AN: I own nothing and was challenged to write a ship story for Derek and Sarah. Enjoy.
Also, I know it is very dialog heavy.
First Dates
Two days later, John came home to find Derek and his mother arm wrestling. He had ceased wondering why everything had to be a fight for dominance with those two. It made no sense how they could work like a well oiled, Swiss watch on missions but little things like opening up pickle jars and filling in crossword puzzles turned into week long contests. Just as it looked like Sarah was about to lose, she lifted her foot up and pressed her toes over his crotch. The farther down her arm went, the more pressure she applied until he finally gave up.
"Hah, I win. In your face mother fu," she trailed off on her taunting, "hello, John, how was your day?" Her attempt at trying to cover up her near vulgar comment was poor at best.
"Fine, I brought you and Derek presents." He produced a small plastic sac he picked up at a pawn shop. It had two gold bands that Cameron assured him were the right size. They were nondescript enough to be completely forgettable.
"Oh," she took hers and looked it over, an almost sad look crossing her face for a moment. He was surprised when Derek wore almost an identical expression to Sarah's when he took his. She held off putting it on her finger and he hoped they weren't backing out.
Derek seemed to recover first, "well, Sarah, do you want to be my pretend wife? And you didn't win because you cheated."
"Yes, I'll pretend marry you. And it isn't my fault if you still can't arm wrestle with a little distraction." They jokingly slipped the rings on each other's fingers.
"With the power vested in my by Mr. Moneybags and the Mayor of Candyland, I now pronounce you fake husband and fake wife, you may pretend kiss the bride." John blessed them.
"A little distraction, you were stomping on my nuts like a cigarette butt."
"You still lost, admit it." Sarah got up and moved to fix John a snack but Derek's chuckle turned her around. He didn't laugh often. "What is so funny?"
"I was just thinking of something I told John and Kyle in the future." John sat down across from his uncle, in the seat his mother just vacated. He loved it, when Derek told him about what Kyle was like. "They were always bitching at me to get married. You claimed it was my duty to start a family and Kyle just kept saying he wanted to see me happy. I used to tell both of you that I would marry the woman that could beat me at arm wresting." He stretched; his shirt pulled back exposing tattoos that covered angry scars. "I guess since I have to pretend Sara beat me that to keep my word I have to pretend marry her."
Sarah flung a cut up apple along with some peanut butter at John. "I beat you fair and square, Reese."
"No you didn't, Connor."
"So have you guys found any good places for our date?" John cut in or they would be doing that all night. It was never pretty, when they started lobbing last names at each other.
"Yes, there is a miniature golf course with an arcade and batting cages roughly six miles from here. There are ample exists, video surveillance, and no metal detectors."
"That sounds fun." He rolled his eyes, defying anyone other than the President's children to have this level of security on their dates.
"There is an old fashion malt shot down the road, with good visibility and a stucco wall along the Southwest corner. You can eat there then go and play." Sarah concluded, already spinning her ring around.
"I've been thinking about your back story," John started after he finished his apple. She had left a piece with the star on it on the center of the plate, in just the manner he used to like as a child. Frankly he was shocked that she still didn't cut the crusts off his sandwiches. She swore that she trusted him and that he needed to stand on his own two feet but still treated him like a five year old. "We need to decide how long you guys have been married. You have to have been together long enough for Cameron and I to be comfortable together but not so long that we grew up from infancy together."
"How about 8 years." Sarah decided. They had jumped over 8 years to meet Derek, so why not that long. "That would make John sevenish and Cameron eight. That is plenty long enough for there to be affection but not so long that you two would act alike."
"I'm sixteen, mom, but I like it. Though, I think you have been together for 8 years but only married for four. You are far too unconventional to give into marriage that quickly. Besides, he was worried about the increasing amount of time he had to spend overseas and wanted to get married to make sure that Cameron stayed with you, if anything happened to him."
"I like it."
"Has anyone even stopped to consider that that It is posing as a 16 year old and I'm 31? I would have had to have been pretty young, when she was born."
