Hello again, friends. Holy crap, a new chapter and there wasn't a three month wait? I know I actually promised this last week, but I had been called on a few unexpected (yet definitely welcomed) interviews last week, and I must be moved out of my current apartment by this Saturday, so I've been busy packing all my crap and moving out. Anyway, this is my longest chapter since ch 13, and I really enjoyed writing it. I must say it took a completely different turn than I expected, but I always just write what the characters tell me to. I hope you enjoy it.

Under the best of circumstances, the TOK 715 had little chance against a T-888 unit. It's size, weight, and overall strength topped the smaller unit by far. Without any weapons or tools, the TOK715 was pretty much out of luck.

At least that's what the triple eight was banking on. At the moment, the TOK715 unit had the upper hand. She had him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall.

There was an issue of… damaging her. John would be really upset if the damage was severe, even if it was repairable. However, he heard Derek Reese shouting, and while he wasn't 100% sure why they were running, logic told him he probably didn't have much time to waste. There was really only one reason to run that he could think of.

That meant… John would just have to get over it.

He looked down at the smaller cyborg who tilted her head slightly. He raised his arms and brought them down hard on her elbow joints. He didn't waist any time wondering if they were broken, the important thing was that she let go. He grabbed her right hand and spun around, twisting her arm awkwardly and leaving it immobile in his strong grip. He slammed her against the wall and grabbed her hair with his free hand.

The man had left her port open… how totally convenient. He reached in with his fingers, turned, and pulled out the CPU. The cyborg in his arms froze, and without his support, would have lost balance and collapsed. He shoved the CPU in his pocket and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

He ran as fast as he could downstairs and to the nearest exit, having made note of every door leading out during his sweep of the area. He took two steps out the back door when he heard it; a sudden loud explosion behind him. He reacted instantaneously. He pulled the female cyborg in front of his body just before the second explosion reached them. They were flown forward, the triple eight landing on top of the TOK715. His HUD registered severe damage just before he went offline.

"Nooo!" John was furiously trying to break out of his uncle's grasp, but the pain in his torso hindered his strength.

"John, we have to go!" Derek attempted to shove him into the van, but John was a hell of a lot stronger than expected, even injured. Yes, Derek noticed the way he had been running and moving. He suspected the kid had sustained a broken rib or two.

"No! We can't leave her! Let me go!"

Derek had had enough. With one finger, he applied pressure to his nephew's throat right under his Adam's apple. It didn't take much effort at all to get him to stop, John's hands immediately grabbing at his own. With his other hand, Derek grabbed him by the back of his shirt and nearly tossed him in the van.

"Your mother needs immediate attention. Pull yourself together, soldier."

John sat on the floor of the van glaring at his uncle. He turned away to look at his mother, who really did look like death warmed over. "Mom?"

Sarah smiled and reached out her hand. She pushed his overgrown hair away from his face and sighed. "You need a haircut. I'm surprised Cameron hasn't tied you down and done it herself already."

He stared at his mom's leg, not really seeing it. Her attempt at humor not really having the desired effect. Cameron…

"She'll be all right, John."

He looked back up at his mom's face and saw genuine concern there. He reached for her hand and took it in his own, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "If only I could be more like you."

They felt the van shake as Derek climbed in the driver's seat and slammed the door. "Buckle up. Keep her as still as possible," Derek commanded as he started the engine.

John felt his mother squeeze his hand before she closed her eyes.

The triple eight came back online and immediately ran a diagnostic scan. His left leg had been damaged when he was thrown, but the most pressing issue was that he was still burning. He pushed himself off the TOK715 and rolled on the ground to put out the fire on his back. Seventy percent of his flesh had been burned beyond repair. His endoskeleton was thirty percent exposed on his back.

He would have to be destroyed.

He pulled the TOK715 back into his arms and carried her around the burning building to the SUV. He carefully placed her in the trunk and climbed in behind the wheel. They pulled away just as sirens started blaring in the distance.

Derek gently placed Sarah on her bed and looked down at her leg. "The bullet went all the way through, so that's a plus. Improper care brought infection, but with treatment, I won't have to saw through your leg with a butter knife."

Sarah just stared at him. "What the hell are we going to do, rob a hospital?"

