Sam - Thanks, yes and no. (I spit out half my coffee, when I read that)

Mosherguy 18 - Thank you. I will try.

TM-KR - Thank you for both you reviews. First, thank you for catching that. I try not to do multiple POV's cause I miss stuff like that. Now your other questions brought up some interesting answers. Like i had to re-read it a few times. (Im dumb that way)

As of this point - she is keeping the original blocks set by past Future-John. She has more free will so she can choose to either accept them or change them to fit what she believes. Same goes for this John. It's all relative to how she sees it. (Im sorry, Im probably not making any sense)

Standby is what is causing her glitches. The hand twitches and emotions. Standby is slowly giving her control of her entire Neuronet. If she has too much of a power surge she will stop. They will get less frequent as she becomes used to all her capabilities.

Cptlatnok - Let me tell you that getting into a boy's head being a girl is very hard. I had to have my bf look it over and suggest stuff. He personally agrees with you about leaving Cam but he does say that John is pretty mixed up...I'm working it from the angle that he is still impressionable. He is still caring around a lot of other people's thoughts. So he will be making up his own thoughts as he sees more of what Cameron really is and begins to really disattach from his mother and understand his own feelings.

As for the scene on the bed...use your imagination. heehee!!

vfergus - First off, thanks you so much. Future John is correct and Cameron is having to adjust still. John is a moron sometimes but he's a teenager. I blame that!! This is actually the good times so imagine the bad...

kaotic 2 - I find it awesome how united in our hatred of Riley, we all are.

dc - Thanks. I plan to do at least one other small one. They make me nervous

trenth - I'm glad that's what I was shooting for. Probably. John is such an angst fest.

talli.b - thank you for the kind words. I was so afraid to post it.

I apologize in advance for the hot and cold Jameron as Cptlatnok so eloquently put it but I am trying an AU storyline that still has enough of the series episodes to be Canon. For example this and the next chapter are the reason he so vehemently believes Cameron didn't kill Riley.

Yet he still calls her a machine in Born to Run. Also it sets up for the series finale once past Born To Run, the story will be full AU.

Enjoy ...thank you for taking the time to review. It means a lot.

John stalked up the stairs clearly hearing her calling out to him.

Everything was always so complicated for him. He had always been ok with it before but now more than ever it seemed like all his decisions would force him to choose between what he wanted, Cameron and what he had been born to do, the Resistance.

He slipped a shirt on stepping into his boots at the same time. "Where are you going? You promised to spend the day with me." She spoke from the doorway, "just you and me."

He glared at her but kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to say something he would regret later. He needed to sort of what he was feeling. "I'll be back. I'm going to see Riley." He said rushing around her and out the door before he let her stop him.

He slammed out of the house and hands in pockets walked away from it, from her. He didn't doubt that she was probably watching him from the window. In his mind's eye he could see the bed, him in it with his arms wrapped around her. That moment was where his life had finally become complete.

'So why was he squandering it by visiting someone he felt no feelings for? Why was hurting Cameron by telling her he was gonna be back after seeing his girlfriend? Cameron had a flawless memory, would she check him for lipstick. Better yet with the coming days and the closer they got to Kaliba could he allow himself to care about someone that would die for him at the drop of a hat?'

John knew deep down that he would never survive her death.

He made it as far as the block where Riley's house was situated when reason returned. He was sick of letting other people's ideas interfere with his life. He was Connor. He was going to save everybody, so that meant he had to make some decisions that were unpopular. Not everybody could agree with him otherwise he wouldn't be a leader. He'd be a puppet.

He was done living the life his mother and uncle and others had tried to foist off on him. He loved Cameron and if they saw it as him loving a machine then that was their problem not his. It was his fate, he would make whatever he wanted out it.

He pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialed his true girlfriend. Her phone rang once then twice and then voicemail. He frowned at the device. 'This had started everything that had happened this morning.'

He redialed and she picked up. He punched in his code and she punched in hers. "Cam? Don't say anything, just hear me out. I was a complete jerk. I didn't mean to walk out on you, please just bear with me. Can you wait at the house?" He knew very well that she was following him.

