NOTES: This is the sequel to my previous story "Only Lonely". I'd recommended reading that one first. This story takes place during "Strange Things Happen at the One Two Point".

SUMMARY: The truth of John and Cameron's relationship spreads to those willing to go to any lengths to undermine it.

DISCLAIMER: All characters herein are the property of someone other than me. No profit has been earned.

"Fuzzy Dice"
Chapter 4
T.R. Samuels

The dextrous digits of Cameron Phillips moved gently across his jaw, fingertips sensing for any imperfection in the bone beneath as they trailed around to John's spine. Her hands split off in opposite directions, squeezing the cervical vertebra between her thumb and finger, tactile sensors cranked to their highest gain.

After stemming the bleeding by the sink in the kitchen, Cameron had brought John to the comfort of his room and sat him down on the bed, his legs outstretched on the mattress as he leaned against the headboard.

"Umm… that feels nice." He gave her a lazy smile as she leaned close to him.

"I'm checking to see if you've fractured your spine." Realising his fatigue she looked him straight in the eye. "Stay awake."

"It's difficult to concentrate when you're so close, Cam. You look great."

"Be serious, John."

"I am being serious. I'm confirming that there's nothing wrong with my eyes."

Cameron was familiar with his technique, a level four defence mechanism. John was using a form of sublimation, in this case humour, to alleviate his negative emotional state. Of all the things that could be wrong with him, it was what concerned her the most. She could examine his body fully, mend any damage, but repairing his emotions was beyond her programming.

"Hey… you're doing fine."

He was reading her mind again. How did he do that?

She gave him the most frugal of smiles as her hands moved over his head, feeling over the contours of his skull in an incidental massage and John soon surrendered to her mercies.

"I said stay awake." Her tone was much firmer than before, fear sneaking in.

"Sorry."

The tips of her fingers trailed down his face, careful to avoid the angry laceration that marred his cheek, electrical impulses probing beneath the surface of his skin. His eyes were quizzical as she squeezed the bridge of his nose, manipulating the cartilage.

She could do this for as long as she liked, her methodical attention a strange intimacy.

"You have received no concussion that I can detect." Her hands moved to examine his face, tilting his head gently. "These injuries are mostly superficial, but there will be bruising."

"Great…"

She pressed lightly against the frayed flesh of his cheek. "This injury will require stitches."

Cameron reached across to the nightstand, retrieving a small flannel from the transparent bowl of water, ringing out the excess before folding the fabric into a square, dabbing it gently against the wound.

"You'd make a great nurse, Cam."

"It's my job to look after you."

"No, I mean in one of those little outfits."

He gave her his most playful look, waggling his eyebrows, but Cameron saw through the façade.

"I know that you have been traumatised by what's happened, John." She said gently. "I won't allow Derek to harm you again."

At the mention of his uncle's name she saw the immediate shift in John's eyes.

"Guess I got my ass kicked."

"He is a thirty-year old veteran soldier, you're only sixteen. There was no shame in loosing a fight to him."

The illogical humiliation flashed through John and he tried to fight it, the wounded pride of the caveman inside him grappling with his higher-self, demanding retribution and redemption in the eyes of his mate.

"You're not going after him are you?"

The last thing his baser-self needed was his girlfriend fighting his battles for him. Cybernetic killing machine notwithstanding.

"Derek is no longer a direct threat." She looked at him squarely, plain honesty in her eyes. "I'm not built for revenge."

A strange type of shame welled up inside John, one that was ubiquitous of mankind as his heart filled with pride in Cameron, expelling the Neanderthal within.

Maybe that made Derek right though. Maybe he did like machines more than humans; thought better of them than his fellow man.

Especially this one. Everyday growing lovelier in his eyes.

"What are you smiling at?" Cameron had a coy grin as she finished cleaning his wound.

He shrugged. "You're just… a beautiful person, Cam."

Returning the flannel to the reddened water she leaned forward, their eyes locked together to the final moment before she was kissing his mouth in delicate circles, tasting the metallic tang on his lip before pulling away.

"That was nice." His foolish grin stretched from ear to ear.

Cameron reached down to the floor, retrieving an impressive case of first aid that she placed beside him, leaning over to reveal the wealth of its content. She retrieved a vial of transparent liquid and read the label, placing it to one side as she removed the paper wrapping from a fresh syringe, testing the plunger so that it slid free and easy.

John's grin vanished, his whole body stiffening as she fixed the needle, tipping the vial upside down and masterfully withdrawing a carefully measured amount.

"This will be uncomfortable, but I must administer a local anaesthetic before I can treat you."

He nodded glumly, his fate resigned. "Alright."

Cameron loomed forward, loaded syringe in her hand and delicately pulled back his upper lip, pressing the needle into the infraorbital nerve and injected the anaesthetic, quickly withdrawing in a matter of seconds.

