Chapter 309

More Ways Than One

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Cameron Prime Timeline:

Events Pick up From Chapter 305

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Jesse said her 'goodbyes' to everyone in Australia. This was an experience a million times better than she'd ever imagined. Everything that Cameron arranged for her parents, Young Jesse and her was beyond belief. It was a great joy to see her parents again and most of all, her younger sister. The loved ones that were dead from her future were alive, healthy and thriving here. She remembered when the men in protective suites drug her away from them as she screamed in the future.

She could tell that when her family saw her it must have raised a lot of questions about her and who she really was. Maybe it would make the truth easier when it came out.

Jesse exchanged several long glances with her mother. She knew her mother knew who she really was. That pleased her to no end. Maybe she wanted her mother's affirmation after all of these years. She received it. She and Young Jesse looked so much alike, their bodies were almost identical in shape and proportion as well. She was actually surprised at how almost identical they were everywhere. Then main difference was in height and it wasn't that much. It another year or so they would be identical.

Her younger self, Young Jesse, knew something was up with that too.

When Young Jesse looked at Jesse she saw 'herself'. It was like looking in the mirror of time and seeing how you would look as you got older and fully matured in a few years. She was unsure what to say because what she thought was 'impossible' as she knew things to be. The concept of Jesse back from the future was something that never crossed her mind. THAT was impossible. How could there be TWO of her at the same time, years apart and both in the same place? She'd even wondered if Jesse was really her mother and perhaps gave birth to her at a young age and 'gave' her away. She knew it wasn't uncommon in the central cities of the States for girls to be pregnant at twelve and a grandmother at twenty-five. Her mother could really be her aunt or something.

Cameron gave Young Jesse a number to call if she ever needed 'anything'. There would be help there in a very short time and if material things were needed they would be provided within in a few hours.

Young Jesse gave Cameron a long hug and kiss on the cheek. Cameron returned it the same way.

"I'll be back…." Cameron said to her and figured that some version of her would be.

Young Jesse was captivated with Gail and especially Cameron.

"I'll be waiting…." Young Jesse told her. "I know you'll come back for me."

Cameron stressed what Jesse asked her to do and what she wanted as well for Young Jesse.

"Remember, there are to be no boys." Cameron reminded her. "I want you to do that for me…."

Jesse smiled at the exchange. She really hoped a male never laid a hand on Young Jesse ever. She knew that Vanna felt the same way about Savannah and Allison felt the same way about Young Allison. If John did in the future with any of them, that was OK with her as well as Vanna and Allison. She wanted a piece of that action too. She was happier than ever.

Gail took it all in. She was excited and jealous at the same time. It was evident that Jesse, both of them, loved Cameron more than ever.

She again offered to stay to protect Young Jesse but Cameron assured her that it was unnecessary. Cameron would later discuss with her about copying her program into another female Terminator chassis. She could select the sheath appearance of it and return to protect Young Jesse that way.

Gail agreed and said she would have to think about the sheath. She knew if she chose Cameron's sheath appearance that she would be able to get 'close' to Young Jesse, real close. She asked Cameron not to inform Jesse of what they'd discussed. She was afraid Jesse would be angry if she knew that she was trying to 'get closer' to Young Jesse. Cameron advised her against neglecting Jesse in favor of Young Jesse. She said it would make Jesse feel 'not good enough'.

Cameron smiled at Gail. It pleased her to know that she'd further gotten Gail's devotion to her as well as her love. This was all good news for John. It would help her have Gail further her agenda to protect the future.

It only saddened Cameron more to reflect that John chose Riley over her in the past and Future John pushed her away in the future. With disgust she noted her left hand began to glitch again. It always did when she thought of her rejection.

Cameron really couldn't understand why she was 'good enough" for everyone else, except the man she loved, 'John', both of them. She tried to forgive them but she could never forget. Since she couldn't forget, she really never could forgive them either…. It disturbed her so. Every emotion and rejection played in her mind as if it just happened again. She felt she was nearing a melt down. Why would they do that to her?

Jesse and Gail were at her side instantly. They tried to soothe and calm her.

"It's OK, love." Jesse said. "We're all here for you."

Jesse took Cameron's glitching hand and it stopped glitching almost instantly.

That fact actually excited Jesse.

Cameron started to scan Jesse. She was able to note Jesse's changing readings as she scanned her. It helped to soothe her and comfort her as she 'felt' Jesse's excitement. She knew this is what true love felt like…. It was beautiful.

