Chapter 78

Hate?

Jesse was down on the ground. It was clear that Cameron just saved her life.

Cameron held out her hand for Jesse to take.

"If you want to live, come with me." Cameron said.

Jesse took her hand and Cameron pulled her up. Jesse thought Cameron could have done nothing and let her be killed. Cameron 'threatened' her earlier over the issues with Sarah, Allison and Vanna. She now realized that was just to leave her friends and family alone.

Cameron risked damage to herself to save her. In fact, she saw the damage to Cameron. Nobody thought of her first - ever. Nobody was willing to sacrifice anything for her. She did not know Cameron very well. When she was in a bind Cameron was there for her. Cameron came for her. That really meant something to her.

Bob was with them now. Metal was there for her to help her and to save her. Jesse wanted to say something to Cameron. She was at a loss for words. Even with the damage to her face she noticed how beautiful Cameron was. She always was able to see that. How could anyone look so attractive all the time? That little firecracker Allison could never look that good, ever. She needed to clear her mind, it began to drift. Now was not the time. It was the time to focus and try to fight their way out.

Jesse knew Cameron put herself in harms way to protect her. Bob was there backing both of them up. Why would they do that for her after the way she'd treated them? She'd said some terrible things to the Terminators but not to Cameron, she still remembered Cameron's warning. She saw how all of the people and Metal interacted and got along at the base. It was like one big 'loving family'. These people cared for and looked after one another. These people were something special. Now she could see that Cameron wanted her to be part of it and to be 'special' too. Cameron was hard but she was fair.

"Are you hit?" Cameron asked.

Jesse didn't think so.

"No." Jesse said. "I was just knocked down. You saved me."

Cameron fired a burst from her M4. It was answered with a scream from off to the side.

"Stay in back of me at all times." Cameron said. "Bob will be behind you and cover our six."

Cameron moved forward after she handed Jesse her pistol.

"Thanks." Jesse said.

There was new movement off to the other side. Bob fired from behind her. The reports seemed loud being so close in back of her.

"Keep moving." Bob said.

Jesse closed up on Cameron some. She watched Cameron set some explosive charges in a few places. Behind her, Bob placed a few more.

Cameron moved to another part of the building. There were vats of chemicals in one corner. Jesse followed Cameron as she showed her where to place the explosives to have the maximum effect.

Jesse saw that this was a learning experience too. Cameron was instructing her. She was not berating her.

Cameron moved into another section of the building. They came in the back way to this new room. There was a man by the door at the front. He looked out to where they'd been earlier. He searched for a target. Cameron indicated for Jesse to take the shot to bring him down.

Jesse nodded and took aim. Two shots rang out and the man fell.

They passed by his body as they moved through the room into the next one. The man's head was blown open and there was a hole in his back where his heart would be on the front side. Cameron nodded to her.

"Good shooting." Cameron whispered.

They moved into the next room. Cameron handed her one of the explosive charges. There were several places she could place it. It looked like she needed to make a decision as to where the best spot was to place it. She looked to Cameron but Bob and her kept watch.

There were metal tanks of some type of compressed gas. They were marked as flammable. She placed the charge on the lowest tank in the middle of the group.

Jesse looked at Cameron and she nodded once. That was the right choice.

They swept back through the building and came out the way they'd come in. They did not spot anyone else. They were all dead.

Cameron guided Jesse forward to get away from the building, the fireworks were about to start. Cameron took out a detonation control box and flipped a switch. A red light came on. She took one last look around and offered the box to Jesse.

Jesse nodded. She took one last look around herself and pushed the button. The building began blow up behind them. They came to a fence. Bob ripped the chain link apart and they passed through. Cameron now followed behind them. She urged her to hurry and covered their exit. There was Metal in front of her and Metal behind her, to help and protect her. For once in a long time she did not feel like a piece of trash. She did not feel like something someone 'used' and then threw away. She felt like a person again. It made her feel like she belonged.

Once they were clear Cameron checked Jesse over to make sure she was not severely injured. Cameron physically touched her as she looked for any damage or injuries. No one ever cared if she was hurt or injured before. No one cared to ask let alone actually check. Cameron cared about her. No one ever cared about her before. She felt something inside her. She felt something deep within her change.

Jesse tried to fight it since she first laid eyes on Cameron but she could no longer fight it. It took hold. It was there now and she knew it was never going to go away. She prayed it would never go away. It was a special feeling.

Cameron's hand was on Jesse's neck.

Jesse looked Cameron in the face.

"Cameron…" Jesse started.

Cameron looked directly into her eyes

"Please, don't say it, Jesse." Cameron said. "Go back to Derek."

Jesse did not know what to say.

Cameron looked into her face and eyes and then she was gone.

Jesse watched her go. It seemed like Cameron moved like a leaf in the wind.

Cameron was so agile and mobile. It was like fluidity in motion.

Jesse thought Cameron was like a shadow, a shadow at night.

