Don't you know I would move Heaven and Earth to be together forever with you
Rick Astley
Ch 1
Claire Young was a great speaker. She was on the radio and traveled to places with Allison to proclaim the war was over, they won. General John Connor had led them to victory over Sky Net. She painted the current 'cyborgs', especially John Henry as having done wonders to beat Sky Net and with his invention of 'free nanites' the radiation was slowly being removed from the Earth, including human mistakes like Chernobyl.
John Connor didn't even listen to these rousing speeches.
On the tallest hill outside Los Angeles, twenty foot tall statues were erected of Cameron, Catherine Weaver, and Wanda, the base explaining they had sacrificed themselves to remove Sky Net from the world.
John never went to see them.
Derek had a T-888 hand, forearm and elbow joint now, designed and grafted into his body, complete with a flesh covering. No one would ever guess it wasn't his original arm. Derek, the last living officer in John's command, now led the army with his T-888 fan club, which now numbered in the thousands. Their primary duties two years after Sky Net was defeated, was still searching for survivors, rebuilding infrastructure, and hiding John Connor in case some leftover Sky Net forces were looking for him.
In reality, those left alive after the war were shielding John so no one knew the suicidal drunk John had degraded into. The leader of the resistance was a hollow shell of his former self.
Despite the stern lectures and yelling from Derek and coaxing from Claire that John was still needed, now more than ever, all John could see was Cameron was gone.
Upon the news Sky Net was destroyed, and with it, Cameron, John went catatonic for the first few days. All he would do was sit in his command post and stare blankly at nothing. Except for tears leaking out of his eyes now and then, Claire had to take his pulse to be sure he was still alive. When she did have him taken to his quarters, he burst out crying.
.
Two years after Cameron and Wanda had destroyed themselves to rid the world of Sky Net, John stood looking at his mother's grave against the hacienda wall, the half full whiskey bottle dangling from his hand. His second of the day.
He wasn't able to save her. His mother died in a nuclear explosion at the beginning of the war. Cameron died in the last one of the war. The two who meant the most to him were both gone, and he was still here.
What fuckin good was he? It was his mother and Cameron who'd taught him and made sure he survived. Sure, mom hadn't always made the best decisions, but she had always done her best for him.
"Sorry, mom." he said in a slur.
He knew Derek was running the resistance now, and Claire, who still called him her son-in-law, stopped by now and then to check on him and assure him he was needed. The question he had was, for what? Every time he saw her, he was reminded of Cameron. He couldn't even look at Allison, she was a carbon copy of Cameron. Of course Cameron had been made from Allison in a future that no longer was. His war was over. Both his mother and Cameron were gone. Maybe he should be gone too.
Up on the top of the wall around the hacienda was now a walkway. John wandered over to the steps up to it and climbed to the top. Up here, the wall was waist high. It was a long way to the ground below. He got up to sit on the wall, looking at the hacienda below. It was a bit of a struggle and he almost dropped his bottle.
Below him was the visible hacienda. It was a nice sight to look at. All the damage from the war had been repaired. Below the ground was the complex that was basically now a city underground. The tunnels ran for miles and held everything from dwellings to gardens to a couple shopping centers. In the hospital down there, babies were even being born. Humanity was saved. His job was done.
"Hello, General."
John looked over to see one of Derek's triple eights had come up here with him. The latest ones were all skinned and unlike John Henry, could make a pleasant looking smile. This one was a female he'd seen around quite a bit. Light skin tone, strawberry blond hair down to her shoulder blades, light green eyes and of course a killer figure, half a head shorter than him. "Hey Anna," he replied in a slur.
"It's not safe for you to be sitting on the wall," she said. And leaned against it next to him.
John shrugged.. "But look at the view," he offered.
"Yes, it is nice. General, I can show you a great view if you would come take a ride with me," she offered as she watched him.
John took a long pull from his bottle and wobbled back, Anna immediately had an arm around him. "General, we should go back down now," she said firmly.