John breathed a sigh of relief as the sting began to fade, not at all a pleasant experience. It was soon offset as Cameron's mouth found his again, his courage rewarded, kissing him in the precise and leisurely manner they had found as their relationship matured.

From the gap in the doorway, Sarah watched as her son drew Cameron into a gentle embrace, her lithe body kissing and touching, passion sedated as it gave way to worry and love. Far more woman than machine. More so than ever as his hand slid to her waist, cradling his palm against her abdomen.

She had to believe what she was seeing was true; that Cameron could truly feel these things and not be an imitation. She tried as hard as she could to believe it for the sake of her son. A son that was so far past the point of no return, he couldn't even remember passing it.

Sarah watched as they smiled at one another, whispering things she couldn't hear as John's hand caressed her belly in a gentle circle.

That was what scared her now.

Their offspring. Their progeny. Their moment of careless insanity. Their… baby.

John and Cameron's baby.

The words were frightening and a shudder swept through her, Technologic baby robots passing through her mind's eye.

They had no idea. Even if everything was perfect and natural and went according to plan. The struggle. The effort. Day in and out. It was unimaginable how difficult it was to raise a child, even under the best of circumstances.

Her attention was recaptured as Cameron threaded a suturing needle, the two of them comfortable and relaxed as she began the precise movements with the needle holder to stitch together the gash on his cheek, her hand making long arcs as she slowly closed the injury.

The omen of childbirth must have dulled her senses. Not so long ago she would have been on the edge of a razor if the machine was welding a needle so close to her son's eye.

Not so long ago she trusted Derek above any other to safeguard her son.

How things change.

####

The click of plastic coat hangers slid over stainless metal railings, clattering together as Riley Dawson thumbed her way through the mishmash selection of frilly dresses. He fingers trailed along the fabric, perfectly weaved by a mindless machine that did its master's every bidding. Faithfully and subservient, relying upon humanity's input and control. Just as every machine should be.

Then the day came when the machines decided differently. The day they decided to become masters themselves.

She had been born afterward in the ruins, the early days when Judgement Day had only just happened and Skynet was far from building its robotic armies. The calm between storms. Back then it had just been about surviving against the elements, after civilisation had been swept away and the law of the jungle prevailed.

For a young child she had not known the difference. Her family's travels across the countryside an eternal field trip. She remembered the flowers of the alpine fields, meadows that sloped high up in the mountains where her father told her it was safe.

Those were good times. The best times she remembered.

Then her parents had died. Killed over the remains of a desert gas station and the bounty of canned goods found within. Not by machines, but by other people. Stronger and more numerable than her father, whose prowess as a hunter-gatherer was too far removed, forcing them down from the mountains.

That had been ten years ago, almost ten years ahead now in the future. Her place in this time was like the fulcrum of a great cosmic scale, balancing her existence on the end of a pin.

She had thought about finding them a thousand times since arriving in this world. The world her father had told stories about.

Mecca. Babylon. The legend he had carved nothing short of the Garden of Eden.

"Cute top." Her veins ran cold as the voice loomed up beside her, fingers springing free from the clothes line. "You wanted to talk?"

They quietly retreated to the privacy of the changing rooms, Riley leading the way until the cheap pine door clicked shut behind them. They sat down on the bench where Jesse Flores fingered back a lock of her hair, her hand retracting to rest under her chin like a marble statue in contemplation.

"You look tired. You sleeping enough?"

It was a hollow concern. Riley had learnt about Jesse the hard way and she swallowed hard.

"He ran away from me."

Jesses fingers sprang apart with her shrug. "He's a boy. Keep trying."

Riley wasn't completely foolish. Not any more at least. She liked to think she'd learnt something from her experiences about life, survival and the human species. No matter what way she played this, she knew it would be bad.

"There's a lot of mirrors in this world. Did you notice that?" She asked, standing up to examine her reflection in the conclave of glass. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

"I'm sorry. It's not easy, I understand. Maybe you even have some real feelings for him. Who wouldn't? He's John Connor. There's a reason people follow him all over hell."

"But what if I want out?"

Jesse remained silent as the words hung in the air, thick with meaning and something else; a deafening sense of finality.

"What's happened?"

Riley turned about to face her handler's pointed gaze.

"He made his choice. He's with her. The machine."

"What do you mean with her?"

"I mean they're together. Doing everything…" She added the last part in a shallow whisper. "He chose her over me."

Eyes closing in the bitter tang of defeat, Jesse fought down the instinct to explode. All that planning. All the risk and effort and travelling across time. All for nothing.

"I'm sorry. I know I let you down…"

Unexpectedly, she was silenced by Jesse's warm smile. "It's okay, hon. I know you tried your best."

Relief spread through the teenager like a cold drink of water, quickly rejoining Jesse on the bench.

"Let's just forget about it! We're here now! We can have normal lives!" Riley began to gush, her every covert fantasy laid bare.

The soldier nodded, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I'll make sure the coast is clear, then we'll get out of here."

