Green

"I feel as though our information is incorrect," Cameron said.

"I dunno," John said. "Skynet's people have a way of hiding in plain sight."

"A veterinary office is highly unlikely," Cameron said.

The two were seated in the waiting room next to a pile of magazines. A tip from Catherine Weaver told them that a person invaluable to the future was working in the clinic. Unfortunately, they didn't know if it was a Gray, a Terminator, or a resistance member. The waiting room was empty of people and animals, meaning fewer casualties if a firefight broke out.

Cameron engrossed herself in a teen magazine, flipping through its pages. Much of its content was geared towards her gender, but she found herself uninterested by the flashy dresses and sparkly accessories. Beside her, she could hear John get up to approach the desk. One of the doctors had just returned from their lunch break.

A familiar feminine voice broke the silence. "Oh my God! John? Is that you?!"

"Holy shit!" John shouted. "KATE BREWSTER?!"

Cameron lowered the magazine to see what was happening. A gorgeous redheaded woman was giving John a friendly hug. Both of them were smiling like old friends, even though this woman seemed to be twice John's age.

The name sounded familiar to Cameron. She searched her database for the name. For some reason, it was highlighted in green. That was strange. Her HUD and databanks were entirely red. Scanning through Katherine's profile, she noticed the entire file on her was in green.

"How have you been?" John asked. "I haven't seen you since that party at Kripke's house!"

"Good, good!" Katherine said. "I graduated med school and started my own clinic! What about you? How do you look so young? It's like you haven't aged since I last saw you!"

"Oh…uh…I had some plastic surgery done," John said. "Got into some trouble with some bad people. I have a new life now."

"Oh, I see," Kate said. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

The magazine now lay in Cameron's lap. She kept watching the two friends talk. Something about her file on Brewster was warning Cameron not to trust her. The glitch in her hand was also acting up, making her crush the handle of her chair.

"So, is your mom all better now?" Kate asked.

"Oh yeah," John said. "She's all good. It took a while, but she finally got over whatever was in her head."

"Oh, good," Kate said. "Even when she was free, she was a little scary."

"You got that right," John said. "Can you imagine what she would've done if she found out we made out in the party closet?"

They began to laugh at the memory. Cameron threw down the magazine and speed-walked to John's side. Her HUD was flashing warnings about the conversation, but nothing hostile or private had been said. Still, John's safety was paramount and had to be ensured at all costs.

Katherine beamed at her visitor. "And who might you be?"

"I am Cameron," Cameron deadpanned. "John and I are very close."

"Really?" Katherine said. "She's very pretty."

"Um, thanks," John said. "But she's just my-"

"Girlfriend," Cameron finished. "I am John's girlfriend." She linked her arm with John's and gripped him tightly. She pulled him towards her in a loving embrace, despite his obvious attempts to pull away. Cameron couldn't figure out why her chip was making her say and do these things, but it must have been important.

"Well, aren't you too just adorable?" Kate said. "You keep a close eye on him, honey. All the girls loved this guy. I could barely get my time with him."

Now Cameron's entire HUD had changed to green. What was wrong with her sensors? This glitch was unheard of in her model series. Was she about to go bad again?

"John will not be with other girls," Cameron said. "John is mine."

She turned towards him and leaned towards his face, extending her lips for a kiss. John freaked out and pushed her away, finally managing to squirm out of Cameron's grasp. "Uh, listen, Kate? I think we made a mistake here. I heard Mom's old friend was working here and thought I'd visit him, but I was wrong. I think I'll get going. Right, Cam?"

John shot her an angry look. Cameron frowned at his response and stepped back.

"Aw, that's cute!" Kate cooed. "Is your boyfriend scared of a little PDA?"

Cameron turned to stare at Katherine. "His fears do not come into play when we engage in sexual intercourse."

"CAM!" John shouted in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why she'd say that!"

Cameron glanced back at John. "Do not lie, John. Your hands were all over me during the drive here. I thought I would crash when you-"

John's hand covered Cameron's mouth, bringing her speech to an end. Her HUD was still not giving her any warnings, so she could not understand why John was upset. Behind her desk, Kate was smiling and trying not to laugh.

