered, "Don't do that again, please," He continued, slipping his hand into hers by her thigh.
To his surprise, Cameron withdrew her hand from him swiftly, holding it close to herself. John looked up to see her eyes revealing an unreadable feeling that John had never seen before.
"Cameron?" John leaned into her view.
Cameron ducked back, sitting up slightly. John was relief the numbness was still there or she'd have winced and so would have his heart.
"Cameron, are you alright?" John reached out. He saw her tense as her confused eyes searched his face for answers she wanted but John couldn't give her any, not knowing what the questions are. His hands rested on her shoulders. John felt them relax when Cameron figured it was alright, "Come here," He smiled, pulling her gently into his arms. She obliged.
His heart thumped against him chest vigorously, threatening to jump out of his mouth. It has been a while since they were this close. Her warmth practically nibbled on his skin, soothing his every knot in his muscles. Her hand pressed on his chest, eyes wide as she heard his strong and quick heart beat.
With her cheek against his chest, Cameron spoke, softly and curiously.
"Who-who are you?"
To be continued…
Aren't I evil? This is the last chapter and I hoped you enjoyed your roller coaster ride with Falling in the Black! Please review! I'll reply them, as usual, in the sequel, 'I'll Always Come for You'. Remember to watch out for it!
A fact you might have missed
-The protective film was made by Ryan (He made it at …Chapter 27: The Mindset, the Letter, the Chip…when he checked up on her chip)