Disclaimer: don't own T:SCC that simple

A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews. Here's the next chapter. No Derek but he'll be back. Enjoy…..

Chapter 2

Sarah Connor closed the door to Derek's room and sighed. Their conversation and memories of Kyle were wearing on her emotions but she couldn't let them go yet, she still had one more person to deal with.

Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing one of the few bottles of alcohol that she had in the house, for medicinal purposes. She stopped in the doorway and just watched him. It had only been a few months for her but Charlie had thought she had been dead for eight years. She felt awful for what she did to him but she had no choice; Right?

He finally noticed her and sat up. "How's he doing?"

"Fine," She said as she sat down across from him, "He finally woke up so that's good."

"Good."

The silence that followed was uncomfortable to say the least. Sarah wished he would just say something. She hated this part of her life. Every time she had left her previous boyfriends without notice that was it, she never saw them again but here he was. He had saved John's uncle without question and she was indebted to him. But she couldn't help thinking of what Cameron would say; that he was a liability.

But he didn't say anything. He just sat there with his bottle and stared at her. Finally the silence was more then she could bear. "I'm sorry." That got a reaction.

"You're sorry?!" Charlie laughed disbelievingly. "That's all you can say?"

"What more do you want from me Charlie; an explanation?"

"Yeah, I don't think that's too much to ask." Sarah stood up and walked towards the sink. "I just saved a man's life that, as far as I can figure, got shot breaking out of jail! What are you into?"

"I can't give you what you want. Even if I did you wouldn't believe me."

"Is this about the robots?" Sarah looked at him sharply. What did he know about the Terminators? Charlie sighed. "I saw your file from the mental hospital Sarah. How you think that robots are going to overtake the world. How John is supposed to be this 'leader of the resistance'. And on top of that, the FBI told me that you killed a man."

"I didn't kill him."

"Tell me what happened then?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Charlie was getting fed up. He didn't believe any of that junk about killer robots but he also didn't believe that she was dangerous. He just wished that she would give him something that would verify his beliefs. "What wouldn't I understand, Sarah?"

"That for 16 years I have been living in constant terror, fighting a war that hasn't begun yet." She leaned against the sink and for the first time Charlie could actually see the underlying exhaustion that now seemed to be a permanent feature on her face. "Since before John was born I have been running from people who have either been trying to kill us, put me in the loony bin or lock me behind bars. I don't have the luxury of hoping people will understand."

Charlie just sat there in shock going over what she said. 6 months he was with her and he had never seen anything to suspect any of this was going on. Before he had a chance to say anything the front door opened, letting in a bickering John and Cameron.

"You just don't do that."

"But she was cheating. The rules have stated that we are to inform the teacher if a student is cheating."

"Yes," explained an exasperated John, "But you don't just do it out loud in the middle of a test."

"Why not?" Sarah shook her head. As if her life wasn't difficult enough.

John and Cameron entered the kitchen, stopping when they saw the EMT. "Hey Charlie."

"Hey, Johnnie." Charlie said giving a strained smile. No matter what they were accused of he had always thought of John like his own son, he was a good kid. But that was just another question unanswered. John had been 15 when they were 'blown up' eight years ago and looking at him right now he hasn't seemed to age a day.

"John, why don't you and Cameron go check on Derek." Sarah said. "But don't get deep." In other word don't tell Derek about their relation. John glared at her but nodded and went into the other room, Cameron not far behind. There was a few moments of silence before Sarah asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since John had brought this man through her door.

"Charlie I have to know if you're going to tell anyone about us being here." Her ex-fiancé stood up and gathered his equipment and headed for the door that John had just disappeared through. "Charlie?"

"I won't say anything right now." He said. "But I expect a full explanation soon or else I go to the FBI." He walked into the other room, Sarah's gaze following him sadly; knowing full well that if he ever tried going to the FBI, Cameron would kill him.

A/N: So there it is. Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review!!!