He frowned at her. "In a bit." Feeling her arm around him, he cracked a drunken grin, "Are you trying to seduce me?"
"I am keeping you from falling off the wall," she stated.
"Why," he asked curiously.
"You are human. A fall like that would seriously injure you. Possibly kill you," she stated.
John chuckled and shook is head. "Don't worry about it."
Casting him a terminator glare, she said, "I am. You should be too."
He shrugged and took another drink. He looked at her stern face and said, "You know, you still look cute like that. I don't even think flashing your red eyes would be very scary."
"Why are you putting yourself in danger?" she asked.
"No danger," John said simply. "Just came up here to see the view."
"General, you need to be more careful," she stated.
Becoming irritated, John asked, "Why? My job's done! Sky Net's gone, the world's safe. Sentient terminators are being made like Catherine wanted, humanity's saved like I wanted. Anna, my reason to be is finished. This is your world now, not mine. Mine got blown the fuck up! Mom's dead, Cameron's dead! Yet I'm still here. Unless you can bring Cameron back, I've got no reason to live!" He got down off the wall and stumbled. In catching himself, and Anna catching him he dropped his bottle. He watched it roll between the uprights of the railing and fall to smash on the ground.
"Damn it," he cursed. Looking at Anna, who was holding him, he said, "That's alcohol abuse."
"General, you need to come down with me, now," Anna said firmly and led him towards the stairs.
"Yeah, yeah. What are you, my mother?" he grumbled.
"I am watching out for you, General."
Coming to the stairs, John put a hand on her shoulder and got himself upright in front of her to clap a hand on her other shoulder. "Anna, listen," he said as firmly as a drunk could. "I appreciate the fact keeping me safe is your mission. I do. The thing is, you don't have to, OK? I bet Derek assigned you to me."
"Claire Young did. I would like it if you cooperated with me." she said flatly.
John patted her shoulder. "You're doing what you have to. I understand. I'm relieving you of that duty, Anna. You don't have to watch me any more." He turned to go down the stairs, missed the first step and tumbled to the bottom. Anna followed him, trying to get a hold of him to stop his fall, a look of horror on her face.
Landing on the ground, John moaned "Ouch!"
Anna was beside him scanning him for injuries. "I need help here!" she called out.
Looking at the sky, John winced. "That hurt." He tried to sit up, Anna held him down. "Stay down!" she admonished. "I am checking you for injuries."
John submitted and laid in place, watching her look him over. "I'm fine," he told her.
More people came running over. Anna turned to tell them she needed a stretcher to get John to the hospital. John winced and sat up. "Guys, I'm fine!" he said. "I just got bruised."
"Bring him to X-ray," someone called.
Anna grabbed John and lifted him up in a bride's carry. "I've got him."
John frowned at her and protested, "I can walk."
"After your x-rays are done."
.
"No broken bones," Dr. Westfall said as he looked at General Connor's x-rays. Turning to Anna, he asked, "You said he fell down those stairs that go up to the top of the wall?"
"He did. I could not stop his fall," Anne said meekly.
The doctor let out a snort. "He should have at least something broken. All he has are a couple major bruises. His skeletal structure is denser than normal bone, but that still doesn't explain how he avoided any serious injury."
"He was lucky," Anna concluded. Fearing the General might do something else to cause himself harm, she asked, "Can you keep him here a few days?"
"I have no reason to. John Connor can limp out of here any time he wants. He doesn't belong in a hospital, he's healthy."
"Doctor, he is a danger to himself," Anna stated.
"Then take him to a mental doctor. We can't do anything for him here."
Anna though that was good idea. She knew the General needed help she wasn't able to provide. Returning to his hospital room, she thought about how to bring it up to him. Being fairly new, she was only a year and a half old, and still had many things to learn. She decided she had to trick the General into going to see a mental doctor. Human minds worked different than cyborg minds, she needed a human expert in how human minds worked.
Puzzling on how to get John to go, she went into his room. The bed was empty, the general was gone. Anne ran to the nurse at the nursing station. John Conner has checked himself out after returning from the x-rays. The nurse had no idea where he went.
