I managed the new chapter sooner as expect, so I won't let you wait for it. But don't get too high expectations for the future lol. It will take a little more time for the next chapter to be ready.

And here it is: John and Sarah talk. The results? Read the chapter and find out.

Chapter 8 - Absolutely Unnecessary Talk

After they finished their breakfasts, Sarah looked at John: "John, come with me to the bar. We have to talk."

Reluctantly, John turned to Cameron: "Cam, go up in the room and wait for me. It shouldn't take long. Could you please prepare my snowboarding clothes so that I won't lose too much time when I come? Please?"

Cameron smiled a little strained. She didn't like the idea of John being alone without her. Even the fact that he'd be with his mother did a little to reassure her worries. She nodded: "OK, I'll prepare everything." She got up and left the dining room, leaving Sarah, John and Derek behind.

Sarah turned to Derek: "You should go too, Derek. This is just between John and me."

"As you wish." It was obvious that Derek wasn't thrilled by the fact he wouldn't be witnessing their conversation. He assumed what the topic of the talk would be and wanted to take care that Sarah wouldn't be too soft. He was absolutely sure they would have to break the bond, forming between John and Cameron, at any costs. Therefore Sarah's insistence to talk to her son alone didn't go quite well with him. But, he couldn't openly oppose her if he didn't want to jeopardize their plans.

Sarah and John went to the bar, which was empty at this time and Sarah leaded her son into a booth in the faraway corner. As they walked towards the booth, a waiter wanted to follow them, but Sarah showed him they wouldn't want anything so he stayed behind the counter and reassumed his evidently bored expression.

After they sat down, John looked at his watch: "Well, mom, tell me why you wanted to talk to me … alone. In thirty minutes Tim and Andrea are coming around and I still have to change into proper clothes." He looked at her expectantly, but a slight note of irritation in his voice made it clear that he wasn't thrilled to have this talk.

Sarah looked into his eyes and steeled herself to say what she wanted to say: "John, I don't like the way you act around Cameron. Are you forgetting that she's a terminator? Have you already forgotten that she tried to kill us both? She can't be trusted! She's not a girl, she's a deadly machine. Are you sure that she can't go bad again? No, you can't be sure! Therefore you should keep her at arms' length at least and don't let yourself be lulled in ignorance and false security feeling because she momentarily acts like a human girl."

John anticipated the topic of the talk, but didn't expect that his mother would immediately attack with heavy artillery like she did. His eyes grew wider and wider as he listened to her words and anger became evident in his face. After Sarah finished, he clenched and unclenched his fists under the table, inhaled deeply to calm down at least a bit, feeling that his anger was boiling and threatening to explode violently. "Mom, you know I love you and I appreciate everything you've done for me. I know that if it wasn't for you, I'd probably already be dead. But you have to understand one thing: Cameron saves my life on daily basis. I can't even keep count on all the occasions she acted as my fiercest protector and put herself at any imaginable risk to keep me safe." He stopped and sighed while his eyes glared into his mothers'. "No, I haven't forgotten what happened on my birthday. But you are forgetting something. That was not Cameron! That was Skynet programming, forcing her to do what she did. How do you think a human would react should they be exposed to a brain surgery or even brain washing? Besides … I don't believe that I had really managed to fix her. Just by cleaning her chip? Please! That would be more than unbelievable."

Sarah interjected astonished: "What do you mean you haven't fixed her? She didn't attempt to kill you after you reactivated her; she even promised not to harm you! How could she do it if she weren't fixed?"

John laughed quietly but humorlessly: "It's quite simple: I believe she consciously overrode her termination order because she didn't want to harm me. She fought and probably still fights her programming in order to protect me from herself, because she wants to protect me, because she wants to keep me safe. Now, if that's not devotion and more, than I really don't know what devotion is."