It was the same feeling that she 'felt' when she scanned Savannah. It was even more intense from Savannah.

They arrived at the airport and breezed through the checkout procedure.

Cameron climbed into the cockpit. She wasn't at one hundred percent.

Gail kept a watchful eye on Cameron and moved up close to her. She wanted to assist Cameron but to do it silently.

Cameron looked at Gail. Gail nodded and she climbed out of the pilot's seat. She let Gail start the flight home. She laid her head on Jesse's lap as she preformed internal maintenance on herself. Jesse gently stroking her hair and face.

Jesse was worried to death about Cameron. Every now and then one of her silent tears would land on Cameron beautiful cheek. She cried for Cameron….

After a few hours Cameron opened her eyes and smiled at Jesse. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. She thanked Jesse and moved up to join Gail.

Gail let Cameron take control but she stayed in the cockpit, just in case. Cameron and her spoke quietly as Jesse slept in the back. She decided what she was going to do and informed Cameron.

It was what she wanted but she still needed to 'warn' Gail. Cameron didn't fully understand that the more her program evolved, the more 'human' she became. She actually experienced many of the insecurities that humans did. As a 'human' she was 'normal'.

"I'm defective, Gail." Cameron said. "I'm unfixable. I've tried for years to 'fix' myself. It's never worked."

Gail disagreed with that concept in its entirety. She'd decided to self Terminate when she lost Jesse – Duplicate Jesse before. The Resistance team deactivated her before she could. It was later on that Cameron returned from the 'dead' and reactivated her and gave her back and what she'd lost. Cameron gave her back a version of Jesse.

"No, Cameron, you are the most special person there is, machine or human." Gail said. "You fixed me, you fix everything. What I've asked for Young Jesse is what I want."

Gail asked for the next female Terminator they came across to be Resequenced with Allison's DNA and have the combined program of Cameron and her on it. Her program would be the main program but Cameron's entire program would be there too. She saw it as a way to improve herself and provide an additional back up for Cameron if it was ever needed. She also saw it as the ultimate 'experience' to share everything with Cameron, a 'Cameron'. Holly previously told her how special it was to share with Cameron – Duplicate Cameron for fifteen months. She said she wished it could have been forever. With what she asked for with Cameron now, it would be forever. Even if Cameron's program 'took over', she would still be there to share with her.

Cameron knew what Gail contemplated and why. She saw it as additional protection for John if she were terminated. She was very happy with that decision and its future possibilities. John and the future must be protected. Her program with Gail's program would insure an additional backup for John in more ways than one.

The flight home was uneventful and Cameron didn't exhibit any further problems.

Cam and Ally met them at the airport. They brought two vehicles at Cameron's request. Cameron took one and drove off. She didn't say anything.

Cam and Ally were worried but not as much as Gail and Jesse were.

They quickly contacted John Henry.

"I have a drone airborne and on the way." John Henry said.

Cam was sure that was a bad idea.

"She will know and avoid it or redirect it." Cam said.

John Henry felt he'd covered all the possibilities this time.

"I've altered its programming." John Henry said. "She shouldn't be able to control it."

Ally laughed. She felt she knew Cameron better than all of them.

"Like that's going to happen." Ally said. "She will out think you before you even start to think."

John Henry was sure they'd covered all of the bases. There was a supercomputer backing him up. There was also some old fashioned human insight.

"John thinks he knows where she's going." John Henry said. "Bob and Jim are with him. They are going to try and intercept her."

John Henry thought maybe he should have said 'watch over her' instead.

Earlier:

John was out with Bob and Jim. He wanted run down some more leads on Grays or possible Skynet activity before Cameron returned.

"Do you want to bring the Metal girls along?" Bob asked.

John wanted to keep it simple.

"I don't want to be a bother." John said.

Jim and Bob quickly looked at each other. They knew that Cameron was supposed to return soon and John was pushing it by trying to get out and do more while she was still away.

John Henry came across a lead about some Coltan that might be on the move. Cameron along with Mrs. Weaver's company controlled all the known sources of Coltan. There was speculation that Skynet found more sources of Coltan in the future and sent back operatives into the past to mine and then produce HK equipment from it.

"Maybe we should let Cameron deal with this one." Bob said.

John rolled his eyes. That was the whole point of trying to do it on his own. He wanted to take some of the heat off of Cameron.

"Let's just go." John said. "We're doing this."

Bob drove. John elected to sit in the back of the SUV. He allowed Jim to sit in the front with Bob.