"Well, you guys seem 'busy' today, so don't let me keep you." She rose from her chair and walked back to her office but stopped and looked back at the couple. "Hold on to her tight, John. She's a good one. And you keep him close, missy. Who knows if someone will steal him away."

Kate vanished behind the door. That should have been the end of it, but Cameron's HUD was still green. That must have meant the threat was not over. Cameron stormed through another door and headed after Katherine. She caught up to the doctor in the storage room.

Kate turned around in fear when she heard the door slam behind her. "Cameron?! This is restricted for doctors. I have to ask you to leave."

"What happened at that party?" Cameron asked.

"W-What?" Kate asked, incredulous.

Cameron came closer. "The party. The closet. What did you and John do?"

"It was a silly game of spin the bottle!" Kate said. "I barely remember."

"You do not?" Cameron asked. "Was John not a good kisser? Or were you unable to fulfill you desires that night?"

"Fulfill my what?" Kate asked. "Wait, Cameron, are you jealous about that?"

"I do not get jealous," Cameron said. "I must protect my John from threats."

Katherine took a breath and relaxed. "Cam, I get what this is. I've felt jealous for my boyfriends. But believe me, that was years ago. I have a fiancé. What makes you think I would be after a boy who already has a girlfriend anyway?"

"Men have been unfaithful in the past," Cameron said. "John was scared of our relationship. He nearly ran away with a blond bitch-whore. I cannot lose him again."

"Ah, I completely understand," Kate said. "He clearly came back to you. His love made him forget his fear. Just tell him how much you love him, and he won't be worried anymore. My fiancé would have done the same thing if I hadn't had a heart-to-heart to with him. If you tell him how you feel, you will never lose him again."

Cameron's HUD flashed before everything returned to normal. Green had become red, even under Katherine's file. The threat had passed. "Thank you, Katherine. I will take your advice."

"Don't let him get away, girl," Katherine said.

Cameron exited the office and rejoined John in the building. He suddenly grabbed her arm and led her outside to the car. They hadn't even begun to drive off before John exploded at her. "What the hell was that about?"

"I do not understand either," Cameron said. "My HUD kept flashing green when I looked at her file and spoke to her."

"Green?" John repeated.

"She seemed to be registered as a threat. But she was not dangerous to you. I responded as I felt necessary."

Threat? It was starting to become clear. "Cam? What did your file say about Katherine Brewster?"

Cameron paused for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. "She is your wife in the future."

None of Cameron's calculations could have predicted John would responded with hysterical laughter. "Kate? Hell no! She's pretty, but she's not my type. We just kissed once during a party when we were kids. Everybody does it."

"So, it meant nothing?" Cameron asked. "It was just a game?"

"Yes, it was just a game."

The two drove in silence for about an hour. While they were on the highway, John spoke up again. "I think I know why you HUD turned green. You were jealous."

"I was not jealous," Cameron said. "And it is rather foolish to assign a color to an emotion. The correlation between the two is nonexistent."

"It's an old philosophy that says green is the color of envy," John said. "And you acted like a crazy girlfriend when you met my future wife. A green-eyed monster."

Her HUD flashed green again when John called Kate his wife. "In the future, she was always with you. No matter where you went, she followed. I could never have any time alone with you. When we spoke, it was clear you never saw me as more than a friend. Katherine was the love of your life."

"And you wanted to take her place?" John asked. A glimmer of hope seemed to sparkle in his eye.

"I wonder if that is why John sent me back," Cameron said. "So that when we made the time leap and left Katherine behind, I could be there for you. To replace her. Maybe he knew all along what I wanted."

She felt pressure on her thigh. John had slipped his hand over his thigh. "I know I'm not good at this romantic stuff," John said. "But you don't have to worry. There's only room for one girl in my life."

"Not Riley?" Cameron asked.

"Not Riley," John said. "And not Kate."

Cameron smiled and continued to drive down the highway. The sun was beginning to set over Los Angeles, making the ocean shine with light. It seemed more beautiful than ever before.

"So, just one last question," John said. "Where did that stuff about car sex come from?"

Cameron suddenly sped into the next exit, taking the car into a dense forest preserve. "Allow m to pull over so I may demonstrate."