What are dreams?
A one off story featuring John and Cameron from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In a series of small chapters, Cameron learns more about human dreams and John learns how much his cyborg protector really likes him.
I do not claim any rights to the characters or the TV series.
Chapter 2: Day Dreams - The Aftermath
"I have sensation. I can feel. I wouldn't be much good if I couldn't feel."
**
Cameron smiles again.
"Cam, why are you smiling?"
"I like this. Spending time with you, without Sky Net or Cromartie to worry about, or your mom or Derek interrupting us. I like listening to your voice. We talk a lot in the future."
**
"What are you thinking of now?"
She looks at him so pleasantly, with that warm smile, and her eyes look moist. "I was thinking how nice it would be if you kissed me."
John looks at her and he can see she truly wants to be kissed. Her lips are moist, her gaze unflinching. Against his will he leans in to kiss Cameron, her lips parting in anticipation. Just as their lips are about to touch, there is a knock at the door.
**
"God Cam. Can't I just have a moment to be me? The world is going to come to an end in a couple of years time. This evening, was the first time in ages it felt nice to just hang out and relax and enjoy the company of my fellow human beings."
Cameron stiffens at that last comment. Her movement was such that John noticed.
"I'm sorry Cam. I didn't mean it to sound that way."
"Do you prefer her company to mine?" She asks very simply.
"No . . . It's not like that . . . " John doesn't know what else to say.
**
"I have sensation. I can feel. I wouldn't be much good if I couldn't feel."
John wakes up suddenly in a cold sweat. His blankets are all balled up. Reaching over he turns his alarm clock to see the time. It is 4:30 A.M. on a Sunday morning.
"Damn." He hadn't even slept for two hours yet. If he was going to keep dreaming like that, he wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon.
Pausing just long enough to use the toilet, John goes downstairs to the kitchen. He flips on the light and turns the coffee pot on.
A few minutes later, and John is sitting at the kitchen table in his T-shirt and shorts, sipping a cup of coffee.
Damn dreams. He thinks to himself. John knows why he's dreaming. He was a complete and utter ass. He knew that then. God, what was wrong with him. There he was about to kiss the hottest looking girl, and he just walked out on her. Then when he gets back, he insults her. He didn't mean to insult her.
Damn his stupidity. He knows she's a machine but she also has feelings. Why was he so damn ignorant not to notice?
The dreams he had just wouldn't let him rest. All he kept seeing was Cameron's expectant face as he was about to kiss her and the sad face when he unintentionally hurt her feelings. He takes a big swallow of coffee and nearly burns himself.
He could have made an excuse to Riley. John could have bowed out of that game. He thought of a million excuses afterwards. But he was glad he ran into Morris. It was nice seeing him again.
He owed Cameron an apology. What she said on the trip to Mexico was right. She did have feelings, sensations. He saw it for himself yesterday and when he got home.
John is still sitting there contemplating what he should say to Cameron when she walks into the kitchen.
"I thought you said you were going to bed?" She says when she sees him.
"I did. I couldn't sleep. My dreams kept waking me up."
"I know. I heard you stirring in your sleep." She says and remains standing in the doorway.
John looks up from his coffee at her for a moment. Since leaving her in the living room, she's changed out of her usual daytime clothes into a pair of small shorts and a T-shirt.
"Since when did you start changing for night time?" He asks.
"After we stopped Cromartie, the threat level dropped. I started adopting normal human behavior for night time. Including changing for bed."
"But you don't sleep?"
"No. But my hearing is sensitive enough to pickup on anyone approaching the house, and we do have an alarm system."
They both remain quiet for a moment. There are words that need to be said, and with the small talk over with, John knows he needs to make his apology now. To wait any longer wouldn't be right.
"Cam, would you sit a moment. There's something I need to say to you."
She pulls a chair out from the table and sits next to John.
"I want to say that I'm sorry. I was an ass. I should have made some excuse for not going with Riley yesterday."
"There's your physics homework for one." Cam says with a twinkle of humor in her eyes.
"Yes. You will keep harping on that, won't you." He says grinning at her.
"What happened, or rather what was about to happen, between us yesterday . . . I should have stayed. You do have feelings and I hurt you. Will you forgive me?"
Cam looks at John. She's listened to every word. He is sincere in what he says and how he looks at her.
