Chapter Twenty - Moonlit nights

Everyone except Sarah, who had to use the bathroom, was waiting in the car. John and Derek were riding in the back and front passenger seat respectively, while all the machines and Ellison stayed behind to guard the cabin. John looked over to Derek, who was staring with a hint of grief out the window into the pasture next to the cabin. John knew his uncle couldn't take his mind off Kyle, and John wasn't one for consoling, but this was his family, he had to at least try.

"How are you holding up, Derek?" he asked.

Derek showed no emotional reaction, only keeping his blank expression as he replied.

"I just... I can't get my mind off what happened. If one of us had reacted one second earlier... Kyle would still be alive." he replied as he continued to look out the window. Suddenly, with an emotional vigor that John thought didn't even exist possible in his normally stoic uncle, he turned around with the most troubled expression he'd ever seen.

"Look, kid. I sure as hell don't think you're some messiah for humanity with some convoluted destiny about leading us to victory against the machines." Derek admitted, and John kept his cool for the most part, and simply nodded, acknowledging his uncle's words.

"But... you've got spirit. I'll give you that." he added. "How long do you think you'll stick it out for, kid?"

John looked unconcerned. "As long as I have to." he answered quite directly.

Derek snickered. "Yeah, that's what they all say. Next thing you know, you toss 'em an M16, tell 'em to go shoot something, and the next moment both of their legs are laying ten feet from 'em, and what's left of their kneecaps are a stump with a fountain of blood. Best thing about it, though-Is you don't have to tell the new recruit straight out of high school that they've gotta drop the video game shit. Because, they've experienced it their whole lives."

John felt a rush of anger pass through him, but decided against acting on it. But he couldn't help but think that this was Derek's mindset, was this truly his viewpoint on war? The battle-weathered Connor took a deep breath and prepared his retort.

"It won't have to be like that forever ya'know? Not when we defeat Skynet for good."

Derek couldn't help but smile at the boy's naive inexperience. "You tell yourself that. Just know that I've known Skynet almost my whole life, there isn't another life I know besides destroying machines. Makes me question if there ever will be 'for good'." And, in a moment of what John felt like his mind warp, Derek held out his hand, offering to shake John's. "But we don't have to spend every moment looking at each other, making sure the other isn't gonna' stick 'em with a knife while they're asleep. What do you say? You watch my back, I'll watch yours?"

John stared at Derek's offering hand for a few moments, until a warm smile slowly sprawled over his face. He met Derek's open hand with his own and sealed it with the traditional Gentlemen's agreement of a handshake. "Sounds like a deal." he agreed as he and his uncle mirrored smiles.

Suddenly, the drivers seat door opened, and a jacket-clad Sarah Connor stood in the open doorway, her stare in a straight line of fire at Derek. John sunk into his seat as the awkwardness slipped in, although he found the sight of his mother and uncle staring at each other like they owed the other something quite entertaining.

Derek fumbled for his words for a moment, before finding the will to direct his open hand to the seemingly sight-struck Sarah. "Uh... you must be John's mother! Nice to meet you, ma'am." Sarah forced a smile onto her face, and shook Derek's hand.

"Likewise."

She entered the car, only for the awkward presence to intensify. Everyone in the car simply stared forth, looking for the next words to speak, the burden of which went to Sarah.

"So... who's ready for Ice Cream!"


Cameron stared out the window of the second floor. Her system registered several internal errors when the car began driving down the road. She ran a scan, and as expected, the results came back empty. Before she had another opportunity for thinking, she heard several footsteps behind her, and turned her attention to the doorway. She saw Catherine standing there with an annoyed look.

"Cameron, I believe you have something that belongs to me." she deadpanned in her Scottish accent.

Cameron frowned, knowing she was referring to the mimetic pollyalloy that was covering her face. Her head dropped down, and nodded, signaling for the redheaded T-1001 to come forth. She placed her right hand over her face, and in an instant, the pollyalloy covering Cameron's damaged tissue was gone, leaving Cameron's battle damage open for the world to see.