He listened a moment bobbing his head in agreement. "Give me an hour at most. I'll be back. I have to take care of something and then I'll come back to you."

John flipped the phone shut carefully thinking what he was going to tell Riley. "Well you see Riley. I am actually very much in love with my sister, Cameron and I'm breaking up with you." He said it out loud and laughed, "that doesn't sound bad at all."

He rolled his eyes heavenward, "What would you do, Connor." The white clouds floated lazily seeming to wave at him. "That was helpful. Why do I bother, like as if you have these type of problems."

He set off on his way but the closer he got to Riley's house the more morose he became. He had been searching his mind but no epiphany came within sight. There was no help for it, he was just going to half-ass it and pray that she'd didn't cry. 'Crying girls scared him,' he felt no shame in admitting it.

He was within feet of her front door when Riley herself came tearing out of it. "I don't have to listen to you." She shouted, "It's not like you're my real parents anyway."

John's wave lowered and he observed her. She looked wild and crazed like if she had found out something horrible and it was tearing her apart. "Riley!" he called but she didn't hear him and took off running.

John was alarmed. In all the time he had known Riley, she had never flipped out like that. Well there had been that suicide thing but he thought that was because of her foster dad. He remembered that she had a bruise on her face and how she had refused to tell him who had given it to her.

Cameron had offered to make her talk but he's still been on his high horse and had promptly told Cameron to back the hell off. How he regretted that he had not listened, as usual Cameron had been right. He tailed Riley until she came to a standstill by a set of apartments not far from her house. She frantically pushed at the call number on the door until she was buzzed in. John was too far to see what name she had pushed but he could probably pinpoint the angle. He waited and she ran past the metal screen door.

John silently crept to the callbox and began pounding numbers. The outer numbers didn't answer so he settled on the middle ones. Several people told him to fuck off and two told him they were gonna go out there and kick his ass if he didn't stop.

He tried another and finally a woman with a thick Australian accent answered, "for fuck's sake, I already opened the bloody door. Get your arse in here, I ain't holding this shit open forever."

"Sorry, my mistake." John apologized.

"Oh sorry 'bout the language. Kids keep playing with the dam system all the bloody time. It gets old."

"Is ok. Thanks. Sorry again." John said memorizing the sound of the woman on the com.

He retreated to a nearby store, turning his back on the apartment building but keeping in his sightline via the glass doors of the store. He had to change positions a few times since he was technically not buying anything.

He looked at his watch; he'd been officially gone for a little over an hour. He sincerely hoped Riley came out soon because he was running out of places to wander into, at least places near the doors. Plus he didn't want Cameron to believe he'd forgotten about her.

He entered his last stop. It was one of those trendy little stores that girls spent useless amounts of time in. He recognized it only because Riley had dragged him to one when they had first started going out.

The owner was looking at him suspiciously. John sighed and tore his view from the apartment building. He didn't need attention so he might as well buy something. He walked over to the racks of jeans but just thinking of giving Cam something that went over her slim dancer's legs made him break out in a sweat.

Rejecting that idea he hunted in the tops. Most of them were things that she would normally wear but John was supremely annoyed at buying something that would display her to other men. She was his and he was not about to let someone else enjoy the view.

Sighing at the futility at ever finding something suitable John began to walk back out of the store when a rack full of jackets caught his attention. Cameron's favorite purple jacket had been damaged when it had gotten stolen.

She had worn it today but he had seen the cross of two pieces of black electrical tape on the sleeve and on the front panel. He could buy her a new jacket; that was a safe enough choice. He had never brought a girl anything in his life.

His own mother had never been very girly and she usually just appreciated that he had survived long enough to celebrate another Mother's day with her. He should buy some flowers for her. At least once in her life, Sarah Connor should be thanked and given flowers for her sacrifices and vast love.

The owner was sure the kid was a hooligan and was just about to ask him to leave when the boy turned to her and asked to bring down a jacket. The owner, a small older woman looked at him suspiciously but he grinned and remarked that it was a present for his girlfriend.

The way the boy said it was enough to soften the woman to get her hook and ask which jacket he wanted.

