author's notes: Okay, so this chapter is when the action starts to pick up. I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Fifteen:

There's a Storm Coming

Trust.

Throughout his week at camp, John Connor had seen the loss of trust, both from his mother and from Derek. They didn't trust Cameron and they didn't trust him.

He hated that.

Trust was key, vital. They couldn't continue doing what they did without trusting each other. They couldn't mend their fractured relationship without being able to trust each other.

But... in the past few days, he'd also seen a bizarre gain of trust as well, between Cameron and the horse that they were assigned to feed and ride. After all their work with it, the horse had finally come to trust Cameron; it no longer shied away from her because she was different. It knew she wasn't a threat.

Cameron's words rose in his mind. Why can't Derek and Sarah see that? Why don't they understand that I'm not a threat to you?

When she'd first asked that question, he said he didn't know the answer.

He still didn't know.

Animals weren't like people. They couldn't be fooled by a Terminator like a human could. This horse had known that Cameron wasn't human, but it had accepted her anyway because John had assured it that she was alright. The horse trusted Cameron because he had trusted Cameron.

If only he could get his mother to be the same way…

Cameron stood silently by his side, her hand slowly brushing against the horse's side. John smiled and looked up at the creature with a gleam in his eye. "Come on, let's ride him."

She frowned. "I might break him."

John waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, this is one of the strongest horses, the one they sometimes stick really fat people on."

He was pleased to see that got a small smile out of her. "We'll be fine. He's tough."

John climbed up into the saddle and held out a hand to help Cameron up. Even though she didn't really need his assistance, she took hold of his hand and climbed up behind him. John felt the horse twitch, but it didn't try to throw them off.

He breathed a sigh of relief. A few days ago he wouldn't have dared to try riding the horse with Cameron.

It was amazing what a little bit of trust could do.

Cameron put her hands securely around his waist and John grabbed the reigns.

"John!"

John turned towards the voice to see his uncle running up the dirt path. "I need you for a second."

John glared down at Derek, his face growing sullen. His uncle had chosen this moment to intervene on purpose. "Why?" he asked coolly.

"Your teammate's having some problems with her horse," Derek explained, slightly out of breath from running. "I've been watching what you did with your horse and…her." His mistrustful glance at Cameron only incensed John further. "If you can make it like a machine, you can help this girl."

"Who is it?" John asked, knowing full well the answer.

"Riley."

John shook his head. "Riley didn't send you over to get me, Derek." She wouldn't have done that, not after what had happened earlier with Cameron in the kitchen. "This was your idea." He shot his uncle an angry scowl. Derek just didn't know when to give up. "I see what you're trying to do, and it won't work. Tell Riley I'm sorry, but right now, I'm going horseback riding."

He didn't give Derek a chance to reply, simply jerked on the reigns and started the horse up the trail.

*********

Derek Reese sat motionless in front of the computer screen, his eyes barely focused on it. For some reason, he couldn't get John's angry face out of his mind; couldn't stop thinking about the way his nephew had defiantly turned the horse around and trotted off, riding the animal with Cameron behind him.

John had called his bluff; Riley hadn't asked for assistance. In fact, Riley hadn't been doing much good at all lately. Her fear of Cameron seemed to have multiplied beyond normal. He grunted in disgust. She would have to get past that if she hoped to win John over.

He wasn't even sure that was possible anymore.

Just because some machines are out there to kill us doesn't mean they all are. Should they all be condemned for the acts of one? Skynet's our enemy. Not her. She's different. I need her…

John's words continued to haunt his thoughts. They went against everything he'd ever believed, but what if… what if his nephew was right? What if not all the machines were evil?

In the future, everyone trusted John Connor with their lives. Everyone would die for him. John's word was trusted; his decisions accepted. Of course not everyone liked what he decided, but they obeyed him. Because John Connor was in charge and he knew what he was doing. But had young John reached that point yet? Maybe even the great John Connor was not infallible.

And what of the future Jesse spoke of? Did Cameron really mean to insert herself in such a way as to take over the resistance? Was Jesse's hatred making her story more exaggerated?

He still wasn't sure what he felt when it came to Cameron. John constantly insisted that Cameron was different; that she wasn't like the other Terminators. Was he right? Sarah seemed to be slowly opening up to the possibility. If Skynet could become self-aware and choose world domination, could Cameron do the same and choose to fight for peace? Were there other machines that would rebel against Skynet?

Was it just part of their programming? No, Derek answered himself. He knew that wasn't right either. John had learned from Cameron that she was able to override her own programming when she refused to terminate him.

Free will. Of a sort.

So John was right on one case. Cameron was different.

And, Derek also had to admit as he turned his eyes back to his computer screen, she had her uses. It was she who'd hacked into the security mainframe of the camp and given him access to monitor the security cameras.

Of course, they were still near LA, so the camp had several security guards. But Derek knew that the security force up at the camp entrance would do little against a Triple 8 attack. At least this way, Derek could have some advance warning about when the Terminator would arrive.

He heard some activity from the speakers and turned up the volume, listening into the feed. On one of the camera screens, the front entrance, he saw a man stalking up to the security gates.

Derek's eyes widened. The walk, the movements…his Triple 8 radar was going off in his head. Over the feed, he heard the guard ask what the Terminator's business was. The machine said nothing, merely took a step forward and grabbed the guard by the neck.

Derek heard two gunshots from the guard's companion, but the Triple 8 didn't let go. Instead, it pulled out a gun of its own, quickly shooting the other guard before crushing the first's neck.

Derek was out of his seat before the final murder happened.

*********

Sarah was in the kitchen wiping up the counters from dinner when Derek burst through the door, a frantic but determined look on his face.