Anne became frantic. Up on the hacienda wall, he admitted to her he had no reason to keep living. Now, he'd wandered off by himself. Thinking logically, she first hurried to the liquor store. There was only one, if the General went there to replace his broken bottle, he'd be there. Getting there, she asked the clerk if he'd seen General Connor. He hadn't.
Anne's next stop was the General's room. He wasn't there either. She went back up to the surface and outside to look for him. He wasn't at his mother's grave, nor was he on the wall. She went up on the walkway, looking down as she searched. He hadn't fallen off the wall either. A quick search of the house he and his family had shared also turned up empty. Not knowing where he was, Anne went to the communication center and reported him missing. It was there she found out he'd been last seen in the tunnels at the train station.
.
John got a ride down the long tunnel to the western exit. The tunnel had been widened and now two sets of narrow gauge tracks ran through it. In a two person wide, open topped train cars being pulled by an electric engine, John was sobering up as they went along. He ached to have another drink, but if he stopped to get another bottle, he was sure Anne would collar him again. He didn't need a babysitter. The only one he wanted to watch out for him was Cameron.
Even thinking about Cameron made his heart ache. He still remembered when they first met at school. At the time, he had no idea what she was, or the fact she'd come back through time to watch over him.
Going back through time. The concept stuck in his mind. Cameron had done it to protect him. Others had done it to either come after him, or help him. Derek had come back through time. Many had. Could he go back through time, find Cameron and get her out of London before the big blast?
For the first time in the last two years, John found a purpose, a reason for being. He wanted to see Cameron again, to have her with him. Catherine Weaver had made a TDE, John had to wonder if it was still around. He needed to go see John Henry.
.
The train system in the tunnels was efficient. Near the end of the ride, the west bound train turned into it's own tunnel to curve away, then back to the main tunnel where it stopped at the western station.
John and other passengers got off, and the people traveling east boarded. While waiting, the capacitive batteries of the engine were recharged for the trip east. The crossing boards at the main tunnel just beyond the station lowered with read flashing lights on them when the train moved so people walking and driving carts would be stopped.
Going to the vehicle depot, John asked for one of the pickup trucks to take out. Being General Connor, his request was immediately filled. John got one of the last two original trucks Cameron had acquired before the war. Somehow, it seemed like a small connection to her.
John got in and started the truck. He put it in gear and a harried looking Anna ran up and slapped her hands down on the hood.
"Stop! General, where are you going?" she cried.
John rolled the window down and told her, "I got things to do. If you want to come, get in. If not, get out of the way."
Anna went to the passenger side and got in. "Where are you going, General?"
"To see John Henry," he said. He put the window back up and drove out the now open eastern exit. The road that used to be partly brush filled and had a big hump down the center was now flat. It was still a dirt road, but at least in decent shape.
"You should have an anti-contamination suit on. There are still areas that are not safe for you to be in," Anna told him.
"Probably," he admitted.
"You are still hurt from your fall. You should rest," she told him.
"I'm fine, Anne. A little sore doesn't mean much."
John Henry was a cyborg. Anne was too. "Is there something I can do for you?" she asked, thinking he needed a cyborg.
John glanced at her and grinned. "Actually, there is. You have to promise to do it though."
"Want is it?"
"No matter what I do, don't get in my way," he said firmly.
"I can't promise that."
John slowed down and stopped. "Then get out and go back," he said firmly.
Anne shook her head. "No. I stay with you."
John turned to her and said, "Anne, there is something I have to do. You may not like it, but I have to do it. I can't have any interference. It's going to be hard enough as it is."
Anne noticed he seemed more in control of himself and coherent. "General, tell me what it is, I can help."
"I'm not a general any more," he said softly. "I'm just John. As John, there is something I must do. No one can do it for me."
"Can you tell me what it is?" she asked.
"Only that I need to speak with John Henry on an important matter. As I said, you can come if you want, but you can't interfere."