John thought long and hard about it. Cameron had always liked leather jackets but they ripped easily and given their lifestyle it seemed impractical plus if he was honest they also reminded him too much of his Uncle Bob. The connection was too disturbing for John so he shifted his gaze to the racks of jean jackets.

He saw every shade from White to Indigo to Black and everything else in between.

"What does she look like?" the woman interrupted his musings.

"Huh?"

"Your girl. What does she look like?" She asked again. "I can suggest a color that will bring her out skin tone nicely."

John was still processing the wonderful sound of anybody calling Cameron his girl. For the third time that day, John's face recovered its glazed look. He snapped himself out his rapidly developing daydream. "She is a little shorter than me with long brown hair and brown eyes."

"Is she skinny, slim? Is she bigger?"

John thought about his answer carefully, he couldn't really say synthetic skin over a coltan frame. "She does…'terminating, shooting, protecting me, time travel'...ballet. She dances."

"So, she's slender then, how about this one?" the woman pulled a plain blue one. John began to shake his head but as she brought it down, the light hit it just right. It was a traditional blue jean except more faded. It had that distressed look, 'like the future she had come from.'

John liked the irony.

"I'll take it." John said taking it off the hook. He touched it softly picturing her face as she tried it on and then her knocking him down and thanking him. He really needed to start focusing. Cameron was gonna be the death of him.

He followed the woman to the register. She was ringing it up when it dawned on him, "What if it doesn't fit her? I don't know her size."

"Bring her and she can try something else on and exchange it."

"Oh, okay." John pulled a few twenties from his wallet and dropped them on the counter, "this too, please." The woman eyed the silvery eye powder and rung it up as well.

She put the powder in the pocket of the jacket and wrapped them both in lots of tissue paper and in pretty purple glittery bag. John looked alarmed at the bag but the woman reassured him, "it's a present. It has to be pretty and she'll thank you for it."

John reddened at her meaning and gratefully took his change and the bag. He left the store still not convinced but if it was for Cameron he would carry the girly bag home. After how he treated her this morning it was the least he could do.

He was walking past the apartment when he remembered the reason he had originally been in the store. For once his luck was turning as Riley came out of the building rubbing her arm. An angry looking brunette with curly hair was forcefully shoving her out.

John did a double take, he'd seen that woman before. Twice near them when they had gone to the pier and the day he had made out with Riley at the look out point. Thinking about how he had kissed Riley instantly made him feel regret, he had betrayed Cameron back then.

The longer he saw the woman, the more places he recognized her from. He had seen her once having a very cozy lunch with his uncle, he had thought nothing of it at the time but now... John swallowed the revulsion. He sincerely hoped that his uncle had been seeing this woman while sleeping with his mother on the side.

John was not naïve, just because he was asleep didn't mean he didn't occasionally wake up and hear things not intended for his ears. Though he'd been kinda grossed out by the idea of his mother and Derek in the beginning, it had grown on him.

His mother got lonely and since Charlie there had not been anybody. Sometimes a legend needed backup and soft words.

Like most kids he would have wanted his parents together but that was impossible due to the ever twisted time loop. He had been happy to see Kyle and his mother's interaction but it wasn't what he had expected.

This Kyle had been at least six years younger that when he had met Sarah the first time and only a year older than himself. She had treated him like a son and even John had to admit that it would not have worked in this time period. John had quickly seen the longing looks directed at Reese but he'd been shocked to see it was the elder one that held his mother's gaze.

After Kyle left he began to pay attention. He saw the glimpses and subtle way they played off each other's strengths. He saw that every time he was in danger how his uncle and mother would drop over him like some sort of canopy and shield each other in the process. He caught how Derek would leave the house for days but never before doing the dishes no matter how much Sarah grumbled at him.

During the long absences, his mother would pace and not sleep. When he returned she had company pacing along with her and a loud snore coming from her room while the couch sat with empty untouched blankets.

A dark pit of hatred grew in him at the sight of the woman. He didn't like anything about her. She reminded him of a snake. Beautiful but devious and certainly vicious. Something about this woman was not to be trusted. She was someone he would need to watch carefully.