"Most likely," Derek deadpanned. "You'll survive, fortunately. You know how much I love seeing your face smile like a ray of sunshine in the morning. Just like that." He pointed to the frown on her face and smirked.

"I'll give you a ray of fuckin' sun-"

"Okay okay, fine. I'll go get the first aid kit, and try to figure out what the hell we're going to do." He nodded at John, who was standing off to the side watching, before escaping out of the dragon's lair.

"Hey you… get over here." Sarah patted the bed beside her and watched her son hesitate for a moment before lying down beside her. A flash of memory from when John was much younger made her almost sad. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, much like she used to do many years ago.

John closed his eyes at the touch. It was a small comfort, one that had always made him feel safe and loved. "Mom…?"

Sarah waited for a moment, before tugging him closer and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

It hurt his chest, but he didn't care. He needed a mom-hug in the very worst way. He had almost lost her, and the thought scared him to death. He still needed his mother, and the comfort and love she always gave him. Especially now.

"She's going to be all right, John. She's survived explosions before. And this one…"

John shook his head, and Sarah felt warm tears wet her shoulder. "She can't come back mom. She can't. He has her chip. He took her. She… she…"

The floodgates opened, and Sarah held her son as tight as possible while he wept.

This wasn't a moment she ever wanted to have to deal with. Not for selfish reasons, no. She never wanted her son to have to live through this kind of traumatic heartbreak. As much as she wasn't a fan of the idea of her son dating… marrying… loving a machine, she had grudgingly begun accepting it.

Dating a human was risky when you were a Connor; they had both learned that the hard way. But Cameron was different. She'd never leave him, never hurt him, and would never… die.

The other shoe always has to fall at some point, Sarah mused. She wasn't really sure what to say; so instead she remained silent, offering what comfort she could.

Derek stood with his back against the wall right outside the bedroom door. He stared at the first aid box in his hands and listened to the sounds of his nephew weeping. He had heard the sound once before, and it had utterly terrified him.

"Sir?" The soldier was young, no more than nineteen years, but the promise he'd shown had earned him a spot under John Connor's wing.

"Yes, Private Andrews, what is it?" Connor was in a meeting with his highest officers, leaning over a yellowed map spread out over a table. He looked up at the young man in slight irritation.

"Um…" The boy looked around the room at the other men and women, all staring at him with barely tolerable looks on their faces.

"Spit it out, son, I haven't got all day," Connor growled.

"Uh, yes sir, sorry sir, I um…" He cleared his throat and stared at the floor. "It's your wife, sir. We haven't heard from her, or her team, in over thirteen hours."

Derek rubbed his eyes, remembering the stoic look that had settled over his general's face. He had raised hell for sure. Barged into the communications room and chewed every last one of them out for not telling him sooner. Most of them had run from the room and away from his rampage. He went from terminal to terminal, mumbling to himself the entire time like a mad man. Derek had stood in the doorway, hating what he was witnessing, but not wanting to leave his general… and friend alone.

Neither did his head of communications. Derek smiled, remembering the crazy old bitch.

She wasn't really that old, only a few years older than John himself, but if you asked her she was old as dirt. She'd been one of the first people to join up with John, and one of the very few people who felt at complete ease with the generals Connor.

She respected him and his wife, obeyed him, honored him… but she didn't fear him like many of his men did. No, that woman had bigger balls than most of the ranking officers, and Derek decided they had to be made of steel when she bluntly tore the microphone from John's hands and told him to knock it the fuck off.

"You just scared my entire team into wetting themselves and for what? For doing their jobs? You know damn well it's normal to lose communications during such a distant mission."

John had stood up and kicked the chair out of his way.

"This one is different! You know this, Kate!"

"Get a hold of yourself, John. You can't let your men see you panic over a machine."

John spun around, and for the first time ever, Derek feared he'd have to stop the general from slapping a woman into the next week.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Kate continued, evidently not giving a damn about the death glare she was receiving. "It's true, and you know it. No matter what she is to you, she's still a machine to everyone else. They might respect her, follow her… hell a lot even like her. But she's still just… a… machine…"

"She's not just a machine!" His arm cocked back but Kate had stopped him right before he punched a hole through the wall. Her hand clasped his shoulder and her voice lowered to a whisper.