Sarah swallowed hard: "I don't think you're seeing the things clearly John. It's more than obvious that you're infatuated with her looks. True, she's as pretty as a picture, but you know what lies underneath … metal, pistons, energy cell, kill order…"

She was cut off by John, who raised his voice slightly in growing anger: "No mom, you're the one who doesn't see the things clearly. You're too prejudiced to see her the way she really is." He sighed and continued with normal volume again: "Mom, I'm not asking you to like or even love her. I'm just asking you to accept her for who she is. I know that you've already noticed how she changed in the last days. Believe me, what we see now is the real Cameron. It's not a terminator in infiltration mode, it's what Cameron really is. I don't know how, but after the explosion some barriers in her mind, in her programming, must have been destroyed and she feels things. She feels emotions and they're real. And some of your reactions to her convinced me that you noticed it too.

"Yes, I have a special relationship with her. I don't know if it's what you think it is, but I trust her and believe in her. She proves herself to me day in and day out. Please, don't force me to deny everything I believe in. Please, don't force me to abandon my best friend, just because she's not human." John let his head hang.

Sarah swallowed. She understood John and she had to admit that he was right, although it was a very reluctant confession. She definitely noticed the changes in Cameron's behavior. Although Cameron always tried showed her the blank terminator face, she didn't fail to see how she looked at her son. There were clear emotions written on her face, there was obvious affection in her eyes as she thought no one else but John could notice them. But she was still a machine. She would never be anything else and Sarah had been taught by experience and all the timer travelers from the future that machines are dangerous and not to be trusted. So she didn't trust Cameron. "John. I understand you. But try to understand me too. I only want you to be safe and I can't trust her." She sounded little helpless.

John noticed her wavering and decided to use it even further: "Mom, I already said to you once as I removed her chip for the first time: you don't have to trust her, trust me. And I'll say that again. I have gone against your wishes and beliefs as I reinserted her chip in that warehouse. And I was right. I think that I deserve to be trusted at least a bit. If it was ever important for me that you trust me, than it's in this matter. Mom, Cameron will never do anything to harm me. Believe me!" His voice was insistent and penetrating. He bowed a little forward to be closer to his mother and grabbed her hands, laid in her lap, squeezing them gently.

Sarah was in utter inner turmoil. She wanted to believe her son. She wanted to show him that she trusted him. But she simply couldn't get over the fact that he was defending a machine, a machine built with the sole purpose of killing John Connor, a machine which already tried to kill him. Her eyes darted all over the place, trying to avoid his penetrating gaze. But she knew that he was waiting for her answer. She knew him well enough to be sure he wouldn't take a "no" for an answer. On one hand she wanted to say yes to him, to accept his reasoning, but on the other, there was the plan to separate him from Cameron, which she pursued together with Derek. Suddenly she felt very bad about implementing the plan, about her interference in her son's life. It was obvious that he wanted to keep Cameron in his life. She instinctively knew that John would very soon pursue more intimate relationship with her.

She finally managed to look into his eyes and felt small, seeing his piercing raptor gaze. I wanted to have a talk with him. I wanted to make him understand that he should keep Cameron at arm's length. I was intending to yell at him and not let him talk at all. And now look at me: I'm squirming like a worm here in front of my teenage son. This thought suddenly ignited the flame of anger and defiance and she looked at him resolutely: "John, I see that we can't find an understanding in this matter. You cannot convince me to accept your point of view and I can't convince you to accept mine. I could simply order you to obey me. After all … you're still underage and I am responsible for you. However … I know you to be like mother like son. So I will do something I hopefully won't regret. I don't want to ruin your vacation so I'll force myself to be nice towards her this week.

"But I expect something in return: you won't pursue a relationship with her and you'll keep your distance from her all the time. You should let her know that she's just your protector, nothing more. You should make her clear that' she's just a machine, assigned to his protection" She sighed and looked into her son's eyes.