Riley nodded and the woman stormed back inside. John hated seeing people misused, a small part of his mind called him a hypocrite, given how he'd treated Cameron and after she...he had so much groveling and apologizing to do. That did not stop him from feeling a stab of compassion for the blond. She looked so lost and yet John knew his window of opportunity to make it up to Cameron was rapidly closing.

He could feel again that tingle of destiny. He was at a crossroads and he was going to have to choose sooner or later. He looked at Riley sitting by a fountain near the shop he'd just come out off and then down at the glittery bag in his hand.

He looked back again but forced himself to walk on. To the person who was waiting for him, the one that deserved the present in the bag and all he could give her. He felt the apprehension spike and he was aware that something terrible was going to happen.

Something that was set in motion because of him but outside his control.

By the time he made it home he had officially been gone for over two hours. He lightly jogged up the steps fishing keys out of his pocket. He was really shocked that she had not come to the door to meet him, though he shouldn't have been, he had said an hour so maybe she was angry at him.

The house was silent so he retraced her usual steps and wandered out and around the property. He found her in the shed tinkering with something. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

She masked whatever she was doing, moving her body to block it from his view. "You're late. It's been two hours 46 minutes and 28 seconds since you said you'd be home."

John knew she was pissed by the lack of inflection in her voice. When she got really riled she adopted the robot speak. "I'm sorry I went to do some things and lost track of time."

She stayed by the bench her arms crossing of their own accord. "What kind of things?"

He shrugged. Truthfully he just wanted to give Cameron the present and crawl back under the covers with her by his side. He doubted that was gonna happen after her frosty reception. "Just some things. Come in to the house, I'll tell you there."

"Was Riley one of those things?" she asked deceptively calm.

John was so busy hoping that he hadn't blown his chances at his earlier daydream scenario of her reaction to his present, that he didn't pick up on the dangerous undercurrents to her question. "Yeah."

Cameron picked up her gear and covering with a tarp bunched it up and hauling it over her shoulder and back to the house. "Lock up the shed when you're done." She said coldly.

John repeated her question and his response in his mind. He figuratively smacked himself on the head marveling at his own stupidity and arrogance.

"Cameron wait!" He ran back to turn off the light and secure the shed. Once it was done he ran to catch up with her. She must have raced to already be in her room because John didn't couldn't find her in the downstairs area.

He ran up the stairs two at time skidding to a stop at her door. "Cameron. I didn't mean it like that. I mean I went to see Riley but not for what you think. Please open the door."

"The door is unlocked." was her muffled reply.

He hadn't thought to turn the doorknob. He did and she sat on the bed. The not sunken bed. "What happened to the bed, wasn't it all…" he trailed off.

"I broke down the headboard and disposed of it. I also straightened the bed springs and refit the bed."

He looked for the bundle she had earlier but she had hidden it. John wondered what was in it. "I'm sorry I took so long. I really didn't even get to talk to her."

"Derek called. He located the truck but has not found your mother. If he does not locate her in a couple of hours we are told to run."

"Run where?" he asked sidetracked.

"Texas or Canada."

"What is it with you and Canada? Nevermind it doesn't matter because we are not running anywhere. Unless it includes all four of us."

He would deal with Derek and his mother's vanishing act later. Right now he wanted to patch things up with Cameron. "I got you something."

Her face lost some of its rigidness but the stony expression remained. "It's not gonna make up for how I treated you this morning. It's more kind of a sorry-you-love-a-jerk gift. Making it up to you will require, I'm not sure what yet. I'm still thinking about that."

She unconsciously shifted towards him and a tiny corner of her mouth seemed to lift. "I don't love a jerk," she said primly.

"You don't?"

She shook her head at him as if saying 'poor John'. "I love an asshole."

John was completely speechless, this was the woman of his dreams. The one he was going to crack heads with Derek over. The one that he would have to fight his Amazonian Warrior Queen mother for and she had just called him an asshole.

"I'm sorry you love an asshole." He said seriously.

"He isn't an asshole all the time. Just in the mornings." She replied equally serious.

"Not every morning, I hope. Otherwise why would you want to be with him?"

"Because he's good in the sack."

"Cameron Phillips, that is a terrible and awful great thing to say to a guy." John said dropping at the floor near her feet. "Cameron, I am really sorry."