Allison and Sarah came to her and checked on her too. They led her back to where John, Kyle and Derek were. Bob brought up the rear. It was time to leave.

They arrived back at the base. John and John Henry went over the reports from each of the team.

John gathered the group and went over the action and the results. He finally got around to Jesse. Cameron asked John to go easy on her. John saw it was important to Cameron not to be angry or demeaning to her.

John paused and looked at Jesse.

"Jesse, what happened?" John asked. "It was not what we planned."

Jesse decided to own up to her mistake.

"I messed up." Jesse said. "I put others at risk and in harms way. I apologize for that. It won't happen again. I am sorry, everyone. I will do better the next time. I promise."

John moved on. It surprised everyone but Cameron.

"Jesse will do better on the next raid." Cameron said. "She helped me place explosives before we left the building."

The warriors all looked at each other.

They all thought John and then Cameron would rip into Jesse for her actions. They thought she would be made an example of. It didn't happen.

John moved on with the briefing.

"This is the second target…." John started.

They went over the mission plan and then went over it a second time.

Everyone paid attention this time. No one wanted anyone else to be injured or hurt.

The second mission went off perfectly and Jesse did as she was supposed to. John and Cameron complemented her on her performance.

When Jesse tried to apologize for her earlier mistakes and the damage Cameron suffered. Cameron said not to worry about it and that anyone can make a mistake. Cameron said if they don't make the same mistake again that it was a lesson and everyone can learn.

Cameron smiled at her and touched her cheek and asked her after both missions how she was and checked to make sure she was alright. It was clear to her that Cameron really cared about her.

Jesse could not take her eyes off of Cameron. It 'happened' and Jesse did not care. To her it was the most natural feeling - ever.

Jesse was determined to pull her weight. Every time she looked at Cameron she felt something inside of her. It always seemed to grow. She saw the loving way John tended to her wounds. Allison and Sarah were there to assist with anything at all. Vanna worked on Cameron when she returned. These were people who really loved each other she thought. They actually cared about each other. Nobody was a tool or an implement. No one was expendable.

All Jesse could remember was the brutal treatment she received and all the terrible things that were done to her. She then found comfort in handing out brutal treatment to others. She remembered the times she was stuck in Scavenger camps.

She blamed her scars on Metal but they really were inflicted by other humans. Her biggest scar was placed on her by a woman in a Scavenger camp. It forever marred her perfect figure. The woman did it just to mar it. That is what the woman told her. She laughed as she did it. The woman laughed harder as she screamed in pain. That scar was going to be put on her face but the men who were going to 'use' her said it would spoil their pleasure. That was one assault she was grateful for. It lasted for a day and a half.

Jesse thought that Metal would never do that, only people hurt others for pleasure. She thought about it more and more. She hated people as much as she hated Metal. No - used to hate Metal. She looked at Cameron again. She knew what happened inside of her. She could not stop it nor did she want to. She wanted - more. Jesse knew she was in love with Cameron….

Cameron made Jesse want to be a better person. She tried to be. She started to watch her tongue and not mouth off as much. She thought more about other people. She tried to help in a meaningful manner. She became more 'human' again. Cameron led her back to the path to be 'human' again. It was ironic that Metal showed her how to be 'human' again. It all meant so much to her. Everything meant so much to her.

Jesse offered to go on any mission she could with Cameron. She would volunteer for any mission, regardless of the danger. She proved herself in combat as she fought at Cameron's side.

When they returned back to the base alone one night, Jesse NEEDED to say something.

"Cameron…." Jesse said.

Cameron knew what Jesse wanted to say.

"Please, don't say it, Jesse." Cameron said.

Cameron looked at her as 'motherly' as possible.

"Go to Derek. He needs you, Jesse." Cameron said. "Together you make each other better people. You help each other to be better."

Jesse's eyes were wide.

"Cameron…." Jesse tried to continue.

Cameron reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Sometimes it is nice to have help." Cameron said. "Help can come in many forms."

Jesse's mind was in overload mode. It was ready to burst.

"Sometimes it is nice to help." Jesse replied.

They continued their journey in silence.

Jesse knew she would follow Cameron anywhere or do anything Cameron asked of her. Cameron was like no other…. Cameron showed her what it was like to be alive again. Cameron showed her what it was like to be human again.

After they were back at the base Cameron checked her over one final time before she left.

Jesse watched her go.

"I love you, Cameron." Jesse softly said.

A single tear slid down her cheek.

Hate

There is love
There is hate
Is the difference between them
Really that great

We can be pushed from one extreme
To that of another
They can overwhelm us
As slowly they smother

Emotions boil up inside us
Intense feelings can rapidly shift
We try to make sense of it all
As through daily life we sift

Views can always change
Who we are can evolve
We get stuck in our own orbit
As around life we revolve

Maybe it is more
Than determined by fate
One thing is for sure
We all love to hate

Nobody