John cast his eyes down for a moment and looked into her eyes with a heavy sigh: "Mom, thank you for your offer. But I cannot promise to fulfill your terms. I could never again treat Cameron the way you want me to. She means too much to me. I can only promise I won't force anything. I'll let the situation evolve naturally. And I will most definitely not make her clear that she's just a machine, because she's much more than that. That's the best I can offer. Sorry. However, I'm sure you already knew what my answer to your request would be." He shrugged, knowing that his mother wouldn't be exactly making air jumps out of delight upon hearing his words.

Sarah already wanted to explode, but restrained herself. She didn't want her son to realize that she was up to something that would change his life thoroughly and that he wouldn't like a bit. So she forcefully calmed herself down and looked at him annoyed: "Do you know what you want from me? You are almost asking me to give you my blessings to start a relationship with a machine." She sighed: "If you can't promise me what I want, then I can't promise you what you want. So we are staying as we were. Status quo."

John grinned unhappily: "Yeah, status quo. So, what was this talk necessary for?" He looked challenging into his mother's eyes.

Sarah greeted her teeth: "Nothing! I was hoping we'd achieve some kind of understanding and all I've got is time, lost in trying to persuade my stubborn son."

"And vice versa, would I add." Smiled John, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He stood up: "Now I have to go to change. Our friends are arriving in fifteen minutes. I hope you'll accompany us to the slope to see where we're going to spend the forenoon."

Sarah sighed, got up too and smiled a bit pained: "Regardless of this failed talk, I'm still your mother and I love you. Yes, I'll accompany you."

John smiled again, this time smile reflected also in his eyes: "I know mom. I may not agree with you, but I love you too. Oh, not to forget. We told Tim and Andrea that we're from Prescott. Tell Derek too so that he won't say something stupid." He gave her a quick hug and turned to leave for his room.

After John arrived into his room, he saw Cameron sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms neatly folded in her lap, looking at him with a small smile: "I've been wondering if you forgot that there's someone waiting for you in your room."

John looked at her perplexed and answered her line with a: "Huh?" and a stupid look.

Cameron sighed, slightly rolled her eyes over his dumbfounded reaction and smiled at him: "I felt almost like a straw widow. You said it would take only few minutes." She stood up and her smile vanished after she saw John's concerned face: "Did Sarah request you to stay away from me?"

John gasped in surprise over her question and saw pain in Cameron's eyes. She tried to hide it, but he still could see it. "Yes, she did."

Cameron's head fell down and she looked at the floor: "And did you honor her wish?" Her voice was so quiet that he barely heard her and was so clearly expressing her hurt and her fear of hearing the answer she feared to get.

John stepped closer to her, cupped her chin in his hand and gently tried to lift her head to look into his eyes. At first she opposed his efforts, but after she finally allowed him to lift her head, she still refused to look into his eyes. John's heart was breaking at seeing her so distressed. "Cam, please, look at me." His voice was so gentle and caring that she couldn't possibly refuse his kind request, so she looked into his eyes. He could see that she was really distressed and was trying her best to hide it, but failing miserably. "I said no to her request."

Cameron's eyes widened in surprise, but she wasn't sure if John made the right decision: "John, she's your mother and you should listen to what she says."

"I did and I still do. Listen to her. But I can never forsake my best friend because she isn't able to accept her." John smiled tenderly at Cameron's still completely confused eyes, while his thumb gently and slowly stroke her jaw.

"Is that what I am to you? Your best friend?" Cameron was tilting her head as much as she could, considering that John's hand still cupped her jaw. She was at the same time happy and disappointed. She was glad that he was ready to defend their friendship and disappointed because she hoped for something more than just friendship.

"Yes. And more. Much more." John finally let go of her face and turned to look at the clothes she carefully prepared on the bed. "Thank you for preparing my clothes. We should get ready and wait in the lobby. Andrea and Tim should be here any minute now and I don't want to let them wait for too long." He knew exactly what Cameron was trying to get out of him, but he wasn't prepared yet to give it to her. Probably soon, but not just yet.