She twisted her hands in her lap and John was struck anew how advanced she was. "I didn't lie about what Derek said but I would never sleep with you just to keep you occupied. I made you breakfast to keep you occupied and to teach you I'm better at everything than Riley."

John's eyes flew to her face and instant guilt colored his face, "you figured it out, huh."

"I saw her leave the house, she is very loud for a girl." Cameron replied patting the space next to her on the bed.

John got to his feet and sat beside her. "Here."

Cameron admired the bag rubbing her fingers together as bits of glitter came off in them. "I like it."

He rolled his eyes, "inside the bag. Not the bag."

"Oh, thank you…well you know." She slid out the tissue wrapped package and raised an eyebrow at him, "its not sleepwear is it?"

John felt the heat rush through his entire body. He could never even attempt to think about buying Cameron lingerie. He would never make it out the store. Cameron flipped the package over and gently undid the layers of tissue paper.

She set aside each piece and set it with precision on top of the bag. "You're gonna be a nightmare to open Christmas presents with." He mumbled. She shot him a dirty look and continued to uncover her present.

The last sheet of paper fell away revealing the jean jacket. She caressed it with such awe, it was her first real present from John. He had given her the diamond but that had been given with his usual generosity but this was proof of their first weathered argument.

She was about to wrap her arms around him but he said, "there's one more thing. Check the pocket." Cameron patted the back pockets and then the front left one. She patted the right one and felt the hard rectangular shape.

With two fingers she expertly withdrew it. "Silvery Skies." It read on the label.

"You bought me eye shadow?" she tilted her head, her sign for an explanation. Future John would learn it very well.

"When we were in school, back before Jordan died you were in the hallway, remember?" She agreed and he finished, "you asked me how you looked. I said fine but I didn't really like the color on you. It was too bright and I thought you were prettier without it."

"So why buy it now?"

"I figured you should wear a color that is lighter, to show and not cover your face."

She moved the jacket off her lap and laid it on her table so as not to get any powder on it. Leaning over her dresser mirror she opened the case and dipped her finger into the silvery substance. She then slowly and with perfectly even strokes added some to her eyelids.

"How do I look?" She closed her eyes for his benefit.

"Beautiful." He replied suddenly developing what would later be called the Connor stare.

"Thank you, John for my presents." Cam thanked him by doing exactly what John had been daydreaming of all day. She threw herself softly into his arms and they collided and fell back on the bed.

With an ominous creek the bedposts all twisted and the bed fell all the way flat. "I may have straightened the springs a little too much." She said ruefully. John muffled his laughter into her hair and she joined in it.

"John, I like your laugh."

He rubbed his thumbs along her cheek loving the feel of her soft skin. "I haven't laughed for awhile, thanks for that Cameron. Thanks for giving me a second chance."

They remained on the bed neither one willing to move and break the fragile moment that was being created. Cameron's cell rang and she picked up. Several pushed buttons and she was talking to Derek again.

"I told John. He was not happy…." Derek was shouting something on the other side but Cameron held it away from John, she did not want him angry at his uncle. "He will not run and I will keep him safe…I don't understand how this pertains to this conversation." Derek again was shouting but this time John managed to hear, "dumb teenagers."

Derek hung up and Cameron pulled the phone from her ear and dropped it on her table. "Why did Derek just compare you to a small pack animal?"

"Because mules are stubborn and he thinks I am too." John said almost losing his good humor. "Though if I'm a pack mule, he's a jackass."

"All Reese men tend to be stubborn. It's a family trait."

"Really? What about Connors? Are they stubborn too?" he said rolling with her so that she was pinned beneath him.

"Connors are even more stubborn. They are very resourceful too." Cameron said sliding her leg between his, "but Phillips tend to be even more resourceful and imaginative."

"Are they? show me." John commanded.

Cameron rolled them back and now she was on top. Without any reservations she yanked the shirt over her head. She leaned down so her hair formed a curtain around their heads.

"Is that an order, John?" she teased dragging a strand of hair along his jawline and tickling his neck.

He looked her square in the eye and responded, "Yes. Cameron. It is."