Author's note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I hope you like this one as well.

Chapter Three:

A Mid-Summer Night

John tiredly lugged both his and Cameron's suitcases down the hallway towards their rooms. Cameron hadn't said a word since Ms. Darbus had delivered the room arrangements and John sincerely hoped she wasn't planning out Riley's assassination.

"Look," he began. "We need rules, okay?"

"Rules," Cameron repeated. "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, you have to use the bed."

"I don't--."

"I know you don't sleep, but human girls sleep, so you have to," John shot back. "Also, you can't keep acting like my bodyguard. It makes both of us look weird."

"I have to protect you," Cameron replied. "How am I to do that if you are in another room?"

John glared at her. "I'm sure you'll find a way. Now, in regards to Riley, do not initiate any staring contests with her and don't stand so close when you talk to people. You know why?"

"It's creepifying."

"Okay, yeah, it's creepy," John agreed. "And last, but most importantly, you are under no circumstances allowed to terminate her."

Cameron cocked her head. "What if she attempts to terminate you?"

"That won't happen," John insisted. Riley would never try to harm him, that much he knew to be certain. As he'd said before, Riley wasn't the one who'd tried to kill him.

"How do you know?" Cameron questioned.

"I trust her."

"You used to trust me too."

John stopped instantly in the middle of the hallway, and Cameron paused as well. John found himself at a loss for words. Where had that come from? He was suddenly stumbling over how to reply, and finally drew in a shaky breath. "That was before you stopped trusting me."

Cameron tilted her head to the side. "You put yourself in danger to save me. That's not acceptable."

"It was to me," John grumbled. He dropped one suitcase in front of Cameron's room and went to enter his own.

"Sleep well, John," Cameron called.

John paused with his hand on the door knob. Was she trying to make him feel better? Did she understand his reaction? No, of course not. She's just a machine.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

***********

Cameron entered the hotel room and took a quick visual scan of the area. Riley had just exited the bathroom; her travel case was sitting on the counter, still unzipped and Cameron could see a hairbrush sticking out.

Riley had already claimed the bed farthest from the door, which was fine with Cameron. The other was six feet closer to John.

Riley dropped her duffel bag near her bed and looked up at Cameron with a scowl. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? Just because you're John's sister doesn't mean I have to be nice to you."

"Just because you're John's friend doesn't mean I have to be nice to you," Cameron replied evenly, keeping her eyes locked on Riley. Riley eventually looked away and Cameron smiled slightly. It hadn't lasted long enough to be called a 'staring competition' so Cameron decided that she was not breaking John's rule.

She set her own suitcase down and entered the bathroom, locking in on Riley's hairbrush. Removing the hairbrush would anger Riley, she reasoned. If Riley was angry, she would not want to be near John, and John would not want to be near her. Mission Accomplished.

Cameron picked up the hairbrush and looked at the trash can. Insufficient. Riley was not completely stupid. She would see the hairbrush right away. Cameron turned to the toilet. A quick analysis told her that the hairbrush would not fit down the toilet, not in one piece.

Cameron studied the brush and snapped it in half. After deducing that only small particles would be able to flush down the toilet, she proceeded to break the hairbrush into tiny pieces, then dropped them into the toilet. She then pressed the handle, watching with satisfaction as the particles were flushed down.

Riley would be angry.

Cameron smiled.

***********

John was just on the verge of falling asleep when he got a nagging feeling that something was watching him. Opening one eye, he saw a dark shadow standing by the foot of his bed. He quickly bolted upright, ready to fight or run when he recognized the figure as Cameron.

"What the heck are you doing in here?" he hissed. Was this how she planned on protecting him? Scaring him half to death by standing at the foot of his bed like some creepy stalker chick?

"I couldn't sleep," Cameron replied simply.

John stared at her incredulously. "That's because you can't sleep. I just meant you had to pretend! Why are you in here?"

"When people can't sleep, they find someone to talk to," she replied in a hushed tone.

"We can't talk in here," John protested, gesturing to his snoring roommate. "Jason is asleep."

Cameron looked to the door. "We can take a walk."

John wasn't sure why he had complied, but a few minutes later he was sitting on a couch in the empty hotel lobby, with Cameron beside him.

She hadn't said anything so far, so John finally drew in a deep breath, exasperated. "Why did you bring me out here?"

"Why did you come?" she countered calmly.

His brow furrowed. "I wasn't aware I had the choice."

"You always have a choice."

John sighed heavily. He knew exactly what she was doing. "This is about Riley isn't it?" he inquired. "Mom wanted you to talk me into dumping her, am I right?"

Cameron stared at him in confusion. "Where are you going to dump her? I will gladly assist you."

John held up a hand, rolling his eyes. "No. I'm not dumping her anywhere. And neither are you for that matter. It means 'break up'." At Cameron's still confused expression, he tried to explain further. "As in, no longer together, she's no longer my girlfriend."

"Yes," Cameron agreed. "You should dump her."

John shook his head sullenly. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand more than you think," Cameron replied. John didn't answer and Cameron didn't elaborate.

"Why don't you say my name anymore?"

John scrunched up his nose, confused. What was that supposed to mean? "What?"

"You only say my name to get my attention when you're angry. You don't say it when you have a conversation with me anymore. Why?"

John looked away, swallowing hard. "What does it matter anyway?"

"Sarah says 'John' a lot when she is talking with you."

"When she's angry," John agreed. She'd been angry at him a lot lately. Angry

because he hung out with Riley, angry that he wanted a normal life, that he'd accidentally almost shot himself, that he'd been responsible for the breach in their security.

"But she also says it with love and compassion," Cameron added. "You don't say that with me."

"Maybe because it's weird calling you by a name."

"Why?"

John hesitated. "Because you're not human. You're not supposed to have one." He hated having to tell her that, hated the fact that she was just a machine.

Cameron sat back a little on the couch. "Thank you for explaining."

"You haven't said that in a while," John stated, desperate to change the subject.

"You haven't explained anything in a while," came the reply.

John rubbed his eyes. It was way too late for this conversation. "Listen. Why did you want to talk to me?"

Cameron looked up and stared into his eyes, her face blank. "Riley is a threat to you," she said.

John rolled his eyes. I knew this was coming. "I don't care."

"She's a distraction. You need to remain focused on the mission."

"I'm fine," John said forcefully. "Don't worry about me."

"I do worry about you," Cameron replied softly.

John pursed his lips. This was getting too weird. He was tired of everyone dictating his life for him; who he should hang out with and who he should not. He was tired of everyone trying to keep him from having a normal life.

But how could he have a normal life knowing the end of the world was fast approaching?

"I need to get some sleep," he muttered. Not waiting for an answer, he stood up and walked back up the stairs toward his room.

He didn't look back and he didn't see Cameron studying him dejectedly as he walked away.

Author's note: It's a little shorter than the first two and I know there's not as much humor, but it's mostly setting up for future chapters. I promise the next ones have a lot more Riley vs. Cameron moments and a lot more fun.