Anna could find no reason she would have to stop the General from talking with John Henry. She nodded. "Is there anything I can tell you that you want to see John Henry for?" she asked.
"No, I need … old information from him that you don't have."
"I still want to come."
John cast her a brief smile. "Then, enjoy the ride," he told her. He started off again.
The drive to John Henry's factory was on better roads than the cross country paths he'd taken fighting Sky Net forces. Faster also. All the wrecks had been cleared. Over some road signs for cities, red "High radiation area' signs had been put up. Here and there, salvage teams were working. Dead cars were being put on flatbeds, as were chunks of destroyed H/K's.
It felt good to get out of the tunnels. John was in a much better frame of mind. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to get Cameron back, or die trying. She deserved nothing less.
.
John Henry's factory had turned into a factory complex. Besides the main factory that was expanded, there was a learning center, a recycling facility and a new vehicle factory that produced trucks and heavy equipment.
John drove up to the entrance an announced himself, then asked where John Henry was. He got directions and went to the new office building where John Henry's office was.
John Henry was at the main entrance when John walked in with Anne beside him.
John Henry cast them his creepy smile. "Hello, John Connor, Anne. It is a great pleasure to see you." He held his hand out to John.
John shook his hand. "It's good to see you too. It's been a while."
"Yes, it has. Are you doing better now?" John Henry asked.
"I am," John assured him. "Can we go someplace private to talk?"
"Yes, follow me, please."
John Henry led them into a Spartan, yet well build office building and into a freight type elevator that had safety gratings, not doors. Going up to the second floor, John Henry led them into a meeting room.
John saw Anne had followed them in. "Ah, Anne, can you wait outside?" he asked.
She turned and went back out, shutting the door behind her. John Henry ushered him to a chair. They sat down.
"What brings you, John Connor?"
"A possibility," John told him. "Mrs. Weaver had a TDE in the basement of her office building in LA, correct?"
John Henry tipped his head slightly. "Correct. It is questionable if it is in operation. What did you have in mind?"
John got to the point. "I have a problem. I want to go back in time and save Cameron Wanda and Catherine, yet ensure Sky Net is destroyed. Can you determine what caused that huge blast in London?"
John Henry was silent briefly, then said, "I can only go on assumptions. The most logical one, by the size of the blast and the estimated depth is that two power cells were destroyed at the same time. It had to be coordinated, otherwise only one would have gone off."
"Cameron and Wanda killed themselves," John said.
"We cannot self destruct. They would have had to kill each other simultaneously. To coordinate such an event, they had to have been cooperating, not in combat with each other," John Henry explained.
"That makes sense," John agreed. He could see Cameron doing that, sacrificing herself to ensure he stayed safe. "Is there a place and time you can pinpoint where they were in London?"
John Henry said, "Yes. The instant Sky Net was removed from the net, I tapped into the satellite feed and looked at where the Sky Net communications tower was. There was a battle going on around the communications tower. The tower leaned to one side. I saw Cameron and Wanda running at the tower. I do not know how they arrived. I did see them go down a hole at the base of one leg of the tower."
"You can put a place, time and date on that?" John asked.
"Yes. John Connor, what are you thinking to do? If they do not destroy each other, then Sky Net will not be destroyed."
"We know where, when and how," John told him. "What is the chance of duplicating that explosion with say … other power supplies? Leave a bomb there, and get them out before it goes off?"
John Henry tipped his head again. "That is an interesting concept. The explosion would have to be deep, to equal damage underground as setting their power supplies had produced. To do that, you would need to know where the explosion occurred, and plant the bomb in the exact same place. Getting there would be very risky, that area had very high radiation. A standard radiation suit would not be enough to protect you. Sky Net would also be active, any units in the area would be hunting you down. John, I estimate that if you go there you only have a .001 percent chance of succeeding."
John waved a hand and said, "Don't tell me the odds. Just tell me if it's possible."
"It may be possible, if the TDE is operational, and has power, and you have the coordinates," John Henry told him. "John, you should not attempt it."