The T-1001 seemed to take a tasteless pleasure in Cameron's discomfort. "I'd stay indoors for now. You are... revealing." Catherine turned around, absolving Cameron of her smug presence. Cameron followed behind, intending to clean up the mess she and Catherine made while fighting the invasive T-888. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw James Ellison sweeping up the rubble and wood.

"Would you like some help?" Cameron asked politely.

James looked up at the curious Terminator, and found his answer among a mixed feeling of confusion and fear. He wasn't very favorable of being in the presence of the machine, especially knowing the extent of her dislike for him, and her very gruesome battle damage showing.

He took deep breath. "Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt, but do you think Sarah would mind? I mean, I would think you'd need to guard the-"

Cameron stopped him. "Do you want help or not?" she deadpanned.

Ellison shut up. "Yes, please." his head shot down to the floor and continued sweeping. Cameron found herself smiling at his amusing fear of her, and picked up the second broom laying down on the floor.


Danny heard knocking on the door outside from the bathroom, he put down the razor he was using to shave his light facial hair. "Who is it?" he called.

The knocking stopped, and he heard Jade's voice coming from the other side. "It's me. I've got the groceries." she replied.

Danny quickly rinsed his cream-ridden face with water, watching the white material wash down the sink drain, he put on his shirt, and made his way to the living room. Danny was a cautious man, so he peaked through the eye-hole in the door to confirm it was truly Jade. The white skin and blonde hair was unmistakable on his girlfriend, and he opened the door for her.

Like she said, she had four bags of groceries and a newspaper on her person, she handed Danny two bags and made her way to the kitchen area of the Days Inn they decided to stay at while on the run.

"Put those in the fridge, will you?" Jade requested, indicating the grocery bags she had given him.

Danny peered inside the bag, and found a jug of milk, along with a carton of eggs. He unpacked the bag, and carried each items in both hands. He placed them in their corresponding positions. When he was done, he closed the fridge, and felt a small layer of paper touch his arm, and looked over to see it was the newspaper Jade had brought back. He looked up in concern, and was met with a 'not quite pissed, but frankly irritated look'.

"Front page." she deadpanned.

Danny raised his brows, but followed her instructions nonetheless. He adjusted his glasses, and turned the paper to the front page. He noticed that the headline read: "TERRORIST SARAH CONNOR ESCAPES LOS ANGELES POLICE CUSTODY, POSSIBLY LINKED TO MISSING ZEIRA CORP. CEO."

Danny shrugged, looking rather unmoved. "What about it? Paper's from two days ago. I know that Sarah and that Weaver chick went missing."

Surprisingly, Jade let out a gentle smile. "Good that you remember, now flip the paper over." she instructed.

Danny rolled his eyes, but knew better than to question his girlfriend when she was in a foul mood. He noticed that it was a different paper, it was for today. This time, Danny gasped at what a small print read on the side.

"POWER OUTAGE LINKED TO STRANGE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE IN LOS ANGELES ALLEY."

He gulped and looked up at Jade. "You don't think..."

Jade nodded. "I think they, or at least one of them went through time, and came back through use of a TDE."

Danny wasn't convinced. "I think you're jumping to conclusions, babe. First of all, if this electrical discharge was caused by a Time device, then it was probably Skynet sending back more machines to harden the search for the Connors. I mean, it's more likely, right?"

Jade dreaded explaining to Danny her point, but she realized she had no choice in the matter. "Think about it, Danny. Sarah and her son go missing, they make their way to the largest technology business in the state. They find a TDE, and bam! Future!"

Danny sighed. "Ok, but what does this have to do with Weaver?"

Jade restrained herself from smacking him across the face for his incompetence. "Come on, Danny! Mr. Harp has been keeping an eye on her for months! We all know she's metal. We all know she's rogue..." a mischievous grin that caused Danny's blood to turn Ice cold rose across Jade's face. "She could even be working with the Connors."