Cameron understood what he meant and if she had a heart it would probably skip a beat. She knew now that he felt much more than just ordinary friendship for her; he just wasn't ready yet to tell it to her. But now she knew that the day would come, he would be ready. And she could be patient. So she smiled seductively at him: "Thank you John. Thank you for not forsaking me."

John looked in her sweet smiling face and felt how his knees suddenly threatened to give in, so he nodded, grabbed his clothes and almost ran into the bathroom to change in there. In this situation he couldn't trust himself to stay a brave young man with Cameron so close. After he closed the door behind himself, he dropped the clothes to the floor, leaned against the closed door and drew a ragged breath. He needed few seconds to compose himself and started to change into snowboarding clothes.

Meanwhile Cameron grinned satisfied in the room. She knew exactly why John ran into the bathroom and it made her satisfied to have such impact on him. She did feel a little worried because of Sarah, but she was sure they would be able to withstand her and Derek. As long as they would stand to their relationship, she was confident no one could tear them apart. She already changed into her snowboarding clothes before, so she decided to just sit there and wait for John to come out of the bathroom.

After few minutes, John emerged from the bathroom, changed into his outdoor attire and seemingly completely concentrated on the day that just begun. But Cameron didn't miss the look he gave her, the look, full of passion and suppressed feelings. "John? Did you leave your jeans on the floor in a crumpled pile as usual?"

John grinned at her and nodded: "Yep! I think there are so many changes happening to our lives right now so at least some old habits should be maintained."

Cameron rose swiftly from her sitting position and sighed impatiently: "Well, you should choose some other habit to maintain, because this one's a really bad example. If we continue to leave your clothes the way you normally dispose them, you won't be able to put anything on in two days, for everything will be piled on the floor everywhere around and completely crumpled." She went into the bathroom, collected his thrown away clothes and carefully hung them in the closet. Then she turned to a foolishly smiling John, who, nevertheless, couldn't hide little embarrassment, written on his face. She noticed that her goal of giving him a reason to be ashamed a little has been achieved, so she smiled at him: "Shall we go downstairs now? We are already running two minutes late."

John nodded and they left the room together, carrying their gloves, caps and goggles.

After they entered the hotel lobby, they saw that Andrea and Tim were not there yet, so they sat down on a settee to wait for them. Neither Sarah nor Derek was already there, so John sighed: "Where's everybody? We're gonna be late."

"Relax, John. It's no big deal if we don't get the first ski lift. We still have to find appropriate ski school and rent the necessary equipment." Cameron smiled at him while she played with her cap, turning it in her hands like a bored teenage girl.

"That's exactly why I don't want to be late!" John answered with impatient voice. "We could miss the beginning of the course and then we wouldn't be able to enjoy the first day." He was almost squirming in his seat nervously.

Cameron's smile widened: "I've checked the time schedule of the schools before. They collect applications for the course every day until 10.00 and since we're very close to the slopes, we'll be there soon enough to be able to pick a course."

John calmed down a little and looked at his smiling companion: "You really think of everything in advance, don't you?"

"I try to. Sometimes there are unexpected variables which cannot be considered at the time of planning, but in general … yes, I do." Cameron's eyes looked at him satisfied.

"Hey, there you are! Sorry for being late, but this sister of mine always has second thoughts about how she should look before going out and changes at least three times before she's half way satisfied." Tim's cheerful voice sounded across the lobby and John and Cameron turned to look at him. Andrea was right next to him as they approached them smiling contently.

"Well, it's not a big deal. It's not like it would be the end of the world." John answered while rising from his seat.

Cameron already opened her mouth to answer that the end of the world will come in few years, but stopped herself on time. It would really sound strange if she'd recite them the correct time until Judgment day … at least until Judgment day of her timeline. It was still possible, that they had changed it with their actions since she came back in time to protect John.

"So, shall we go? I've heard that we have to be at the ski school before 10.00." Inquired Tim, turned to Cameron and looked at her admiringly: "I wasn't making it up yesterday as I said that you look gorgeous. Today you look even better."