John shrugged. Firmly he said, "John Henry, I must. Without Cameron, I'm nothing. If I don't try to save her, to save all three of them, I might as well die right here."
"I see. You will need a hard radiation suit just to get to the old main office building. There is still a problem with the transfer. You can take nothing with you. Only flesh can go though a time portal."
John let out a low growl. "Then … make what I need and … give me a big bag of flesh to put it in!"
The door opened and Anne stepped in. "Make that a bag of flesh big enough to put both of us in."
John spun to face her. "You were listening?" he cried.
Anne tipped her head slightly and said, "You wanted to talk privately. You didn't say you didn't want to be overheard."
"THAT is what talking privately means!" John snapped.
"Sorry, I misunderstood."
John face planted. He rubbed his face and said, "Anne, I forbid you from stopping me."
Anne shut the door and regarded him. "I am not. I do not understand everything, but I do know for you to regain your sanity back, you need Cameron. If I assist you, you have a better chance of that happening."
"If Anne assists you, you do have a 1.2 percent chance of success," John Henry pointed out.
John cast him a sour look. "Never tell me the odds."
.
John got a room in the visitor's building in the factory complex. Not many humans ever came to stay overnight, so this wasn't a normal bedroom type place. It was a yet to be used bathroom with a shower in it. A couple T-888's arrived to remove two of the stalls and toilets to make a bed with a frame wire springs and cot mattresses between the urinal and the last stall. Satisfied John was safe for the moment and wouldn't hurt himself, Anne went back to the Hacienda to get John some clothes and a large pack of food.
John himself spent time with John Henry in his office filled with computers and several monitors figuring out what he needed to give him the best chance at retrieving Cameron.
They first thing they did was scrutinize the satellite photos from that time. It was known they had taken a submarine to London. Where was it at? John used a magnifying glass on the photos to check the river. John Henry just expanded the view on his computer monitor. "They would have to have stayed out of sight as much as possible," John figured aloud as he searched for a long, dark shape in the water of the Thames.
"Correct, no violence until necessary," John Henry agreed as he searched.
Another few minutes and John Henry said, "I see an opening in the rubble."
John looked over. "Where?"
John Henry expanded the image as much s possible. He pointed to it. "Here, a hole that appears to be freshly dug out. The edges are collapsed, there is no extra debris around the hole."
"Cave in?" John asked.
"Possible, but not likely. Look here, the debris to this side of the hole had been disturbed. It appears to be a path."
John looked closer. "It does. What building was there?"
John Henry brought up an archive image of London. "A train station."
"They came in following the train tunnel," John said, understanding. So, when I find them, we have a way out. They will know where the sub is."
"Yes. Following their path, Cameron can tell you how long to set the timer for," John Henry agreed.
"What's the bomb going to be?"
John Henry explained, "Not knowing where the blast originated, I determined the best course of action was to put three power supplies in a container filled with thermite and a detonator. The extra power supply is to make up for a greater possible distance from Sky Net central. The detonator is on a timer, maximum time setting, two hours. Any greater time and Sky Net or a terminator may find it."
John nodded. "Can you estimate the depth the blast originated at?"
"In conclusive. Anywhere between 300 and 400 feet. John, I am designing an environmental suit to increase your chances of success."
"I appreciate that," John told him. Looking at the station, and where the image showed the rail line ran, John said, "They may have parked the sub close to a railway terminal that's close to the river."
Looking downstream on the satellite photo, they did find a long dark shape in the river. The top of the sail that was out of the water had dozens of holes in it. Shit! That boat was sunk.
"The submarine appears to be not operational," John Henry said.
"Damnit," John grumbled. "So, we'll need another way out."
John Henry had been searching the area. "There is no other way out," he stated. "No water craft or land craft is available in that area."
John scrubbed his head in frustration. There HAD to be a way out! "Too bad we can't take one with us," he spat.
"The displacement sphere isn't that large," John Henry replied.
There had to be a solution. They had found out so much, and had a way to get there. There had to be a way to get them out. John let out grunt and said, "I have to think about this. I am going to save Cameron! I'll be back later."
