I decided to continue this due to the nice feedback I've received. I've also decided to extend it beyond just these two chapters. I wonder what mommy and uncle Derek's reaction to all this would be? :)

Thanks to all those who reviewed:

acer-sigma, TK-MR, clearfanfic, Renderer and my friend kaotic2 (hurry it up with your fic dude!!)

But special thanks go to ElusiveSanity. I'm a huge fan of Irony and Fate. Reading your lovely review made my day and spurred me on to get this chapter finished tonight.

"Cameron, wait"

When she didn't acknowledge his call and continued her course to the door, John leapt from his perch to try and stop her.

"Cameron, please stop"

He tried to grab her hand. As soon as it made contact with hers, she yanked it away as if scalded. Unfortunately she yanked it right in to the door frame. John heard a telltale cracking noise and knew what had just happened. He closed his eyes and winced a little. When he opened his eyes he saw Cameron looking at her hand, her face was characteristically blank, but her eyes were glistening and he could tell she was struggling to maintain control. After a few moments of staring at her hand, she slowly lowered it to her side and continued her path out the door. John couldn't summon any words and simply watched her leave with his mouth hanging open. The next thing he heard was her bedroom door quietly closing behind her.

Well I was expecting at least a dramatic door slam.

John gathered his thoughts, closed his mouth and went to follow her. When he got to her door he was just planning on walking in, after all he never usually has to knock. As he reached for the handle he reconsidered. Wait, she never had any emotional outbursts before, I'd better knock. As he held up his hand to knock he realised he didn't have the slightest clue what he was gonna do or say. What do you do to comfort an emotionally fragile, currently upset Terminator?

Realising his hand had been hovering near her door for a touch too long, he turned around and headed for the kitchen to get that coffee he should have gotten hours ago.

He was on autopilot for the majority of the trip down the stairs and into the kitchen, he only came around when the cold of the laminate flooring bit in to his bare feet. Ok John, get a grip...coffee.

He filled the kettle, placed it back on its base, clicked the power on and waited for it to boil. While he did he grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and shovelled in coffee and plenty of sugar. What the hell, I know it's bad for me but it's not exactly going to be available in abundance in the future. When he went to the cupboard to put the ingredients back, a shiny silver packet at the back of the shelf caught his eye. Huh, why not, couldn't hurt. He retrieved the packet along with another cup from the shelf and poured the contents of the packet into the new cup. He filled both with the now boiled water and gave them both a quick stir.

He took both cups and headed upstairs.

"Dammit"

He arrived at Cameron's door having spilled a sizeable amount of the liquids from both cups. Mom's gonna be pissed. I hope you appreciate this Cameron. He attempted to knock on her door whilst trying to juggle 2 cups semi full of boiling hot liquids. In the end he gave up and put one on the floor. Softly wrapping his knuckles on the door, he called out to her:

"Cameron..."

Nothing

"Cameron, it's John" of course it is, you're the only ones in the house.

Nothing

"May I come in please?"

After what felt like minutes went by until she answered:

"Yes"

It was soft, almost a whisper, but he heard it clear as day.

He turned the handle and the door clicked open. Pushing it open slightly he picked up the other cup and carefully backed his way in to the room. He closed the door with his backside once he was in the room and strode over to the nightstand to put the cups down. He wasn't expecting what he saw when he turned around to face her. She was sitting on her bed with her back against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, idly rubbing her broken nail while staring out of the window with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were still a little damp.

Upset cyborg alert, stand clear, future leader of mankind John Connor coming through. Yeah right, like you would even know how to comfort a human girl, let alone an advanced AI from the future who has just recently developed a whole range of new emotions.

He moved to the bed and carefully clambered next to her, mimicking her posture. He sat close, but not close enough to be touching. If she noticed his presence she didn't indicate it and continued to stare out the window at seemingly nothing.

"Hey" his voice was tender and caring.

Still nothing. John let out a sigh, reached over and gently caressed her knee.

"Hey. You ok over there?"

She turned her head to face him and her eyes were greeted with a bright beaming smile. Something stirred inside her chip at the sight of it and she felt a smile inexplicably forming on her own face. A light chuckle escaped John's lips.