Cameron felt slightly annoyed at his remark, although it did flatter her a bit to hear such words. However, only one boy's flattering really could penetrate her defense mechanisms and that boy was standing right next to her and not in front of her.

John wasn't thrilled about Tim's attitude either, but decided not to take it seriously: "We'll have to wait for my mother and her friend. They said they'd like to accompany us to the slope." He paused and grinned evilly: "If they'll pay for the course I'll be glad to wait for them."

Tim and Andrea laughed: "I understand completely." Andrea smirked at John with a pinch of mischievousness in her eyes. As Cameron noticed it, her left hand twitched slightly in annoyance. For a long time she thought it was a mechanical malfunction and she even tried to fix it with John's help once. But after they tried everything to fix it and she couldn't find any mechanical problems, she began to analyze the situations in which this twitching occurred and after a short time she realized to her greatest surprise that it only happened when she felt that someone was threatening John or trying to meddle with her relationship with him. From there it didn't take her long to finally realize that it was a clearly emotional reaction; it was in fact her way of expressing jealousy.

John, who was looking at her, noticed her twitching and subtle change in her face, so he gently laid his hand over hers without saying a word, just smiling reassuringly at her. She turned to look at him too and her clenched fist relaxed slowly while she smiled back.

Andrea and Tim didn't miss the way John touched Cameron, but didn't overrate it either. The relationship between John and Cameron never came to discussion yesterday, so they had no idea what they were. The only sure thing they knew was that John and Cameron weren't siblings.

"I see that your friends are already here John." Sarah's voice came from behind and everyone turned to look at her, approaching with Derek in tow. Her face was slightly suspicious as she looked at Andrea and Tim.

John turned back to their new friends: "This is my mother, Sarah Baum. And the oaf behind her is her friend, Derek Reese. And these are Andrea and Tim Callough from San Diego." He kept the introduction as short as possible, to avoid any suspicious situations.

Derek cast him a dark look, turned to face the siblings and nodded to them. Sarah's face still showed slight suspicion, but she decided she'd get her information out of the two during the walk to the slope. She already arranged with Derek that he'd separate Tim from the others to talk him into playing the game and try to hit on Cameron, while she'd do the same with Andrea to persuade her how John was more than willing to find a nice girlfriend. So she tried her best to look friendly and extended her hand towards Andrea: "I'm glad to meet some friends of my son. He was already desperate for not having any friends here on the vacation." A straight lie, but it would serve the purpose and John wouldn't object her in the public. She obviously correctly assessed the situation, for John only gave her a confused look, but didn't comment on her lie.

Derek greeted Tim friendly: "Hi! Although John tries to present me as an oaf, I'm in fact much better than it looks. Glad to meet you Tim."

The siblings accepted greetings openly, not doubting the adults at all. To them they both seemed very friendly and reproachable.

As she saw the way Sarah and Derek greeted the Callough siblings, Cameron's alarm bells began to ring. It was more than strange that the two acted so friendly towards unknown people. She looked at John and realized that he shared her suspicions. He just nodded to her and raised his eyebrows meaningfully as if wishing to say: "I know and we should be careful."

"So, now that the introductions have been made, we should really go if you want to sign up for the course. We don't have exactly lots of experience in snowboarding, so we already booked the course in advance." Tim smiled at the adults and as he turned to Cameron, his smile got a slightly seductive note.

Cameron reacted with a blank face and a simple nod. She really wanted to take John's hand to show Tim that she didn't care for his attempts, but was afraid, John wouldn't appreciate it. But she didn't know that John shared her feelings and was afraid that she would find him to insistent if he'd try to hold her hand in front of the others. Besides … he wouldn't want to give his mother a reason to flip out less than an hour after the talk they had in which she clearly told him she was against any relationship between Cameron and him. So he restricted himself to a neutral answer and no open display of his affection for Cameron: "Yeah, you're right. It should be fun."

TBC