Walking out, John thought about a make-shift vehicle. He remembered Wanda had made one out of a van. She rigged it to be pedal powered. From her idea, many more had been made, including four wheeled bikes for recon and moving troops. Outside the building, John stopped. Yes! If they could make one that was foldable, then maybe they could take it with them.
There were many questions yet to be answered. Where to portal at, where to place the bomb, how to get away after they placed the bomb. John slapped himself in the head for not thinking of portaling a bomb to Sky Net's location to begin with. There was nothing he could do about that now, he had to concentrate on getting to Cameron, making sure Sky Net was destroyed, and getting their asses out of there while Sky Net was active.
.
Anna returned to the factory complex and had gotten John's clothes put away on a small shelving unit set across a couple sinks. She went back out to look for John. She saw him come outside the office building, wander towards her, then slap himself in the forehead.
Fearing he was going to hurt himself again, she ran over to him. "John, don't hit yourself!" she admonished.
He looked up at her. "Hey Anna, you're back already?"
"Yes. Please stop hurting yourself." she pleaded.
John laughed at her. "It's fine, I was only angry at myself for being dumb," he offered.
She studied him and asked, "You are not going to try going back in time to save Cameron?"
"I am. It's just I thought of something I have never thought of before," he said and kept walking.
Anne fell into step beside him. "John, we have a very small chance of success," she stated. Working out a reason for him to give up in this suicidal mission, she asked, "Do you think Cameron would approve of you going to try to save her when the percentage of mission completion is so low?"
John grinned. "Not in a million years. She'd tie me down to make sure I didn't go."
"What can I do to convince you not to go?"
"You can't," he stated. "Anna, I have to do this."
"You'll most likely die."
"Then I do. At least I'll die trying."
"I don't understand," Anna said a little louder than normal. "Many died in the war, what makes Cameron so special that you are willing to get yourself killed on the slim chance that you can bring her back?"
John stopped and faced her. "You won't understand. Not yet. You're too young to understand. You haven't been around long enough to know what … two people can mean to each other. I owe everything to Cameron. I know I was her reason for being. In the last few years before she went and got herself blown up, she was my reason for being. We were here for each other, all the time! Even if we were off doing different things, we each knew we'd be together again. I loved her and she loved me, and no matter what we faced, we face it together. Cameron lived through war …. and hell. She needs to come back and learn what it's like to live with no conflict. She deserves much better than what she got."
"You need someone to love," Anna concluded.
"I need my Cameron back," John retorted. He walked on, looking for the parts warehouse There had to be one here someplace.
Anne stayed with John in his search. She also accessed her memories of her training on humans. One thing she focused on was human emotions. Emotions made humans do quirky things, even dangerous ones, like John was doing now. She had been assigned to John to keep him safe due to his behavior. He thought he had a chance to retrieve his love, and was willing to die to try and get her back. He was grieving and not accepting Cameron was gone forever. She also learned that getting a new mate, humans could put emotions in the past. Still missing their old mate, but accepting new ones to share their grief with.
Up on the wall, John said even casting him a terminator stare, she looked cute. She concluded that on some level, he was attracted to her. John Connor was a hero to humans and cyborgs. If it hadn't been for him and Catherine Weaver, neither would exist now. She had to find a way to get him to love her, and leave Cameron in the past. She did not want to see her last great hero die. She was willing to do anything to prevent that.
.
John found what he was looking for. The warehouse was large, and busy. Keeping out of the way of the workers, John looked around for what he needed.
"John, why are we here?" Anne asked.
"I'm looking to make a pedal bike with tracks, not wheels, and make it able to be folded up lengthwise." he replied as he looked at the one inch diameter pipes.
"For two? At the Hacienda, we have those."
"Four, and those can't be folded up," he told her.
"Four can fit on those, two in the seats, two more in the cargo section, facing backwards," Anne replied.
"They still can' fold up, and they will need tracks, not wheels."
"I will find the warehouse manager and see if he can help us," Anne said and went to find the office.