"You were." John continued, "you were 15 and that's why you are so strict with her, to stop her from making the same mistakes that you made."
"That is really good." Sarah smiled, "it makes a lot of sense and you are a hard thirty-one."
"Actually I saw it on a movie but anyway, are we agreed?" Sarah and Cameron shook their heads 'yes' and Derek grunted in a way that John assumed was concurrence.
"Is there anything else about my life that I need to know about? And you're one to talk, weren't you born in 1964 or something? In a particularly promiscuous family, you would be old enough to be my grandmother." Derek asked, still not at all happy with the plan.
"Not really, just that you really love your daughter and me."
"You're grandmother? I'm 34."
"Odd, since I can't even stand to have It in the same room with me."
"Oh and you have to stop calling your daughter 'It'."
Two days later it was finally Friday and John primped himself in front of the mirror as Sarah watched him. Just as he thought himself ready, she came in and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Mom, please try not to do that tonight. Just for one night let me be a normal teenager."
"Sorry, I just don't think you should hide your pretty eyes." She stuffed her hands back in her pocket to prevent herself from messing with his hair anymore. Every fifteen minutes or so she had to bite her tongue over not calling this whole thing off. She was worried about security. She was worried about Cameron causing a scene. She was worried about Derek causing a scene. And to be honest she was worried about causing a scene herself. She almost stopped it because it looked like rain earlier in the day. She almost stopped it because Derek hadn't slept last night and was having a bad day. She almost stopped it because she didn't want to admit that her little boy was growing up and would soon have to become the man everyone needed.
"Mom," John snapped her out of her reverie. "Did you work with Derek on his story. I don't want him blowing this." Of them all, Derek had the least experience in fitting in. He had never worked under an alias or assumed identity before. She had been schooling him all week on it and hoped he was ready. But he was grumpy and disconnected today. They both had their good days and bad days, when dealing with all this crap and today he was having a bad day. She had offered to let him stay but he said no. He didn't want to ruin John's date. She felt for him though. He seemed almost as jumpy and unhappy as he had been at first. She had been thrilled, when he had finally started to come out of his shell and they actually talked to each other like adults rather than just snapping and snarling like two dogs about to fight. Now they planned together, joked together, leaned on each other, and generally acted like partners. She had started to truly dread his bad days because the house was so quiet with nothing but the sound of his almost noiseless pacing and compulsively loading and reloading weapons.
"I've been quizzing him all week. I doubt anyone is going to talk to him anyway. I'll do most of the talking."
"You usually do." He mumbled.
"What?"
"Maybe you should make sure Cameron is doing ok and remind her to call Derek 'Dad' but not to be too lovey with him. It would ruin the entire thing if he hauls off and punches her."
"Ok," she turned to leave, "you should change into a blue shirt, black makes you look too pale."
She knocked on Cameron's door, wondering why exactly she was worrying about a machine's privacy. And why did a machine have a bedroom and Derek had to sleep on the couch? She walked in to find the Terminator looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing hot pants, high heels, and a cut off shirt. Sarah took a deep breath. "Nice outfit."
"Morris said to wear something sexy. I studied what was sexy. This most closely mimicked what appeared to be considered sexy." Sarah rubbed her right shoulder and tried to think of a polite way to correct her. "Should I put out for Morris?"
"No." Sarah shook her head, "absolutely not." It wasn't like Cameron could get pregnant or contract a disease. She wasn't sure why she was protesting but it seemed like the right thing to do.
"What does it mean?"
"It means to 'have sex'." She clarified. "You should not have sex with this Morris guy."
"I am fully capable. I was designed to pass for human in all aspects." She tilted her head and looked at Sarah.
"I'm sure you are, but you don't want to get a reputation as loose because then other boys will want to date you and that is just too much trouble, too high profile." She paused, "and don't tell John that." She turned to leave then stopped, "you should probably change your clothes."
"Am I not sexy?" she asked, just as Derek walked by.
He stopped and looked at her for all of 2 seconds, "you look like a whore." He said and continued on his way.