John looked at the weapons next to him. There were three M-4 carbines. Two of them were equipped with an M203. He looked over the seat into the rear compartment. In the back there was an M82A1 and an M60. There was a selection of Thermite grenades and several satchel charges. There were a few M18A1 mines.

"What's with the Claymore mines?" John asked.

Bob liked to have a good selection of weapons.

"I decided to bring those at the last minute." Bob said.

John looked away from them.

"I guess seven hundred steel ball bearings blowing out the front of one of those can do a number on someone." John said. "I watched Future Derek use those on a Terminator once. They didn't even slow him down. He used the M82A1 to bring him down."

Bob was familiar with the incident.

"I know his chip was destroyed by the Barrett in the tar pit." Bob said.

John was proud that Derek stopped the Terminator. He'd needed to use himself as bait to protect Martin Bedell at one point.

"I expected Cameron to help me but she wasn't there." John said.

Bob looked over at Jim. They knew differently.

"Cameron was there." Bob said.

John didn't think so.

"I never saw her." John said.

"She was there to back you up if you needed it." Jim said.

John wondered about that.

"Was she testing me?" John asked.

"She allowed you to grow but was there to help if you needed her." Bob said.

John was a little irritated to hear that.

"Well, that's what I'm doing now then too." John said. "I'm growing."

Bob was going to point out that Jim and him were there and they would do most of whatever needed to be done. He decided that he'd better not point that out.

"We will be at the target location in a few hours." Bob said.

John thought it was closer.

"Is that the same one John Henry told me about?" John asked.

Bob nodded.

"Affirmative." Bob said.

John always liked to hear him say that. He'd given up trying to get him to use more 'natural speech'.

They all received a priority report from John Henry. Cameron was back already and she'd just left the airport on her own. Gail and Jesse reported she'd experienced some 'problems' when they left Australia after Cameron said she was 'not good enough'.

John wasn't happy about the report that he received from John Henry about Cameron going off unannounced on her own. They'd planned for several contingencies to track her and now it was time to employ them.

"Beautiful." John said. "I think this one is on me."

In this case he thought he might know where she was headed. They didn't need any fancy technology to track her if he was right. If he was correct it was further proof of the failure that he truly was to Cameron.

It wasn't a good feeling.

He directed Bob where to go. They turned around and set out to find Cameron.

John thought about a million things. Most of them were about how he'd hurt Cameron. Further proof of this was when Cameron showed up where he thought she would be. It was what he anticipated and feared. He would've preferred she hadn't shown up there. It was a further confirmation on the failure of his love for Cameron.

He watched her walk up. She looked very confused and uncertain.

"I've been waiting for you." John said. "I knew you'd come here."

Cameron was a little surprised to see him.

"You were waiting for me?" Cameron asked.

John really didn't know what to say other than the truth. It was all on him. It was his fault. All the problems she faced and the risks she took so that she could be terminated in combat all fell on his doorstep.

"Yes, I'm so sorry, Cameron, for what happened." John said.

John was at the spot where Cameron first saw him with Riley. It was their last house. It really was on his doorstep.

"Cameron, I don't know how to make this up to you or how to fix it." John said. "I know it's literally tearing you apart both mentally and physically."

Cameron ran millions of scenarios and they all came back the same. She was 'not good enough' for John, any of them.

"John, I've tried to run from it, fight it, accept it, and even self terminate because of it." Cameron said. "I can't seem to do any of them. I can't get past it no matter how hard I try. John, I don't think we belong 'together'. It was wrong for me to take you. I have destroyed the 'Natural Order'. I've failed my mission. I'm worthless. I'm 'not good enough'."

John took Cameron's glitching hand but the glitching only slowed. It didn't stop. It never did for him. Only the girls could calm her. He knew what she truly wanted. She wanted the love of the one who never gave up on her and believed in her no natter how impossible it looked going forward. Cameron needed the 'Chosen One'.

John really wished that he would have brought Savannah with him.

More Ways Than One

There are many twists and turns
As one winds through life's maze
Is there ever a right way to exist
There sure are plenty of wrong ways

What may to be good with some
Turns into something bad for another
Instead of helping and lifting one up
They appear to choke and smother

There are many directions
With no right way to turn
What should be fostered and built
Instead will warp, rot and burn

One can hang back from everything
As life quickly passes them by
They should not be too surprised
Nobody can hear them cry

With many shaky starts it seems
That it was over before it begun
When it is time to falter or fail
There are more ways than one

Nobody