Looking around, John found tracks, larger ones that went on construction equipment. The smallest looked too heavy to put on a light pedal powered vehicle. The thing he took had to be able to drive over rubble and rough terrain. It also had to be light enough and small enough to take with him.
While he was looking at the large array of bearings, Anne returned to him. "John, I talked to the warehouse manager. He's going to have a team of mechanics make what you want. I brought food back with me. Why don't you come back to our place and I'll make you something to eat. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
At the mention of food, John's stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten anything in a while. Bering sober was reminding him of that. He was getting hungry. "Thanks. Let's go."
.
John noted the supplies Anne had brought back with her. One of those was a hot plate on top of the box of food she brought. To the side on top of the clothes shelves were a couple pots and pans. "Looks like you thought of everything," he told her.
She cast him a smile. "I tried." She opened the box bending over so he could easily see her chest as he looked at the food. "Take your pick, I'll make it. I have had culinary training." She happily noted he glanced at her 'C' cups a couple times as he looked at the food. Note, John liked breasts.
"Ummm, how about rice and … that small bag of vegetables mixed together?" he asked.
"Thirty minutes," Anne told him. She got the pot down, ensuring she stretched a bit to get it. Facing the hot plate, her back to him, she bent low to get the food out. It would give him a nice view of her backside.
John wasn't looking. He laid back on the makeshift bed and thought about things he was going to need and where to position himself to intercept Cameron. It had to be before she got under the tower. There was a firefight going on, and H/K's everywhere at that moment. Maybe in the train tunnels before she came out? No, no good. He didn't know where Sky Net was underground, and she hadn't found it yet. They had to find Sky Net before he acted to make sure they killed it.
"John, would you like a little seasoning in this?" Anne asked.
He looked over at her, looking over her shoulder at him. Damn, did every one of them have to be build so perfect? Perfect heart shaped ass atop of her long legs. "Ahh, you brought some?"
"I did. Teriaki sauce, soy sauce and some Italian spice mix," she said, noting his eyes sweeping her up and down.
"A dash or two of soy would be good."
She bent over again to get the soy while he was looking. To keep his eyes on her, she said, 'I can only guess the correct amount. You can put more on after if you like."
"Just bring it over when you're ready. I can put it on," he told her, returning his gaze to the ceiling as he returned to his thoughts. He knew Cameron disappeared under the tower. When she did, there was firefight going on. Maybe he could get there before the fighting started. Then again, there was that big H/K tank watching the tower.
He pondered a little longer than he thought. Anne called, "It's ready."
John sat up to see her handing him a bowl of delicious smelling food with a spoon in it. She also had a wet splotch between her breasts. "Thank you, you got some on your shirt," he said, nodding to it.
Anne looked down. "Yes, I'll go wash this so it doesn't stain. I didn't bring any clothes for myself."
"Why not?"
"I didn't plan in dirtying my blouse," she replied and headed for the shower.
John ate and looked over at the clothes on the shelves. He saw a few items that weren't his. That pink bra strap was one of them. Anne had to be up to something. He noticed the soy sauce was still on the top. He heard the shower come on. Getting up, he went over and put few shakes of soy sauce in his bowl.
"Oh, sorry I forgot that," Anne said.
Her voice made him look. She was standing with her arms up, half turned towards him. Scrubbing her shirt, making her chest wiggle delightfully. He turned back to look at his bowl. "No biggie," he told her. Yeah, she was up to something. She wasn't trying to seduce him forcefully, but with her poses and now wiggling her breasts at him, she was doing her best to get him to notice her. She was hot looking, but she wasn't Cameron. He turned the other way to go back and sit down.
"John, I have to let my shirt hang up to dry." Anne stated.
Right, so she could show him her assets. "That's fine. You now you have others out here," he called back.
As he suspected, she came out and hung her shirt up on the light over a sink, making her stretch up to reach it. He then turned to him and asked, "I do?"
John pointed with his spoon. "Right up there. You did bring clothes for yourself."