"See, your father doesn't like the way you're dressed. You should put on something a bit more reserved." Sarah went to Cameron's closet and selected something for her. "Wear this." She left the cyborg to finish dressing. She hated to admit that it was sort of fun to pick out clothes for a date, if she ignored the fact that her daughter was a killer robot.
Fifteen minutes later, they were all assembled in the garage, with John in a blue shirt and Cameron more covered up. It was agreed that she would drive as Derek was the better shot if trouble arose. Sarah was disappointed that John didn't notice the dark circles under his uncle's eyes or the anxious, jittery way he held himself. But she supposed he was too excited to care.
The first stop was to pick up John's friend and Cameron's date, Morris. She and John had decided that Derek would play a very over protective father to prevent Morris from trying anything with Cameron. The two from the future walked to the door like they were planning on blowing it up. Sarah started to nervously chew on her thumb nail. John did exactly the same thing beside her. She decided not to take a chance and rushed to the door ahead of the two, ringing the bell before either of them could. She ignored Derek's glare as he put himself between her and the opening door in exactly the same manner that Cameron did with John. It might have been sweet if she knew it wasn't just his military training kicking in. It had nothing to do with her personally and every thing to do with "protect the Connors."
A very plump woman opened the door and came face to sternum with Derek. "You must be Morris's friends." The woman recovered quickly. She had a slight Hispanic accent.
Sarah shoulder checked Derek out of the way and introduced herself. "Yes, I'm Sarah Baum, this is my husband Derek," she waved her hand in his direction and he peeled his lip back in an odd approximation of a smile. She wondered at how natural it felt to refer to him that way.
"This must be John and Cameron," she smiled at the two children in the back. "Come in, Morris has told me so much about you."
They walked in and both her and Derek swept the room with their eyes taking in every detail from the velvet painting of the Virgin Mary to the little Chihuahua barking its fool head off at Cameron. Sarah made small talk with the woman for a minute or two until Morris showed up. He was way over dressed for the date and reeked of aftershave, not to mention short. But more interesting, was the way Derek looked at him, like he was about to start laughing.
She caught him turning to Cameron and asking, "you have got to be kidding me? If he makes a move on you, break his hand." She gave him and almost human like wink and pulled her lip back to expose her teeth at Morris, much in the same way Derek had done.
Morris was greeting his date and his friend and she pulled Derek aside, "What is that about?"
"I'll tell you later, time to go and play the over protective father. I take it back, I think I am going to enjoy this." This time there was a real smile and it was altogether disconcerting.
He stood behind John looking Morris up and down. Morris started to look a bit uncomfortable. "So who is the stiff?" He whispered to John.
"Sorry, man. Morris, this is my step dad, Derek. Derek, this is Morris, Cameron's date."
"That's Cameron's father?" Morris's voice had gone up at least on octave. John just nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Morris." He held out his hand and Morris tentatively took it, admiring the tattoos.
"Those are awesome tats, Derek." He smiled up but stopped immediately at the completely cold look in Derek's eyes. "I mean Mr. Philips, or Baum." He stuttered.
"How about, 'sir.'"
"Why don't we get going," John headed towards the door, anxious to get to Cheri's house.
Sarah made their good-byes and Derek pulled Morris out of the house by his hand, and then threw his arm around the young man. Sarah only caught the end the conversation, "You ever heard of a Mexican neck tie? Google it, when and if, you get home. But keep in mind if you touch that," he pointed towards Cameron, "you are going to be taking a lye bath and your Mamaista in there is going to be crying over an empty casket because there won't be enough of you left for your little yap-dog to identify." He let him go, "have a good time." Morris looked about to faint.
Sarah grabbed Derek by the hand and dragged him in front of the car as the kids got into the back. "What did you say to him?"
"Nothing much. You told me to be scary."
"I said be over bearing, not make the poor kid piss his pants." She scolded.
"The little punk deserves it. He's a coward that grows into a full blown pussy-bitch."
"You know him in the future?" She whispered.
"Yeah, he's in charge of the motor pool. I got shot in the leg and was out of commission for almost a month because that little sack of shit was too afraid to fire a gun."