"I know, John. I know. I'm scared too." And she was, Derek could see it in her face. More than worrying about her General's sanity, she was one of the few people he would consider an actual friend of Cameron's. Of course, that wasn't always the case. For some odd reason Cameron used to hate the woman with a passion. But as years passed, she'd warmed up to the woman, and they'd even be seen engaging in light banter. Some of the older folks had attributed it to Cameron's behaving less robot-like, but Derek had always had a sneaking suspicion that it had more to do with Kate finding a life partner, rather than some sort of AI evolution.

John leaned his head against the wall and was quiet for a long moment. Derek thought the tirade was over and sighed in relief. He took a step to leave but stopped when he heard a low whimper.

What he saw when he turned back around was a sight that was burned into his memory forever. General Connor, the man who nearly single-handedly led what was pathetically left of humanity against the army of machines… was crying.

He looked away, not wanting to watch. General Connor was a man many believed to be more machine like than even his wife. He took what was dealt to him in stride, and when everyone else was ready to give up, he stood tall and kept them going. He was a true hero that everyone, even those who didn't want to admit it, looked up to.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was human. After all, he couldn't really afford to show much of his humanity; it was part of what made him such a strong leader. But in that moment, watching his fearless leader slide down the wall to the floor, covering his face with his hands to hide the tears of despair, and shaking with quiet sobs… Derek saw the humanity that was John Connor, always hidden behind the General.

Derek shook his head and brought himself back to the present when he remembered the sobs he was hearing wasn't a memory of General Connor, but the sounds of a broken-hearted teenager. It made his own heart hurt, and more than anything he wanted to make it stop. He hadn't known this John for very long, but he'd already found himself caring for the boy as if he were his own son. He saw so much of his brother in him, and in retrospect, a lot of his behavior in the future made more sense to him.

He sighed and rubbed his face. There was only one person who could fix this; only one person who ever could.

Six days. Six days for a mission that should have barely taken two. He did his best to hide it, to put it aside, but everyone could see John Connor was losing his grip.

"General Connor? Sir?" John looked up from the bowl of mush he was eating.

"At ease, Private, you don't need to salute me over oatmeal. What is it?" Derek, who had been eating his own mush across from him, smirked. John was always treated with respect, and it was something he accepted with grace. But there was a time and place for everything, he always said. Apparently breakfast wasn't one of those places.

"Sir, we've established contact with Gamma team. They were hit bad, but they're on their way in."

John didn't even wait for the kid to finish. He was out of his chair so fast it tipped backwards and he ran out of the room, a crowd of fellow early risers staring after him, thoroughly confused.

Derek set his spoon down and looked up at Andrews. "Is she with them?"

The younger soldier met his eyes. "We don't know."

Well, somehow Connor knew. There wasn't a shred of doubt in his mind, at least that showed. He jogged confidently through the tunnels, Derek not far behind him. They reached the East entrance and immediately the guards scrambled to attention and saluted their general. It was a well-rehearsed move. They were used to the Connors greeting returning teams… especially ones that were lead by their spouse.

"How far out are they, Martin?"

"They were spotted an hour and a half ago by the outer sentries, sir. They should be here any minute now."

"What the hell took so long to tell me this?" Connor shouted.

"Sir, with all do respect," Danielle continued. "We waited so we didn't have to stand at attention for two hours while you paced a hole through the floor."

A few quiet chuckles were heard around them and John Connor actually cracked a smile. "You're lucky I like you, Martin."

That's when the dogs started barking, and John's full attention was on the door. Soldier after soldier entered the compound greeted by their comrades. They were battered and bruised, and only about half of the team had returned. John greeted each one with gratitude and a salute, patiently waiting for the last soldier to enter.

And when she did, Derek would swear that even the dogs stood still. The left half of her face was mostly exposed, and her eyes shone blue as they immediately tracked to John.

Nobody had ever seen her in this bad of shape. Sure, she'd been slightly damaged here and there, but only a damaged limb, or very little endoskeleton was ever exposed. The room fell silent except for the barking of the shepherds, as everyone stood unabashedly gawking.