Danny let out a jagged breath. An alliance between Sarah Connor and a rogue T-1001 was a great threat to their cause. He searched for a retort, any vessel that would grant him even the smallest drop of safety, even if it was an illusion.

"Why would Weaver team up with Sarah?"

Jade's evil smile grew bigger as she answered. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Danny still thought the scenario was unlikely. But decided to warn Jade about John's... machine anyway. "Jade, I think you should know. Edvard neglected to tell you that John Connor has Terminator protection..."

Jade cut him off. "I'm aware of Cameron. You don't need to worry about me, Cameron is a primitive design, she won't be a problem. Although, I would get to writing Mr. Harp, and tell him that the Connors might be allied with Catherine Weaver."

Danny nodded. "Right." He reached down, opened the pantry door, pulled out a paper and envelope, and began writing.


"I've basically been training him my whole life. John's a good kid, I'd never let anything happen to him." Sarah replied to Derek's question regarding John's history.

Derek nodded, watching John order his vanilla ice cream at the booth, well out of earshot. "Your son is one hell of a fighter. I hope you know that."

Sarah smiled at his comment. "Yeah, I taught him everything he knows. I'll make damn sure he's ready before he goes out on his own." she replied. "But... I think it was his father that gave John the prowess he has now. He was a soldier."

Derek's gaze remained focused ahead. "What happened to him?"

Sarah paused, she made sure she didn't come out choked. "Machines. One of them killed him while he was trying to protect me."

Derek looked legitimately regretful, he truly did feel sorry for Sarah. "I'm sorry. That must've been hard." he said with a tone of sorrow.

Sarah didn't reply, only one thought raced through her mind... If only he knew...

She watched her son back to the car, double-scooped Vanilla in hand. Sarah smiled at him, starting the car with a twist of the keys.


Sarah was the first one to open the door, letting herself in, being followed by Derek and John. She was stumped at the sight of a clean house. The debris from the destroyed stairs was gone, and Cameron and James were sweeping up the chalky remains.

Sarah smiled, "Well, that saves me a cleaning job."

John smirked. "Me too."

Sarah looked back and shared a humorous smile with her son. She was about to walk back up the stairs, when Cameron asked for her attention, Sarah gasped at the exposed skull on Cameron's head.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to startle you. I used Catherine's alloy to cover the battle damage so I could get through the TDE. May I use the triple-eight's parts to repair my damaged systems? I will be at 94.61 combat effectiveness."

Sarah's response was to brush by her, muttering 'whatever' as she trudged up the stairs. John shook his head at his mother's rudeness. "Sorry, Cameron. I don't know what's gotten into her. She was in such a good mood, earlier."

Cameron simply showed no response. "Don't apologize, John. I don't expect her treatment of me to improve, nor do I care if it does."

John sighed. "Yeah, well, I do. I've got nothing to do for the next few hours, let me help you fix yourself up."

Cameron was about to insist doing it herself, but she quickly realized John wasn't offering to help because he had to; he was doing it because he wanted to. This clarity caused the familiar sensation to wash over Cameron. This time, she didn't run another scan, and quite frankly, it concerned her. Was this a new level of acceptance?

"Cameron?" John called.

Realizing she'd been deep in thought, she smiled back at John. "Of course you can help, John. It will be four hours, and thirty-nine minutes before repairs are complete."

John didn't care, he was just happy he'd be spending time with Cameron. "That's okay. What about your skin regeneration?"

Cameron ran another scan... 190HRS (26% complete)

Cameron frowned, her previous scan indicated much longer, yet the time had significantly decreased. She feared her sensors may be damaged. She saved the concern for later, and let John to the small tool shed behind the cabin. "26%"

John followed behind closely. "Well, we can at least fix your endoskeleton right?"


John placed the T-888 parts on a mat. He had Cameron lay her right arm on the table, and he placed a fixed light over the open wound, slightly wincing at the servos that held her metal hand together. Cameron noticed this, and reassured him.

"My regeneration is slower than expected. But it will be done within the week."