"Well you can't really punish him for something he isn't going to do for 20 years."
"Seventeen and I'm not punishing him, I'm simply playing the part you and John forced on me."
They both got in the car and she drove to Cheri's house. It was a much grander home than Morris's and she wondered if she should have dressed better. It had been a damn long time since she had really worried over her appearance. She could see John fiddling with his shirt in the mirror as she stopped the car. They walked up the drive and as before, Derek put himself between her and door. A girl she assumed was Cheri opened the door and smiled nervously at them. It was John's turn to push past Derek.
"Hi, Cheri." He said shyly as an older man with very blue eyes and a steel grey buzz cut came up behind them.
"Um, John his is my father, Mr. Westin." She introduced them as their party entered the house.
"Hello, John," The man eyeballed John in much the same why Derek had done to Morris. Sarah thought John held up much better, though. "So are you going to introduce me to your family?"
"Of course, sir. This is my mother, Sarah," she shook the man's hand noting the Military ring on his finger but unable to tell the branch. "My sister, Cameron and her date, Morris." The two waved politely, "And my step father, Derek." Derek shook the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you all." He seemed to study Derek as the man assumed a perfect parade ground at ease stance. "So Derek, Cheri tells me that you spend a lot of time traveling for work?"
Sarah almost swallowed her tongue. She had been hoping to avoid anyone talking directly to him. "Yes, sir, Colonel Westin."
"What makes you think I'm a Colonel?" The man stared at him intently now.
"You have a framed shadow box of Air Force rank insignia on the wall and it stops at full Colonel. You are wearing an Air Force academy ring with a graduation date of 1981, meaning you would have attained field officer if not general officer, if you were career. And are you not the retired Colonel Jarred Westin that now runs the AI branch for Centaur Systems, the largest supplier of raw code to the SAC and NORAD?" Derek never broke eye contact the entire time he was talking and Sarah felt her entire body run cold.
"You're good, very good."
"Recon is one of my specialties, sir."
He turned away and Sarah paid close attention to where Derek's hands were. She recognized that name from the safe house papers. This man helped build Skynet. "I'm guessing you must be in the service too." He turned back around and studied Derek. "You're too hard looking for the Air Force and too observant for the Army." She was too worried to gloat over being right. "I'm guessing either SEAL or MSOB. But then again since you are closer to Coronado than Lejeune you are probably a SEAL." He waved his hand before Derek could speak again. "Please, I spent 25 years in the military, I can tell a black op from across the room. It's the eyes, that thousand yard stare, not to mention you walked across a marble floor in combat boots and didn't make sound." He held his hand out for another hand shake.
"MSOB keeps a battalion at Pendleton, but it doesn't matter because I spend most of my time stateside at Coronado."
Mr. Westin's smile became more friendly as Derek passed his test of knowing where the Marines kept their special forces. Sarah wasn't exactly sure how he knew that, she didn't even know that but she was glad he did. "It makes me feel better to know you'll be watching out for my little girl tonight."
"As if she were our own." Sarah broke in, putting herself between Derek and Mr. probably soon to be dead Westin.
He kissed Cheri on the head and bid her good night. Sarah finally took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.
As they headed out she held him back, "Is that who I think it is?"
"That is a walking corpse." He intoned eyes and voice cold as stone. "But not tonight. Tonight is about John." He seemed to shake himself out of it and put his hand on the small of her back to lead propel her towards the car.
They arrived just as Morris was asking Cameron, "Is your dad really a Navy SEAL, real special ops stuff?"
"Real special ops stuff." She confirmed again with the fake smile.
"I hope everyone's hungry." Sarah chirped, feigning happiness as she pulled out towards the diner.
Once they arrived, they split into two groups. The kids sat towards the back, not visible through the window but against a wall that Cameron could easily break through if need be. And the adults, in a small booth towards the front, one facing the window and the other facing the door. Sarah ordered a club sandwich for him, which he ate without complaint. They didn't talk much, both too busy scanning for danger. And she was sure they were both thinking about John dating the daughter of one of SkyNet's creators.
