author's note: Wow, thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far. And for those of you who viewed the trailer, I'm glad you liked it. I had a lot of fun making it. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter too!

Chapter Two:

What Happens in Canada…

"She didn't do it," John said forcefully. Cameron wouldn't have betrayed him like that; she wouldn't have told anyone his secret. "She didn't tell them Kyle's my father."

Derek held his nephew's angry gaze. "Then how do they know?"

"They don't." Both of them turned to look at Cameron. "They're just targeting John's soldiers," she explained. "Kyle Reese saves John Connor by breaking him out of Century Work Camp. They don't know that killing Kyle Reese will cause John to cease to exist."

"So what do we do?" Sarah asked worriedly.

"You can't go near him, Sarah," Derek insisted. "He carries around your picture in the future. What will he think if he remembers you from his childhood?"

"You don't want to change the future," John agreed. He suddenly caught himself and reconsidered. "Well, not in that way. And Derek, you can't go near him either. He'd remember you too."

"That leaves you and Cameron to protect him," Sarah stated. Her tone suggested she was less than thrilled with the idea.

"Up close," John agreed, trying to placate his mother. "You two can still help from afar. Just don't let him see you too much."

John looked over at Derek for his uncle's reaction. Instead of holding agreement or even determination, Derek's dark eyes were still glaring at John, filled with distrust and anger. "What?" John demanded.

"You don't understand what you've done," his uncle growled.

John's mouth dropped open and his eyes narrowed. "What I've done?"

"You told the metal about my brother!" Derek shouted. "Your father! Kyle!" His eyes sought out Sarah's, burning with fury. "Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?"

John pressed his lips together tightly. Derek didn't understand what had happened with Cameron. She wouldn't tell anyone. She loved him; she would never betray him.

"So I trusted her!" he spat out. "Step off, Derek!"

Derek did just the opposite, taking a few steps closer to John, eyes blazing. "Do you know what would happen if she goes rogue?"

John clenched his jaw. "She won't," he insisted strongly.

"She's a machine, John," Derek shot back. "It's happened once already."

John could feel the heat of his own anger start to surface. "Don't even go there," he warned. The explosion and Cameron's reversion hadn't been her fault and they both knew it.

"Or what if Skynet gets a hold of her?" Derek continued. "Gets a hold of her chip? They'll know too. They'll kill Kyle, and they'll get you too. Two birds with one stone. Or in this case, two heroes with one metal spy."

John's eyes narrowed defiantly. "She's not a spy, Derek!"

"Listen to yourself!" Derek protested. "You're being corrupted by her!"

"Why are you blaming me?" John demanded. "I didn't tell her. Future Me did, and he must have had a good reason."

Derek glanced up at Sarah, seeking her support. "Sarah? You can see, can't you? See what she's doing to him?"

John suddenly realized that his mom was hesitating. It wasn't like her. She was usually so quick to jump to his defense. She was his mother. It's what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to believe in him. "Mom?"

Sarah looked from John to Derek to Cameron, appearing deflated. "John…I…"

John leaned in closer, begging with his eyes and his words. "Mom, please, listen to me. You can trust me."

Sarah slowly shook her head, looking heartbroken. "No. I can't."

John's mouth opened slightly as the shock set in.

I can't trust you anymore, John.

Everything in the room seemed to stop, frozen in time. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. John remained still, trying to process her words. Had he really heard her say that? Was he dreaming this too?

Because his worst nightmare was seeing Cameron die.

His second would be exactly this: having his mother not trust him, doubt him. She'd always trusted him. They were a team, a family! How could he continue on like this? His mother, Sarah Connor, no longer trusted his judgment, and she was the one who had always fought for him, for him to become John Connor, the leader. How could he do that if she no longer found him worthy of her trust?

He couldn't stay here anymore. If she doubted him, fine. So be it. At least he still had someone who believed in him. He snatched Cameron's hand and stalked out the door.

********

Sarah felt absolutely horrible. But she would have felt worse if she would have lied to John. What she'd said was true. Right now, she couldn't trust anything he did.