She reaches over and takes his hand, the one he was using to hold his coffee cup. "Yes John. I will forgive you, on two conditions."
"What?" he says, wondering just what conditions she's going to place on him.
"One, you explain to me how dreaming works, and two, you finish what you started yesterday and kiss me."
John looks at this lovely young woman who is sitting beside him. What did he do to deserve her?
"Let's go in the living room where we can be more comfortable." He says to her.
Leaving his cup of coffee behind, he escorts Cameron into the next room.
Since he went to bed, Cam had moved the sofa back and drawn the curtains closed. When they enter, she turns on a small lamp in the corner of the room.
They sit together much like they were the day before.
"Now what do you want first, the kiss or the explanation?" he says with a dash of humor.
"John, please don't tease me." She says sweetly.
Though the room is dark but for the small light in the corner. He can see how earnest she is.
This time with no interruption he leans in and kisses her. Their lips parting and their tongues touching.
Cam reaches up and places her hands behind his neck and pulls him closer.
When the kiss finally comes to an end, John can hardly catch his breath and Cam has the nicest smile he's ever seen.
"How did you know how to kiss like that?" John says with genuine surprise. "You can't tell me that was just programming."
"I learned by watching others. The kids at school, people on the street, television, and the internet. I know a lot more things as well." She says very matter factually, but with a mischievous smile playing on her face.
John swallows nervously.
"Well, let's not get into that. Not yet." He says repositioning himself delicately, so as not to draw attention to himself. He's thankful the room is still mostly dark.
"John . . . "
"Yes Cam?"
"Would you kiss me again?"
John is leaning in to kiss her when there is a tapping at the back door in the kitchen.
"John. Are you all right in there?" comes a female voice through the door.
"Who is that?" John asks in wonderment as he sits upright.
"It sounds like Kacy." Cameron says.
Confirmation comes a moment later.
"John its Kacy from next door."
"I'm coming!" John shouts as he gets up from the sofa. "Hold on a minute."
John trots to the door, his bare feet making smacking sounds on the hardwood floor.
He deactivates the alarm and then opens the door.
"Hi Kacy. Come in. What are you doing up?" John says, as the very pregnant woman walks into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I saw the lights come on in the house." Kacy suddenly looks pleased. "Is that coffee I smell?"
"You wanna cup? Have a seat and I'll pour it for you."
"Oh God, yeah. I'd love some coffee. Hi Cameron." Kacy says as she makes her appearance.
"I saw your lights come on. I couldn't sleep. I swear this baby is going to be a pro-wrestler when he grows up. Oh thanks for the coffee." She takes the cup of coffee from John and takes a sip.
"Trevor doesn't want me to drink coffee. He thinks it will be bad for the baby."
"What brings you over here Kacy?"
"Oh yeah, right. I was up and I saw your lights come on. I thought I'd pop over here and see if you were all right. Your mom called me yesterday, and told me she was out on business and to keep a loose eye on you two."
"She didn't tell me that." John says frowning slightly.
"You know mothers. They always worry about their kids. I've only been a mother for eight and a half months and I'm already worried about this kid." She says rubbing her ponderous belly.
John just grins, any mention of pregnancy or birth makes him embarrassed.
"Thank you for the coffee John."
John gives her a hand up out of the chair.
"You have a date earlier?" Kacy asks John. She can see his face easily with him being so close.
"Why do you ask?" John asks nervously.
"You've got lipstick on the corner of your mouth."
Cameron steps forward and wipes the corner of his mouth with her thumb.
"John had a date with Riley earlier. It looks like he wore some it home with him." She says smiling quickly at Kacy.
"That's sweet. The way you two look out for each other. I was never that close with my sister."
Kacy begins to leave then says to John, "Riley's a good girl. Do her and your mom a favor, don't get her pregnant. Believe me, it's no fun."
John escorts Kacy out the back door and gives her a hand down the back steps.
"Thanks for the coffee. Good night." She says as she walks down the gravel drive.
"G'night." John shouts after her.
He closes the door and resets the alarm.
"Did that seem odd to you?" he asks Cameron.
"Odd? In what way?"
"Well, this is the second time we've gotten interrupted when kissing, and she just happens to warn me about getting a girl pregnant after you so slyly suggested you were capable of doing more than just kissing. Doesn't that seem odd? Too odd to be a coincidence?"
