Chapter 10: The Journey Home
Hammerhead Bunker
It was morning and the sun was just coming up over the mountains, slowly the countryside was being bathed in a grayish light of daytime.
John was dead tired, he had been driving all night without a break. Melissa had kept him company for a while, but even she succumbed to fatigue and drifted off to sleep.
Kyle never woke up during the ride back to Hammerhead, he was content on catching as much sleep as possible, and despite the rough roads, he never opened his eyes once.
The familiar area of Hammerhead was just coming into sight, John slowed down the Hummer and picked up the mic to let the convoy know they were now at Hammerhead.
"Everybody look sharp…keep your eyes and ears open for any trouble. We are at Hammerhead now and need to unload as soon as possible." John barked out.
Melissa woke up, stretched and quickly began to look around for any trouble. Even Kyle managed to awaken from his deep slumber as he sensed the truck had begun to slow to a stop.
"Are we here?" Kyle asked sleepily as he wiped sleep from his eyes.
"If you mean Hammerhead, then yes." Melissa replied as she scoped out the surroundings.
John brought the truck to a stop and shut down the motor. Everyone got out of the truck at once and proceeded to make their way towards the main entrance to the bunker.
As the other vehicles rolled to a stop and people began to clamber out of the trucks, there seemed to be an air of elation in a successful rescue and extraction of the captives.
Both the former captives and their rescuers had smiles and were busy talking amongst each other.
Allison and Amanda had jumped out of the truck they had traveled in with Derek and the injured Blair. They were tired and hungry, but very happy to be far away from the hell they had been through.
"Allie?...I'm starved…do you have anything in the back pack?" Amanda asked as she stretched out her cramped muscles. Many hours of driving over rough roads in a rickety old truck didn't help.
Allison yawned and twisted her slim body around. Distinctive pops and cracks could be heard from her spine as she stretched her sore muscles.
She looked over to Amanda. "There's really nuthin' in the back pack, besides medical stuff. I think we are getting something to eat here." Allison pointed towards the entrance to the bunker.
"Maybe Derek needs us to help with Blair first." Amanda replied.
Allison pulled aside the canvas flap and peered into the truck. "Derek?...Will you need us to help out?"
"No…but I need you to find a couple of troops to help with her being carried in. Will you get someone for me?" Derek responded, his eyes had dark circles under them and even his voice sounded tired.
"Okay Derek." Allison chirped. "I'll be right back with someone."
Allison closed the flap and looked around for anyone to help Derek. Amanda also looked about, after hearing what Derek had said.
"See anyone?" Allison asked as she looked about.
Amanda pointed to two men by a truck a short distance away. "What about them?"
Allison looked over and nodded to Amanda. "Let's go ask."
The two girls sprinted over to the two soldiers leaning up against the Stryker.
"Excuse us." Amanda sweetly interrupted the men's conversation.
An older man in his thirties looked over to the girls and smiled. "What can we do for you girls?"
"Derek needs help with moving Blair, she was injured." Allison explains. " He wanted us to find a couple of strong guys to help him."
Both men stand up straight.
"Blair Williams?" The older man asks.
"Yes" Allison and Amanda reply.
"Well lets go then…Take us to her." The man elbows his partner who quickly nods in agreement.
The four of them make their way back to Blair and Derek, with Allison leading the way.
Upon arriving at the truck with Blair inside, Allison flips open the flap and sticks her head inside.
"We found a couple of guys Derek."
Derek looks over to Allison and smiles. "Well that didn't take you long."
Allison boosts herself up and climbs in, followed shortly after by Amanda. The two soldiers remained outside, leaning against the truck and making small talk while they waited.
Blair is awake now, but still very tired and in a bit of pain as Derek checks her bandages.
"Is there something we can do?" Amanda speaks up.
"Yes…you two go get something to eat, you must be starving." Derek replies as his head is bent over his patient.
"But don't you need help with Blair?" Allison blurts out.