The Connors had always had secrets. Some secrets they had shared, with Cameron, with Derek, with the Dysons. Some secrets had to shared. But this one, the secret of John's father, was something they never discussed. They never talked to anyone about it. It had sent her on high alert when she learned that Derek knew about it. If he knew, who else did? Had he really just figured it out because Kyle was his brother? If she would have had it her way, no one would know. Not even Derek.

This was their most important secret, the one most critical to John's survival. The one he had sworn never to tell. They'd decided that a long time ago. No one could be trusted enough to know it.

But John had betrayed her trust. He'd told the secret. Not only told it, but told to one of them. Cameron. The Machine, the Metal. The enemy.

So, no, right now she couldn't trust him. His judgment was being clouded by Cameron's presence. And that had started when they'd arrived home from Canada. So, again, her real question was: what had happened in Canada?

Her cell phone rang and she picked it up, still distracted by her thoughts. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Ms. Darbus," the speaker said. "I'm John's English teacher. He was with our class in Canada."

Sarah raised her eyebrows, suddenly focused intently. Talk about coincidence. Maybe she could get her answers now. "Yes, what can I do for you?"

"I was actually just calling to let you know that we will be sending you a check reimbursing you for part of the Canada trip."

Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, John and Cameron didn't stay at the hotel with us, so we're refunding that part of your payment…"

Sarah's hand tightened on the phone. "They didn't stay with you?"

"No," Ms. Darbus replied. "They rode home separately. They told me that they had been taken in for questioning."

"Questioning? What for?"

"Regarding the shooting on the bus," Ms. Darbus said, her voice becoming emotional with grief. "Such a horrible affair."

Sarah's eyes widened and she stared at the phone in stunned silence. Finally she brought it back to her ear, clenching it until her knuckles turned white. "Tell me everything…"

*********

John stood in his room, beginning to pack his suitcase for Camp Jabez. Cameron was at his side, helpfully reminding him of several essential items, like a box of thermite and a nine millimeter…

Sarah stormed into the room, followed by a curious Derek. John looked up, seeing a look of absolute anger on his mother's face. Anger…and disappointment.

He scowled. Why? She's the one who said she didn't trust me.

"Before we move on, I want to get something straight," Sarah barked. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened in Canada. And on the way home."

John froze in the middle of packing, mind whirling. Did she know something? Was that why she was so angry?

"Why?" Cameron spoke up on his behalf.

Sarah seemed to be struggling to contain her anger. "Because I just found out that there was a shootout at the border and that you two didn't ride the bus home."

John cringed. How had she found out? Had the school finally called? He'd told Ms. Darbus their cover story and she'd seemed to accept it without much question. Of course, everyone had been shaken by the incident. Maybe now, his teacher was wondering about the validity of his claim.

"A triple eight showed up," Cameron explained. "I terminated it. We had to steal a jeep and drive home."

"All night long?" Derek asked, stepping into the argument, on Sarah's side, of course. "Cuz the bus showed up when you did, and they stopped for the night."

"Yes," Cameron stated. "We stopped."

One glance at his mother told John that she wasn't giving up. Sarah Connor knew Cameron was being vague on purpose; that she was hiding something. For John. "Where?"

"What does it matter?" John cut in. "It was just a motel."

But Sarah wasn't finished with the interrogation, yet, despite John's desperate hope. She forced an icy glare at Cameron.

"Where were you when John was sleeping?" she demanded.

John winced. The only way his mother would ask such a question is because she already knew, or at least suspected, the incriminating answer.

Cameron's face betrayed nothing. "Standing guard," she replied.

Derek snorted in disgust. "That's a lie. I can tell."

"I don't have a tell," Cameron stated.

"John's face does."

John flushed in annoyance. "Nothing happened, alright? Just leave her alone!"

Sarah turned on him. "John, this is serious. Now do you understand why I don't trust you? First you don't tell me about the triple 8, then you lie about riding the bus, and now I find out that you and Tin Miss actually stayed at a hotel for a night. Where'd you get the money?"

"We didn't," John muttered.

Cameron nodded emphatically. "Most people don't realize how easy it is to steal a room."