"Do you think she is listening in on us?"
"That really isn't her style, though is it." John says. "I mean, I had to hook up her cable for her. She isn't exactly adept at electronics."
"Perhaps I should check for monitoring devices, before she gets home." Cameron says and quickly leaves the kitchen.
She begins scanning the living room and dining room. She walks over to the bookcase and begins scanning it. Pulling some books off a shelf and letting them fall to the floor, she pulls out the transmitter half of a baby monitor.
"I think your mom might have Kacy spying on us." she says after she turns the device off.
"Shit that means she knows."
"Knows what? That I'm not human."
"No. That we're not really brother and sister. Mom must have told her you were adopted or something. Why else have her check on us? Mom knows you'd look after me, protect me if any of Sky Net's agents came after me."
"Sarah doesn't trust you. She doesn't trust me." Cameron says, her voice faltering a little.
"No Cam. It's not like that. I think Mom used Kacy to remind us of our cover. No matter how our relationship develops, we have to be safe. We must maintain that public image of being brother and sister. Even if we think we are alone. You never know when someone could be watching or listening."
**
Though John was right about maintaining his cover, he was wrong about who was spying on him and Cameron.
One block from the house, a car sits by the curb. It's lone occupant making notes on what she hears through the receiver portion of a baby monitor. Riley supplied it for her. She took it from her foster parents. Came in handy. Cheap, serviceable and doesn't alert anyone by not purchasing or stealing electronic spy devices.
The voices got muffled as they moved out of the living room. Jesse planted it there herself, the night Riley deliberately didn't reset the alarm. Now it's been found. But not before she learned something that made her stomach sick. John Connor was kissing her . . . kissing it! That damn machine. Quickly she opens the car door and leans out throwing up all over the curb.
Seeing Kacy coming to the end of the Connor's drive, she gets out of her car and walks over to her.
"Did you deliver the message?"
"Yes I did. But I really don't think you have anything to worry about. The Baum's are nice kids. John wouldn't do anything to hurt your niece."
"John is a nice boy. But it's the nice ones you have to worry about."
Kacy rubs her belly. "You don't have to sell me on that one. But I really don't think John would hurt Riley. He's a smart kid."
"Yes." Jesse pulls something out her pocket. "Here's the money I promised you plus $100 extra. You never saw me, you never spoke to me, and if you see me again, you will not recognize me. Got it."
"Sure. Thanks. You wanna come in and . . ." Kacy's invitation is unfinished as the other woman runs off quickly.
Kacy goes inside her home. She wonders briefly if she should tell John about Riley's peculiar aunt. No, she decides. If she had a relative that concerned about her, she might not be pregnant now.
Jesse is satisfied. All she wanted to do was interrupt that scene between John and it. Just thinking about what might have happened was making the bile rise in her throat again.
She's going to have to talk with Riley. Riley has got to do more to keep John interested in her and get him away from that machine. She is going to have to take their relationship to the next level.
**
Back inside the Connor's kitchen, John yawns.
"Cam, I know you wanted me to explain to you about dreaming . . ." John breaks off as he yawns again. "But could that wait for later. I'm really feeling tired now."
"That's okay John. We'll have all day, after you finish your physics homework."
"Okay, okay. I promise. First thing, when I wake up. I'll do my physics homework, all right."
John and Cameron go upstairs. John goes into his room and lays down on his bed and falls asleep almost immediately.
Cameron enters his room a short time later. Seeing the blankets still balled up, she goes over and straightens them out and pulls the blankets up over him, tucking them under his chin.
She places a gentle kiss on his lips.
"Sweet dreams, John." She whispers in his ear.
Pulling the chair out from his desk, Cameron sits down and watches over him as he sleeps.
She stays there until he begins to wake. Cameron quickly and silently leaves before he does. John told her once how it would freak him out when his mom would watch him in his sleep.
He opens his eyes just in time to see Cameron slip through his door quietly. He smiles. She must of have stayed in his room. For once he didn't mind having a guardian angel while he slept.
Today is going to be a beautiful day, he thinks as he goes into the bathroom to take a shower.
END OF CHAPTER
Well I didn't know for certain if I would come up with a new chapter for this story, but I just spent the entire evening working on this instead of my other story Reunion. I hope you like it. – The1Russter 10-22-2009