"I'll be fine. The two guys you brought will help me move her." Derek snapped.
"Gee…you don't need to be so cranky. Can we say good bye?" Allison gives Derek her sweetest look.
Derek glances over, his face softens and he moves off to the side so the girls can get closer to Blair.
"Hey" Blair squeaks out.
"Hey Back" Allison smirks and brings her hand up to brush a stray strand of hair from Blair's face.
"You two, go do what Derek said…go…get something to eat." Blair whispers.
"Will you be okay?" Amanda's face is filled with worry.
"As long as Derek doesn't try something…I'll be fine." Blair looks over to Derek and gives him a crooked grin.
Derek shakes his head. "Okay…visit is over now. Ladies go get some food and we will be in shortly."
"Okay Mr. Cranky…Gee you're so crabby sometimes." Allison shoots Derek a 'look' and then slowly backs away from Blair. "We'll see you later Blair…okay?"
"Okay…bye." Blair yawns and gives the girls a weak smile.
The girls exit the vehicle and make their way around to the front of it. Amanda looks over to the entrance and noticed three figures standing by the lead vehicle.
"Hey isn't that John? and who is the cute guy with them?" She had a crooked grin on her lips.
Allison looked closer at the group of three. "What the hell?"
"What is it Allie?"
Allison took off running towards John, Blair and Kyle, Amanda quickly followed.
"KYLE" Allison yelled out as she got closer to the Hummer.
Kyle turned around and stared, his face instantly recognized the slender form running towards him at full speed. Her hair was shorter than the last time he had seen her, but her face still looked the same and she hadn't grown much either.
A big smile came across Kyle's face as Allison drew closer to him.
"ALLIE" Kyle yelled back and threw his arms wide to get ready to embrace her.
Allison ran up and nearly knocked Kyle over with her momentum. She pulled him into a deep hug and nearly choked him with her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Kyle…I'm so happy you are alive." Allison sobbed and kissed his cheek.
Kyle was at a loss for words and his eyes were moist with happiness. All he could do was hold Allison tight and nod his head in agreement.
Allison finally let go of Kyle and stood back, her face filled with elation over finally seeing Kyle again. Then her features went serious, she wound up and slugged Kyle in the shoulder.
"OWW….what was that for?" Kyle winced and rubbed his shoulder.
"That's for not coming to see me right away, after I got rescued." Allison answered in a matter of fact manner. "Where were you?"
"I…I…was stationed in a different area when the fighting broke out. Sorry Allie." Kyle's face fell.
Allison gave him her biggest smile. "Well you're forgiven for now, but don't you try that again." She wagged her finger at him in a menacing way.
Melissa and John stood back and smiled at the reunion between the two.
Amanda caught up, her breathing a bit labored from trying to catch up to Allison.
"Whew…Allie….you're too fast." Amanda gasped.
Allison turned to Amanda. "Mandy…this is Kyle, my other adopted brother. Kyle…this is my best friend Amanda."
"Nice to meet you Amanda." Kyle spoke shyly and started to turn pink in the cheeks.
"Hi Kyle…you can call me Mandy." Amanda replied and shot out her hand.
Kyle took her hand and shook it, but still failed to make eye contact.
John cleared his throat and spoke up. "Okay…lets move along inside, you guys can catch up over some food and drink."
"Yeah...all that rescuing has made my stomach growl." Kyle added.
"Oh pleeeeze…you had snacks in the truck and then slept almost all of the way back." Melissa shook her head as she chastised Kyle.
"That totally sounds like Kyle…seems you haven't changed a bit, have you." Allison stated as she glanced over at Kyle.
"Well," Melissa stood with her arms crossed, her eyes burning into Kyle's skull. "Aren't you gonna introduce me to the girls?"
"Well actually we did sorta meet before, when you stopped by to check on Blair." Allison spoke up.
"Yeah, but I never knew you were the girl that Derek was looking for, he never mentioned it when I stopped by." Melissa pauses for a second. "Seems to be a common trait with the Reese boys."