Cameron looked rather uncomfortable with the attention. When her eyes met John's, she cast her gaze to the floor, embarrassed by having been caught in such a vulnerable… metal state by so many people. She did her best to act "normal" and to not draw so much attention to the fact that she was, indeed, a terminator. With so much endoskeleton exposed not only on her face, but on her arms and hands as well… there wasn't any hiding or pretending. Derek had actually felt sorry for her.

John, for his part, didn't seem to notice… or care. He dropped the last soldier's hand and made his way over to his wife. With a gentleness that betrayed his masculine stoic personality, he cupped her face in his hands. He leaned in and kissed her solidly on the lips, and surprising everyone witnessing the moment, moved his mouth to kiss her softly on her exposed metal cheek.

If anyone was disgusted by the action, nobody made a move or sound to show it. Eyes were cast downward with respect, and when John took his wife's hands in his own and began leading her back into the compound, somewhere amongst the ranks a round of applause for the returning brothers began.

Derek stepped into the bedroom and cleared his throat. "Um, John?"

He waited for us nephew to quickly wipe his eyes and sit up. "Yeah, sorry. I'll get out of your way…"

"No! No… I just got a phone call. They both made it out. They'll be here in twenty."

A look of relief washed across John's face, but it only lasted a brief moment. "It doesn't matter," he whispered. "He took her chip. No matter what… I've lost her."

Derek's stomach clenched, and not for the first time that day he wished he had never agreed to keep him in the dark. Well, that ended here and now. "No, you didn't. There's something I need to tell you… You just have to promise not to cut my balls off for it."

"Wait… you're saying… she's… alive? She's okay? He…" John stared at his uncle, not quite sure he believed what he was hearing.

"Her chip is safely inside the triple eight. She's been there all along. The one we lost was Seth."

"But-"

Derek decided to cut him off before he could continue. "She didn't tell you for a reason. It had to be completely authentic to be believable. She knew you wouldn't stay behind, so she did what she felt she had to do to protect you. We didn't know what kind of situation we were going into. If you had known the truth, there was a chance that somehow they would have figured it all out. That could have ended badly for everyone… especially you."

John felt a comforting hand on his back but didn't turn to look at his mother. It was all a bit much to handle. One moment he thought he had lost her, the next moment… he never lost her, but…

"How long until they're here?"

Derek checked his phone. "Probably about ten minutes. But John… You need to be prepared. There was an explosion. We don't know what kind of condition they are in."

John shook his head. "We can fix her. I'll fix her. I need a moment…" He looked down at his mother and sighed.

"I'll be fine, John. Get the hell out of here, you're making me depressed."

John rolled his eyes. "Well fine, geez. I'll just leave you two alone…" He waggled his eyebrows at his mother and chuckled as he left the room.

"What the hell was that all about?" Derek asked.

Sarah just shrugged. "Hell if I know anymore. Hell if I know."

The SUV pulled all the way into the rarely used garage and the automatic door shut before the triple eight stepped out of the vehicle.

John watched from the doorway into the house and looked him… her… whatever, up and down critically. He was badly damaged. There probably wouldn't be any fixing him, especially since Weaver had decided to pull a disappearing act. John felt his stomach clench as the cyborg opened the trunk.

If he was this bad… what would Cameron's body look like? What if…

His heart seemed to stop as he watched her body appear out of the trunk. She's all right! Oh my God, she's all right… He felt almost dizzy as a wave of relief crashed over him.

"John, are you all right? " The triple eight shifted Cameron's body in his arms and touched John's cheek with his free hand. John flinched away, and immediately regretted it when the machine seemingly shrugged the rejection off and walked past him without another word.

Yeah, it was totally awkward and kind of creepy… but this wasn't Seth. This was his Cameron, and she was only concerned about him. John rubbed his face and sat down on an upturned bucket.

This situation brought on a whole new line of questions. What if Cameron's body had been destroyed?

John loved Cameron. He loved her for who she was, not what she looked like. At least that's what he thought. But… what if her body had been destroyed, and she had to stay inside Seth for… forever maybe? What then?

John grimaced. He certainly would not find her… him attractive. That just wasn't his thing. At all. Nuh uh. Nope. But if that was the case… would he still love her?