"It's here," he said crisply. "Let's get the guns."

Sarah dropped the rag and dashed out the door. "How long?"

"I don't know," Derek replied, keeping up his quick pace. "It's at the entrance right now. And it's on foot. It'll take maybe ten minutes to get back here."

"Where's John?"

Derek scowled. "Where do you think?"

With Cameron. For once, Sarah was grateful for that. The two of them burst into the little shack where they'd hidden all their weapons and supplies. She grabbed her rifle and loaded it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Derek start packing some grenades into his backpack, along with a wide array of different types of guns and rifles. "How many weapons do you need?" she questioned with a disproving frown. "You only have two arms, Derek."

Derek shrugged, not pausing his efforts. "I'm a soldier. I like to keep my options open."

Sarah stared at him for a moment. "No grenades."

"What?"

"There's too many people around," Sarah insisted. He'd blow up the entire camp. Not exactly subtle.

Derek looked indignant, and Sarah saw Cameron walk in, cocking her head, obviously not expecting the two of them to be in there. Her eyes trailed to Derek's hand.

"Grenades?" she questioned.

"Yeah, Sarah doesn't want them," Derek growled.

"This is camp," Cameron reminded him. "There are kids around."

Derek glared at her. Sarah glanced behind Cameron, not seeing John.

"We've got a Triple 8 on the way," Sarah said, an edge to her voice. "Coming for Kyle. Where's--."

Before she could even say her son's name, Cameron was gone, urgently rushing away to find him.

Dedication. Devotion. Love.

All things a machine should not be capable of.

Derek was staring after Cameron as well, eyes filled with confusion, mistrust, even hate.

"Focus, Reese," Sarah ordered, grabbing her gun.

********

John walked alone down the dirt path that led towards the main hall where the night activity was about to take place. He still didn't understand why they had movie night at camp. Anyone could watch a movie at home. But at least Cameron had offered to go get him some popcorn from the Connor's hidden supply shack. He'd seen Derek stash a box with their supplies when they were packing for the trip.

Besides, sitting through a movie next to Cameron was hardly something he was going to complain about.

Before he reached the doors, he ran into Riley, who appeared to be on her way out of the building. Her eyes flashed around him, apparently anxiously searching for Cameron. When she'd confirmed that John's killer girlfriend wasn't around, her eyes softened and he saw the fear was gone from her eyes. Now there was only guilt. "John…"

John shifted his weight uneasily. What did Riley want now? So far friendship hadn't been enough for her. Derek had been trying to force Riley on him, and Riley hadn't been helping the situation. He thought she would have kept her distance from both him and Cameron after Cameron's mental breakdown, but apparently the near-death experience was not enough.

It didn't matter. Not anymore.

He was done playing games.

"What do you want, Riley?" he asked tiredly.

"John," Riley began, biting her lip. "I need to talk to you. Please."

John drew in a breath, keeping his body rigid. "About what?"

"I'm sorry about everything that's gone on this week," Riley began. She looked disheartened by his stiff behavior, and he knew he had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. "I'm sorry that I tried to take you from Cameron. But you have to understand where I'm coming from. You have to understand that I care about you too."

John kept his eyes forward, resisting the urge to scan the surroundings. Where was Cameron when he needed her? It shouldn't take that long for her to go to the supply shed and steal Derek's popcorn…

Riley's voice turned desperate. "John, I'm sorry. I just…I love you too."

John hesitated. Even her words seemed a little forced, without any true meaning. Almost as if she was saying them just to say them. What's more, he didn't feel any kind of emotional reaction to her exclamation. Not like when Cameron spoke the same words, when his heart warmed and his pulse raced. When he'd kissed Cameron, it had been a thousand times more meaningful than when he'd done the same with Riley. With Riley, there was nothing, only friendship if that was good enough for her. And so far, it hadn't been.

He turned to look at her. "Riley, I wanted us to be friends, but you have to understand something. Even if I felt the same way, it could never work between us."

An edge came to her eyes. "Why not?"

John bit his lip. How could he explain this without actually revealing the intimate details of his fragile existence? "Because we come from two different worlds. My world is…is dangerous."

Riley laughed humorlessly. "The world is a dangerous place, John."

John shook his head. You have no idea. "Mine more so. What you saw in Mexico, that man who was shooting at us…that's…that's just half of it. You don't belong in my world."

"And Cameron does?" Riley accused.

Yes. Thank God, yes. "Cameron is…like me. She's a part of this too." He felt a surge of warmth in his heart at being able to say that.

It only seemed to infuriate Riley further. "Why can't I be part of it? Why can't you trust me?"

Trust me.

"Riley, I…I can never have a normal life," he said strongly. "But you can. You have a life I envy sometimes."

He saw a cloud come over her face and her eyes flicked away. John frowned, noticing the change immediately. Something was wrong; there was something in Riley's gaze, he could see it. Cameron's words came rushing back to him, her solemn warning.

Nothing is as it seems…

"John," Riley began, voice low. "There's…there's something I have to tell you…"

He was curious now, but before Riley could say another word, he heard Cameron's voice shouting his name as she ran up the path. There was an edge to her tone that he'd come to recognize.

It meant danger.

He was instantly on alert. "What's wrong?" he demanded as she reached his side.

"He's here. Now."

He. Terminator.

John spun to Riley. "Get inside the main hall. Keep everyone there. Don't let them leave."

Riley's eyes flashed with a mix of fear and anger. "John, please, just tell me…"

He grabbed her shoulders tightly in an attempt to convey the seriousness of his request. "This is not a joke! Stay inside!"

He turned roughly, leaving her standing there, mouth open in shock, no doubt confused and afraid. But he couldn't care about that right now.

He and Cameron had a Terminator to stop.