John kept looking inside the wound, he wanted to not find it gruesome, he wanted to see it as another layer of Cameron's exceptional nature; but no matter no hard he tried, he could only see the metal beneath as a crude reminder of the machines that hunted him.

John swallowed heavily. "Let's uh... let's get this over with." He handed Cameron two pistons left over from the T-888 body, as well as what looked like a small panel; although he had no idea what it was used for. Th Cyborg kindly took the parts from his waiting hand, and began inspecting them, she then pushed aside the metal parts in her arm, taking out the damaged ones, and replacing them with the parts John gave her.

There was a strange interest John found in watching her work. He did find many parts disturbing, of course; but the more he watched, the more he felt he understood her nature.

John licked his lips subconsciously, wondering what to say. "Look... I'm sorry I looked sort of grossed out when I saw your open wound. I'm just not used to seeing that kind of stuff."

Cameron didn't reply for a moment, prompting John to think she was ignoring him. But she kept to herself only long enough to work on the wound on her arm, revealing her silence was only the result concentration. She faced her companion. "You don't need to apologize. I understand your discomfort."

John frowned, he found her dismissive words on the matter rather unfair. "We've been through a lot, you know? You and I." he stated.

Cameron loosened a a piston in the arm, replacing it with one that John gave her. "I know. I was there." she deadpanned.

John couldn't tell if she was joking, but smiled nonetheless. "I can't help but think about what would've happened if future me had never sent you back... my mom always had this 'no fate but what we make' saying, but... I believe that you saving me that day was meant to happen."

Cameron's expression morphed into one of concern. "You think you would be much different without me?"

John took a deep breath. He nodded in response, but then added to her answer. "I think I'd still be running away from my problems instead of fighting them. Hell, I think you changed my mom too... a year ago, she would have never let me jump to the future like I did. But she knew I wasn't going to just abandon you, Cameron. I took the initiative. I have no one else to thank... but you."

Cameron saw the expression in his eyes that spoke genuine emotion. She knew he meant every word from the bottom of his heart. Before she could get a word in, John gently grasped both her hands with his own, and she felt her secondary systems crash and reboot. "You've changed me, for the better."

Cameron looked around, if she didn't know any better, she would've called John's statement 'sappy'. But at the same time... he was truly better. He was stronger, smarter, and a much more determined warrior than he was before they'd met. She'd like to think it was all due to her, but Sarah was definitely due some credit. She smiled warmly, triggering an even happier smile from John.

"You may have changed; but it's not because wholly of me. Your mother has got more to do with it than I. She taught you everything you know." Cameron stated.

John felt a warmness rush through his body, she was half-right. "Yeah, well, nonetheless, you contributed to me being a better person." He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Shit, I'm tired." he said.

Cameron continued fixing her arm. She watched John rest his cheek on his fist, and found his exhausted demeanor amusing. "You should rest."

John immediately jumped open, "No! I can help..." he defied.

The Cyborg knew John wouldn't last long. It'd only be ten, maybe twenty minutes before he fell asleep. She moved onto her lower leg, and John assisted her by cleaning up the leftover pieces. It wasn't long before John's consciousness began to slip away, feeling darkness come close to gripping him. He fell asleep quickly after, and when Cameron was finished repairing her damage, she carried John up to his room.


John's eyes fluttered open, the first thing he noticed was a vast darkness surrounding him. He remembered helping Cameron repair herself in the tool shed; but he wasn't in the tool shed. He was laying down in a comfortable bed. He deduced Cameron must have brought him up here after she was done repairing herself. He looked above the television set that was placed against the wall, and saw a clock.

10:44 p.m.

John sighed, Jeez, been asleep for nearly four hours. He remembered his conversation with Cameron, how the talk echoed in his mind, how heartfelt it was becoming. He needed to find her. John summoned his will, and got up from the bed, and made his way downstairs. He assumed everyone else besides Catherine was sleeping, but Catherine seemed to be nowhere in sight. He tread carefully down the stairs, and made his way into the living room. The disoriented teenager looked around for a moment, before finally spotting the cyborg standing near one of the windows.