He shifted uncomfortably. Yeah, he would. He'd always love her. He'd do anything to protect her, no matter what body she was in. She wasn't just his lover… she was his best friend; his closest confidante. That would always be there, no matter what.

He sighed and rubbed his neck. So… it wasn't just a physical attraction thing, right? Of course not. If it was another female cyborg body instead of Seth, well… He took a moment to think about that. You know John, I think you'd get used to it, he thought to himself.

He shook his head and stood up. No use worrying about it, Cameron was perfectly fine. Some questions were just best left unanswered. There were two things he knew for sure though. One, was that he was in love with Cameron for who and what she was. Two, was that he certainly wasn't now, and never would be gay.

He entered the house and found the cyborgs in the living room. Cameron's body was laid down on the couch and he knelt down, carefully looking it over.

There weren't any burn marks that he could see. Some of her hair was singed, though. Ha! I'm not the only one who will have to get a damn haircut. He checked the port and found it open, the cap completely missing. He looked up at Seth, er… Cameron, who was standing behind him.

"You look like shit. Well, not you um… well, that body," he said, giving the triple eight chassis another glance over.

"So you know," she said in Seth's voice. She sat in the armchair beside the couch and looked down at the floor.

"Yeah, I do. And don't give Derek a hard time about it, okay? I was… well, I was in really bad shape. I'm glad he told me. I… I thought I had lost you." He looked down at her rightful body and swallowed hard. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're okay. But… I mean… Listen, I lo-"

"Hey John, we're gonna… oh, sorry." Derek looked back and forth between them. "I uh, we're just gonna go out and see what we can do about getting your mother some antibiotic and whatnot…" He pointed to Dani who was standing uncomfortably behind him.

"Sure Derek, that'd be great," John said. "And… thank you. For everything."

Derek wasn't one to talk much, and mushiness made him feel awkward; so he just gave his nephew a nod and led Dani out the door.

John sighed and looked back down at Cameron's body. What the hell had he been saying? Oh, yeah.

"I love you," he said, without turning to look at the cyborg in the chair beside him. "I love every part of you. And… I want to say I'm not just in love with your body, of course. I'm in love with you, for who you are… but… I uh, I'm sorry…" He finally turned to look at the triple eight. "I find it difficult to proclaim my undying love for you while I'm staring awkwardly at a man."

"Oh…" She looked back down at the floor. "So you wouldn't kiss me just because I'm not a cute young chick with a totally hot body anymore?" She pouted for good measure.

John stared at her with his mouth agape. God, was he really having this conversation with her?

"Cameron… I'm sorry… I… I don't really know how it works for you to be honest. I mean, um… well, if I was a woman, would you still be attracted to me?"

Cameron tilted her head. "I don't have a real sex drive, John. You know that. I enjoy the sensations that sex brings me, and I find your appearance pleasing to me. If you were a woman, and we developed a bond such as we have, I would perhaps find your appearance pleasing and derive pleasure from sexual acts together."

John literally face palmed. "Okay… well, it doesn't work for me like that. I can't just… change my sexual preference because my girlfriend can switch CPUs with a man."

"But I'm still me," Cameron insisted.

John groaned. "Yes, up here…" He tapped his own head. "You're still you. But the rest of you..."

"But as long as I'm in this body, John, it is me. And you said you love me for who I am."

The look on John's face was priceless. It was halfway between frustration and total disgust.

"Cameron… I do! I just-"

"I'm messing with you, John."

John blinked. "What?"

A smile crossed Cameron/Seth's face. "Thank you for explaining, but I do have a basic understanding of human sexuality. I'm messing with you."

John stared at her hard. "I see. That wasn't very funny, you know."

Cameron looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry, John. I was trying to "break the ice" between us."

John itched the stubble on his cheek. "Um, I don't really think that's quite the right idiom to use here. But I get your point." He sighed. "Can we just, um… put you back where you belong so I can properly show you how glad I am you're okay?"

She smiled and pulled out a switchblade.

John waited a little impatiently while he listened to the telltale whirring sounds of Cameron rebooting. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked up at his concerned face.

"I'm back," she said quietly.

John nodded and caressed her cheek. "So I see. How is everything?"