"Yes John I'm ok...thank you"

She seemed to study his face for a moment before scanning around the room with her eyes.

"What's in the cups?"

"Oh"

John sprang up from his position to retrieve the almost forgotten about cups. He plucked them from the nightstand and very carefully returned to his previous position at her side. Sitting just a little closer than before.

"Well, one of them is coffee for me"

He hesitated before continuing.

"And I know you don't technically need to eat or drink anything, but I just thought that seeing as how you kinda have a sweet tooth and all that maybe you'd like to try a hot chocolate?"

John was blushing furiously at this point as she continued to examine his face. She looked thoughtfully at the cup, then again at his face, before reaching out and accepting it. Their hands brushing as she did.

"Thank you John"

"Don't mention it"

She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"It means, no problem"

"Yes, I know what it means"

"Then why are you tilting your head like that?

Nothing. If anything she tilted it even further.

"When you tilt your head like that, it usually means you're confused or intrigued about something"

"Oh, thank you for explaining"

She took a sip from the beverage John had given her, looked at the dark liquid remaining in the cup, and once again tilted her head.

"Well?

"Well what John?"

There was that annoying trait again. He thought about calling her out about it when her radiant smile threw him off. He chuckled before continuing:

"Well...why were you confused when I handed you the drink?"

"Like you said, I do not need to eat or drink, and yet you thought enough about me to make and offer me one anyway. Why?"

He looked away and smirked.

"It just seemed like something I should do"

On hearing this they both looked away and smiled.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed while they sipped their drinks. John looked over to her and noticed the broken nail on her right hand. He reached out and gently took her hand in his own once again.

"Hey, I, er, I'm really sorry about your nails Cam. They really are nice"

"Thank you"

"Tell you what, why don't you get them redone? We've got plenty of time to kill before mom and Derek get home. Why don't you go tomorrow? My treat"

She didn't need to scan him through their still joined hands to know he was embarrassed. His bright red cheeks could have told anyone that. She decided that his offer was sincere, but still decided to tease him some more.

"Would you like to accompany me John? You really could use a facial treatment for your clogged pores and oily skin"

John simply stared at her like she had suddenly grown two heads and snatched his hand away abruptly.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, NO WAY, NOT EVER IN ANY UNIVERSE AM I GOING TO BE SEEN DEAD IN A BOUTIQUE WITH..."

The bright amused smile on her face once again threw him off his stride. He suddenly broke out laughing while she continued to smile at him. It was the smile she flashed him on the first day they met, back in that New Mexico school classroom. Man that's beautiful. When his laughing had mostly subsided he gently poked her in her 'ribcage'.

"You"

Poke

"Are getting far too good at that"

Once again a comfortable silence fell between them as they both continued smiling to themselves.

"Well, I'd better turn in for the night. Apparently I need my beauty sleep"

He was rewarded with another of her smiles. He took her now empty cup from her and stood up from the bed. He turned around to face her.

"Good night Cameron"

"Good night John"

As he moved to leave he felt her hand grab his, holding him in place. He turned to her again.

"John, would you..."

She seemed to be trying to summon up the courage to ask for something, but the words wouldn't come. Now it was his turn to gently caress her knuckles to bring her out of her daze.

"...would you stay with me tonight? I need to enter standby to analyse these new emotions. I don't want to be too far away from you"

"In case of a triple eight attack?"

John could have sworn she hesitated for a split second before answering.

"Yes, in case of attack"

"Of course I will Cameron. But I'm still not going to that boutique with you"

A small smile flashed across her lips as John turned around to place the cups on the nightstand. As he did, she lay down on her side and curled up into a ball. Just like any normal girl John thought. As he moved toward the light switch near the door, a question popped in to his head.

"Cameron?"

"Yes John?

"What are these new emotions you need to analyse?"

...

"Happiness"

Needless to say, John didn't get to sleep for a while that night. When he did, his head was filled with thoughts of a happy, smiling Cameron. That night, John didn't have any nightmares about the end of the world, or gleaming metal monsters for the first time in a very long time.

Well, please let me know what you all think. I felt the early parts of the chapter were a little dragged out initially. But after re-reading I decided it sorta fit.