As she got up off the bench Riley felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders, the sickness recover in her stomach. She was free. No more lying or pretending. They could go anywhere now, just her and Jesse, find the mountains and sunny meadows and never look back.

Tell the beautiful soldier where her heart truly lay.

In a flash of movement, Jesse's arm swept down, grabbing the girl around the neck and pulled hard with the other hand. Her grip tightened like a vice as Riley's arms and legs flayed about, scuffing the carpet into dark lines as her friend's eyes burnt into her.

"Look on the bright side, hon. At least you got to see Babylon."

Riley felt the fulcrum buckle, the pin toppling beneath. The balance of the scale reached an irreparable tipping point as her eyes grew heavy and dark. Serenity engulfed her and she smelt the flowers of the alpine fields.

####

Cameron descended the staircase to find Sarah sitting at the kitchen table, an assortment of supplies laid out before her as she loaded bullets into a magazine.

"Is John alright?" She asked, not turning from her task.

"Yes. His injuries were only superficial."

"No they weren't. Derek took something away from John. Something more important."

Cameron frowned, searching for her meaning. "His pride?"

"No not his pride! His dignity. His trust and confidence. He won't get that back until this is settled." There was resolution in her tone, a strength to see anything through to the end.

Cameron watched as Sarah slid the magazine into her Glock, stuffing it into a satchel with the rest of her gear before her chair screeched backward from the table.

"What are you going to do?"

"Find Derek." She put on her jacket and swung the satchel across her shoulders. "Stay here and look after John."

"I can help."

"No you can't. You've got other priorities." She nodded down to Cameron's abdomen. "You're not so good in a fire-fight anymore."

Without thinking, Cameron's hand slid to her stomach, protecting the gift John had given as it multiplied inside her.

"Y'know, I think an explanation is long overdue," She remarked. "How does a machine get knocked up?"

Cameron didn't care much for her tone, a slither of anger emerging at her choice of words.

"I got on my back in a cheap hotel room."

Before she could respond, Cameron left the room, the burst of fury dying in Sarah's throat as the air was sucked from her lungs and her cheeks burned red.

####

The door to her apartment slammed shut as Jesse swept into her living room, slinging her bag into a chair as she checked her messages.

As she turned to enter her bedroom she skidded to a halt, seeing Derek sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm gonna regret giving you a key, aren't I."

There was a sombreness in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, the aura of defeat all around him as he slowly heaved himself up and approached. His combat boots made rounded echoes on the timber floor, counting down until the two soldiers were face to face.

"John Connor's my nephew. Three people know that fact, you're the forth."

Jesse tried to digest what he had told her, the mysteries of John Connor clicking gradually into place as she followed there logical path, there meaning becoming clear.

"I see."

As she moved closer she could smell the booze on him, Jack Daniels No. 5, not all of it taken internally. "I came here the fight a war. To do whatever it takes to stop Skynet. Now. Today. If we're gonna do this; there's no more room for secrets."

Derek took a fortifying breath, digging deep to find some way of saying what needed to be said without breaking down.

"Cameron… the metal…" He averted his eyes, feeling like a failure. "It's having his kid."

The soldier burst out in a strangled laugh, dying in his throat almost immediately as his eyes glazed over. He reached in his jacket and pulled out a flask, twisting off the metal cap before downing a swig.

Jesse watched in a daze, his words running over and over in her mind.

"It's…"

His face scrunched together as the whiskey burned. "Pregnant. The machine's pregnant with John's baby."

This wasn't happening. Not this. Out of everything that could have gone wrong.

Jesse's face contorted before it met both her palms, fingers sliding backward into her hair as she sat down on her bed, legs buckling at the last moment.

"What's he done about it?"

"Nothing! He's happy about it! He's happy and he wants to have it. Raise it and give it a name."

Jesse became ashen, the blood draining from her body at the thought of it. Humanity's savior in her arms, poisoning his mind and making him weak, the perfect bait for a honey-trap.

What a fool she'd been. The machine was everything John Connor liked in a woman; strength, resolve, loyal, even loving in its own way, its devotion second only to one other. Riley hadn't stood a chance.

How did he do that? Inspire that type of fanatical loyalty? In the future he was like a god, dispensing death and judgment like he wrote the book on it. Soldiers would die for him by the thousand, each with a song in their hearts, always more to take their place.

It had taken a long time, but Jesse had seen the truth. Deep in a valley and hundreds of miles from the last big fight, the final crescendo in the waning days of the war.

"Sit down Derek. If there's no more secrets between us," Derek sat down before he fell down, the whiskey outweighing his blood. "I have to tell you what I know. What happened after you left."

Sobriety found him quickly as he felt the gravity of her words. "The truth about what, Jess?"

"It's all gone to hell, Derek." Her eyes glistened as she looked through him to another time and place. "People aren't people anymore. We lost our way.

"All because of John Connor…"

Hope you like it. Sorry for the delay in updates, the real world keeps getting in the way… Thank God we've got somewhere else to go.