Cameron's eyes glowed faintly blue while she ran a diagnostic. "Damn it," she cursed, earning her two raised eyebrows from her fiancé. "I damaged my left elbow in the fight." She lifted the arm in question and attempted to bend it. They heard a metallic grinding sound, and then a sick 'pop'. "It's going to need replacement parts."

John ran his hand up the length of her arm. "Well, can we just use his parts?"

"Yes, we can," she stated. "However, we have a better option available."

He looked down at her, still laying face-up on the couch. "A better option?"

Cameron nodded. "I'll tell you later. It doesn't require immediate attention. Sarah, however, does." She attempted to sit up, but was stopped by John's hand on her chest. She looked down at it in confusion. "John?"

"My mom's fine, for the moment," he muttered. "I told you I wanted to do something, and I'm going to do it."

"Oh…" Cameron understood and a faint smile crossed her lips. "Okay then."

John returned the smile, and gently traced her lips with his index finger. "Well… first, I want to tell you that I am absolutely livid that you lied to me. That was inexcusable, and regardless of your reasons, highly unappreciated."

Cameron's smile faltered and she averted her eyes.

"Second, I want to thank you for doing everything you did… and I do mean everything… to save my mom's life. For that, I owe you my whole world."

Cameron met his gaze again and opened her mouth to speak, but a quick shake of his head stopped her.

"I'm not done yet, so shut up and let me talk. Third… I want to tell you how absolutely heart broken I was when I thought I lost you. For a moment, it felt like I had lost myself. You mean more than anything to me, no matter what your body looks like. I never felt so relieved when Derek told me the truth." He sighed and brushed a few strands of singed and dirty hair away from her face. "I love you, Cameron. And if you ever, ever scare me like that again… I'll have to kill you."

Cameron knew he was joking about killing her by the smile on his face, but where his skin touched hers, she also registered that he was being completely honest.

"You can't kill me, John," she joined in the banter. "I'm a hyper alloy combat chassis under organic tissue. You're no match for me."

John grinned. "Oh, you wanna bet?" He unexpectedly leaned forward and captured her lips. The kiss was playful at first, but quickly turned serious as John attempted to convey to her every emotion he felt over the past twelve hours.

Cameron willingly granted him access by parting her lips. Kissing John was one of her favorite things, and not just for the pleasure she received through her sensors, but because she knew John derived a great amount of pleasure from it as well.

As the kiss grew more heated, she felt his hand leave her face and slowly glide over her chest. Her own body responded to the touch, and it surprised her with the intensity. It had been a long while since they had engaged in sexual intercourse, having much more serious issues to take care of as of recent. She would have gladly continued, and knew John himself was more than willing, but she also knew that there were still many pressing issues that needed to be taken care of. She reached for John's hand and gently removed it from her breast.

"John… we have a lot to do."

John groaned and pulled away. "Yeah, I know. I just…" He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Sorry. Shit, your port isn't even closed yet." He reached for the open part of her scalp and bit his lip. "The cover is missing. Will his fit?"

Cameron nodded. "It should be sufficient for now. I'll fix it, and we can go check on Sarah."

John nodded, and briefly considered a cold shower. And then wondered if Cameron would want to join.

He smacked himself in the forehead and stood up. Rein it in, boy. Deep breaths. God, why is she looking at me like that? Stop it! She's doing it on purpose, I know she is. Goddammit I need help. Help… yes, that would be… OH MY GOD GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT!

John mentally berated himself as he climbed the stairs to his mother's room. He hoped whatever it was that Cameron thought they needed to take care of would be dealt with quickly, so that his own pressing matters could be taken care of.

To clarify some things (if they were confusing)... Yes, that was Kate Brewster. No, they are not married (duh!) Remember, John skipped 8 years, so Katan, I mean uh, Kate is that much older than him. Cameron was suspicious of her at first, but once Kate found a "life partner" (I thought about making her a lesbian, but I decided to leave it open instead :p), Cameron cooled down and they gradually became friends. Kate and John are friends, nothing more. We already know from what Derek told us in previous chapters that John and Cameron are married. Of course! Jameron forever, dammit!

I'd also like to thank DarkDanny for beta reading through my chapter and telling me how awesome it was, and being patient and letting me finish before I beta'd his new Rampancy chapter. Yes, I did say NEW RAMPANCY CHAPTER!