Derek ground his teeth together. "What happened in the room?"

Cameron looked to John, seeking permission to talk. He refused to look at her. It didn't matter what he said. He'd told her 'what happens in Canada stays in Canada', but Derek and Sarah would demand the truth anyhow. It may as well be blunt.

"I was guarding the room but John said he couldn't sleep with me standing there. There was only one bed."

Derek snapped into motion, grabbing his pistol and shoving Cameron up against the wall, pressing the gun under her chin with deadly intent. "I'll kill you myself…" he hissed.

"You can't kill me," Cameron replied calmly.

"I can try," Derek snarled.

"Derek, let her go!" John demanded. "You know that won't do any good anyhow."

"No, John," Derek replied. "I'm through talking about this. The machine's gotta go. She can't be trusted."

John finally couldn't take anymore. He slammed his fist down onto the table, making both Derek and his mother flinch. "You don't know anything!" he hissed.

Derek stared at him, startled, lowering his gun and taking a few steps away from Cameron. John's face was deadly serious as he gestured to Cameron.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said, sending an angry glare in Sarah and Derek's direction before he turned and followed his Terminator protector out the door.

************

He wasn't sure why he'd come here.

Sure, they could use some snacks to eat at camp, but John knew that wasn't his real motivation for going to the grocery store. He'd just needed to get away. Away from Derek and Sarah.

In his heart, he'd known this would happen. While in Canada, he'd realized they wouldn't just roll over and surrender their beliefs. They wouldn't just accept the fact that he cared for Cameron. He'd been prepared to defend his actions.

What was the use now? His own mother didn't even trust him. That hurt him more deeply than anything else she could have said.

He shoved the grocery cart mechanically down the next aisle, vaguely aware of Cameron sticking a bag of Cheetos inside.

"It's the crunchy kind," she informed him.

Get me some of those cheese things, the crunchy kind, not the puffy ones. He supposed he should have been touched that Cameron had remembered, but the comment barely registered; he glanced at the bag only briefly.

Cameron cocked her head, studying his behavior. "You're upset."

"They don't understand," John mumbled. "They don't trust you. Or me."

"It hurts you."

John swallowed hard. "Yeah. Look at me. The future leader of the world, and even my own mother doesn't trust me anymore. None of them. Not her, not Derek..."

Cameron cast her eyes downward. "It's my fault."

"What?"

"I'm the reason they don't trust you. They think you have made a judgment error in trusting me."

John sighed, knowing it was true. "I guess they do."

"How can I change that?"

John smiled sadly. "I'm not sure you can," he admitted reluctantly. "They don't trust easy to begin with. And they especially don't trust any machines, no matter who you are. To them, all machines are evil. They can't accept the fact that sometimes…they're wrong."

"Are they?"

John glanced up, frowning. "What do you mean? Of course they are."

"How do you know?"

Where is this coming from? "You're different," he reminded her. "You told me."

Cameron cocked her head. "If you can't argue your point how are you going to win it?"

John finally realized what she was doing. She was testing him, preparing him. "You want me to be able to defend you."

"Some of your soldiers can't understand why you trust us," Cameron responded. "We're the enemy."

"Not all of you," John replied stubbornly.

"How do you tell them that?"

"It's just like with any species," he began. "Good and evil exists anywhere. Some humans are bad, some are good. Some cats make good pets, some would rather rip your head off. And some of you are good, and some are bad."

"But we're machines," Cameron reminded him. "We're programmed. Doesn't that make us different?"

"No," John said adamantly. "Because you can think for yourself. You can choose to be good or bad. You can feel."

"But we can't feel emotions."

His jaw clenched. "You and I both know that's not true."

He held her gaze for a minute before she gave him a small smile. "Good." John felt his body relax. He must have passed her test. "You're ahead of schedule."

"With what?"

"What you need to learn."

That was it, then. She was here to protect him, but also to prepare him for the future, prepare him for what he'd have to face. If he was going to become General Connor, he needed to be convincing, to be able to change people's minds.

He needed to be strong, determined, fearless, and commanding. But more than anything, he couldn't do this on his own.

He needed her.

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