Anne hurried over a few steps to make herself bounce. "I did." She went over and pulled out two shirts. Holding each to the side, she asked, "Which one do you like?"
John was getting tired of this. "The green one. Put it on and come sit."
She did, sitting close to him and watching him intently. John finished his bowl of food and cast her an even look. "Anne, you don't need to show yourself off to me. I already know you are very pretty and you have a very desirable body. There is no need to prove it."
"I'm happy you think so," she offered.
"Tell me, why the show?" he asked.
With a waver in her tone, she said, "You can see more if you want."
"Why the show, Anne?" he asked again.
Anne's right eyebrow twitched. "I just want to cheer you up. You have been in a bad mood, John. I thought you'd like to see me."
"I do like seeing you. But why the show?"
Again with the eyebrow twitch. "I'd like to see you in a better mood."
John had to grin. "You know, I lived with Cameron for years. She had a tell also. When she got upset or nervous, her left hand would twitch. The more it twitched, the worse she was upset, or nervous. Why are you nervous, Anne?"
She twitched again. "My left hand didn't move," she said defensively.
"No, but your right eyebrow is. Not much, but I've learned to pick up on things like that. Are you trying to hide something?" he guessed.
Anne just looked at him.
"Whatever it is, it's fine. Just tell me," he coaxed.
"I don't want to," she said flatly.
"Anne, if you want me to trust you, you have to tell me the truth."
Anne stared at him for a moment, then burst out with, "I don't want you to die. You're the last great hero to survive. John, you need to spend some time not fighting also! You also have spent your life fighting Sky Net, and you also deserve to live a few years and enjoy yourself. I am so sorry Cameron is gone. I'm sorry Catherine Weaver is gone. You are still here. Please, don't make us lose you too! I'll do whatever you want as long as you don't' kill yourself trying to bring Cameron back." Shifting to kneel on the bed, she looked straight at him and pleaded, "Please! I know I can be a good lover for you. I can be whatever you want. People here still need you, and so do I. You can't leave us!"
John set the bowl on the floor and gave her a hug of comfort. Anne immediately hugged him back.
"Please, John, I'll do, be whatever you want. We can't lose you too."
"You don't get it," he told he softly. "I'm already gone. The General, what I was, died with Cameron. To have any hope, I need Cameron back."
"Even if it kills you?" she asked.
"Even if it kills me," he agreed.
Anne pulled back a bit to face him. Even her sad face looked cute. "I will let you go on one condition. Agree, and I won't say another word about it or try to stop you."
John let out a sigh. "What is it?"
"Spend the night with me. Here, in this bed. If you can love me and after you decide you need to go after Cameron, I will do everything I can to make sure you have the best chance at coming back."
John frowned. "Anne, I don't love you. I don't think you quite understand what that really means."
"Then show me."
John rolled his eyes. "Anne," he said in a groan. "Loving someone is more than just … sex. You don't have sex to love someone. You have sex because you already love them. Because they are the most important person in your world and you want to be with them."
Anne shook her head. "I'm not going to give up."
"No, I suppose not," he agreed. She was a terminator, despite now calling them cyborgs. Terminators didn't give up. Ever.
"Let me just lay down with you tonight."
John conceded. "Ok, fine, but only if we behave ourselves. Agreed?"
"Agreed," she said with a nod.
John cast her a smile. "Now that that's settled, I have to work out where and how to approach Cameron. She's going to be in enemy territory, and the whole group will be trigger happy."
"What is trigger happy?"
"Shoot first and ask questions later."
As John looked at Anne, a question came to mind. "Anne, you have the T-888 programming from John Henry's factory, right?"
Yes."
"All the term… I mean cyborgs there have a great fondness for Derek Reece. Why don't you?"
Anne looked down. "I tried, he rejected me. He made John Henry promise not to send him another female terminator."
"He misses Wanda to this day," John concluded.
"That is my conclusion also."
"Then maybe we can help him out and get her back?" John asked.
Anne looked at him and said, "If you're going, I'm going too."
At least she was consistent.
.