She leaned back, cocking her head slightly as the place got a bit quieter. She wasn't eavesdropping, honestly. She was simply listening for danger.
"Your parents don't seem very happy." Cheri commented and John looked over.
"Derek's pretty tired, he just got in yesterday." Her son was awfully quick with the lies. She didn't know whether to be impressed or worried.
"He seems a little scary." Morris offered, making sure to keep his hands on the table, "and slightly mental."
"He is very scary, to his enemies." Cameron supplied, "he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and is often depressed and anxious. Does that count as mental?"
"But he isn't scary or mean to guys, I hope." Cheri said kindly and Sarah wondered if he knew enough about women to play the vulnerability card. Luckily he preferred to go the route of the truth and the 'your mom is going to kick your ass if you say anything else.'
"No, he's actually a pussycat to the family. He lets my mom push him around all the time. I think that's why he is here and not at home sleeping, like he would rather be doing. But then again, she is probably scarier than he is."
"So he is a punk in real life and I shouldn't be afraid of him." Morris puffed up slightly. Sarah could tell he was trying to play the tough guy, assuming that's what Cameron would like, and failing miserably.
"No, you should and will be very afraid of him. He doesn't like you." Cameron offered her insight and the boy immediately deflated. Sarah sometimes had a hard time believing that no one noticed there was anything amiss about Cameron. Derek had spotted it on the first look and it hadn't taken her much longer. But then again, most people didn't even know things like Terminators existed, much less that they could come in such pretty packages.
The rest of the conversation was lost on her as Derek snapped his fingers in her face. "What?"
He leaned back and looked at her. "It's a good thing there wasn't a problem it took me 45 seconds to get your attention." She ground her teeth at not only her lapse but at him counting seconds off again. He did that on missions all the time. Everything had to counted down to the second. 'Getting from tunnel to door should take 21 seconds, opening door is a minimum of 50 seconds maximum of 96,' ect. The man zoned out and brushed his teeth for 20 minutes at a time but rubbed it in her face if she was even one second late at a rendezvous. And to add insult to injury, he was never wrong, even when she timed him against a stop watch.
She took a cleansing breath and tried to be polite, "sorry, I was listening to them. They think we don't seem happy." She took his hand in hers, where it sat on the table.
"Why are you touching me?"
"Married people touch each other. We need to seem believable." He rubbed his thumb over her fingers.
"Ok, just warn me next time."
"You must have been a barrel of laughs on dates if you are this stand offish to women."
"You are not 'women' you are Sarah Connor, the mother of the savior of humanity and the woman my brother was in love with his entire adult life. Besides, I don't really know how you are supposed to act on dates."
"You mean you have never gone on a date?" She couldn't even hide her giggle.
"No, not really. Not in a 'let's go out for dinner and movie' date. Where I'm from a date is usually just sex pressed against a wall and maybe sharing your rations. Everything else is sort of done communally."
"That's really sad." She looked at him wondering if he was bright enough to play the vulnerable card unlike John. Then decided he was even more hopeless than his nephew. John had time to learn.
"That is hardly the most depressing thing about where I came from."
"No I mean that you are 31 and have never been on a real date." She rubbed her hands together and smiled at him. "So this is your first date too."
"No it isn't because I am not dating Sarah Connor."
"I'm not Sarah Connor, I'm Sarah Baum." She corrected.
"Then I'm Derek Phillips and we are already married."
"Stop arguing with me Lieutenant. This is going to be a date, and that's an order." She had a hard time not smiling.
"You could have at least dressed up for me then. Maybe put on a dress, show off your legs?" He teased her.
"Mom, we're ready to go." John interrupted them.
"Of course dear." She smiled and stood up, holding her hand out to Derek. "Come on, LT." He took it and she immediately tucked herself under his arm and wound her hand behind his waist. John looked askance at her until she winked at him. Derek gave her an odd look but didn't shake away from her. Maybe she would enjoy this too.
Please read and review - 1 chapter left