"Cam?" he called quietly.

The machine turned around, smiling at him when she looked at him. "Hello, John. It's good to see that you're up. Would you like to look at the street with me?"

The question definitely caught John off-guard, and despite how innocent she sounded when she asked it, he couldn't help but say "What?"

Cameron turned her attention back to the window, seemingly caught in a blank gaze at the moonlight as it struck the ground. "I find a strange drawing to the street, and I do not know why." she explained.

The confused John approached the machine, and stood next to her, taking in the sight of the moonlight hitting the street. "You find the street... nice?" he inquired.

Cameron shook her head. "No... I think it's the moonlight."

Suddenly, realization hit John. He knew why Cameron seemed so paralyzed by the sight... "You admire it's beauty. You think it's... pretty." he explained.

Cameron looked at him with a widened expression, she was about to protest, but John beat her to it.

"I always knew you were different..." he said with an overwhelmingly positive smile.

Cameron looked back at the moonlight, ran a few scans, the concluded John was right... it was the moonlight. It was...

"Serene." she stated.

John thought he had misheard. "Wait, what?"

A large smile beamed across Cameron's face. "That's what my systems register when I look at it. I think it's... calming. My sensory units are dormant, yet... they feel as if they're on fire."

John felt tears brush against his eyes. He was right, John Henry was right. Cameron was evolving, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He grasped her by her hand, bringing her attention to him.

"Do you know the reason future me sent you back?" he asked.

Cameron was taken aback; he knew her goal. "To protect you." she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

John shook his head, grasping her hands tighter. "No... the other reason."

Cameron looked at him with confusion. "I was... not given a secondary mission."

Once again, John shook his head. "That's because he wanted you to figure out what it was yourself." he stepped even closer, to the point where there bodies were almost touching, and John faced her with their heads only inches apart.

"And I think I know what it is."

She had no idea where John was going with this. "I don't understand."

John leaned in closer, there was a moment as if space and time had stopped, and was left with a warped shell of what it once was. "Do you think... that maybe..."

He leaned in closer, their lips were mere centimeters from meeting. "he meant... for us... to fall..." he couldn't help himself anymore. Their lips finally met, and he felt her soft lips grace his own, as they shared the perfect unity, between man and machine. Cameron's systems failed, rebooted, failed, and rebooted again in and endless cycle of passion. John's whole body was on fire, and he wrapped his arms around Cameron's waist, while Cameron in turn wrapped hers around his neck. Their kiss lasted about one minute, and when they pulled back, John stared with fiery passion in Cameron's eyes, and caught the unmistakable smile of pleasure and happiness on her face.

"... in love?" she finished for him.

John shook his head slowly, taking in her beautiful sight. Her red eye piercing deep into his own, but he didn't care. There was one thing he knew... and he was going to tell her right now.

"Cameron?"

"Yes?" she replied, anticipation building in her.

The words built up like thousands of pounds of pressure in a fire hose, and he had to let them out... "I love you."

Cameron was silent for a moment, taking in his words. "I... you love me?"

John nodded, holding her tighter. "Yeah, I have for a long time." he admitted as his cheeks went red.

Cameron for the first time, felt tears come close to spilling, but she blinked them away before John could notice. "I..." she started.

John stopped her. "It's okay... I know you may not know what love feels like, at least not yet. But you understand it, don't you?"

Cameron nodded happily, shakily. She leaned into John for a heartfelt hug. John held her tight, a satisfied smile holding her face. She knew what it was like, she wasn't a disposable piece of metal, she wasn't something to be tossed and never used again. She felt much different, she felt loved.

She felt like a person.

She blinked away a few more tears, and answered John's question. "Yes... I understand." before kissing him again.


No, I'm not dead. But if I was, you guys would be the first ones I'd let know. Also, hope you liked the kissing scene. I planned it three months in advance. Keep those reviews coming, peeps.