"Get used to it….both Kyle and Derek can be big block heads sometimes." Allison smiled at Melissa as she criticized her adopted brothers, then she put out her hand to shake Melissa's. "I'm Allison and this is my best friend Amanda."
Melissa grasped Allison's hand warmly and shook it, then she shook Amanda's hand. "My name is Melissa, but you can call me Mel."
"Nice to meet you Mel." Amanda smiled back as she shook Melissa's hand.
"Yeah…nice to meet you Mel." Allison added, then she looked to the entrance. "Shall we go grab something to eat?"
John had already given up and was six paces ahead of the group, on his way to the entrance.
Sikes was just outside the doorway, he had already been alerted by the sentries of the convoy's arrival, he had posted extra men outside of the bunker just in case of a problem.
"Connor…glad to see you are back in one piece. Did everything go okay?" Sikes called out to John as he waved him inside.
"Sikes, it's good to be back. We were out gunned, but we had the element of surprise. Thankfully, only one death and a couple of casualties…Williams being in the worst shape." John replied and he came up to Sikes and shook his hand.
"Is Williams okay? She such a nice girl and a good fighter." Sikes looked worried as he asked.
"A bullet passed through her shoulder, but she got patched up right away and should recover just fine." John gave Sikes a re-assuring smile and patted him on the shoulder.
"Well you look tired and hungry Connor…c'mon inside for some grub and drinks." Sikes smacked John on the back and ushered him inside the bunker.
Kyle, Allison and the others near by followed John inside.
...
Derek had been busy making sure Blair was comfortable and had remained by her side the whole trip back to Hammerhead, he never slept a wink. Now he wanted to ensure she would be taken care of properly at the bunker, he would remain by her side until she was seen by a proper medic.
The pair of troops that Allison had found, stood by the back of the truck to help him with unloading Blair on a stretcher.
Blair was still groggy, but lucid enough to complain to Derek about being treated like a cripple.
"Put a sock in it Williams….you're still wounded and need the rest." Derek snapped.
"Reese….REESE…." Blair's eyes locked on to Derek.
"What now?" Derek was getting agitated with his patient.
"I can walk ya know…let me walk." Blair demanded.
"Ohhh no way Williams…Dr Reese orders you to stay put and let us carry you in. Besides you will need to probably stay here at the bunker until…."
"Hold on there Doc. I'm not staying here…no way…I wanna go home, to Crystal Peak."
Blair was livid with anger, if she had felt better she would have smacked Derek right there. "Besides you're not a real Doc anyways and I feel much better."
"How bout we pin you down and I give you another shot to put you to sleep" Derek threatened.
"Yeah…how bout I kick yer ass if you try." Blair shot back.
The two troops that had stopped by to help, paused, looked at each other and took a few steps back as Derek and Blair bickered.
"Blair…you're…well…a huge pain in the ass when you're injured. Stop being so stubborn and listen to me." Derek was getting visibly frustrated.
Blair wasn't about to back down. "I can still walk…I've been shot before and this is only in the shoulder." She winced as she tried to sit up in her stretcher.
Derek saw her discomfort right away. "See….told you…you're in no shape to go running around. Sit back and we'll carry you inside." He tried to tell her in a calmer voice, but Blair chose to ignore Derek.
Blair's brown eyes flashed with fire as she defiantly sat up in the stretcher, placed her legs on the floor of the truck box and stood up. She wobbled around for a second, the drugs Derek gave her were still in her system and making her feel woozy.
Derek quickly got up from his kneeling position and grabbed her waist to steady her. Both of them locked eyes at the same time, their faces inches apart.
"Are you okay?" Derek asked Blair, his look of concern was unmistakable.
"I'm fine." Blair replied quietly as she leaned into him a little more. "Just a little dizzy from all the drugs you gave me."
"Well if you're determined to walk inside, at least let me help you…okay?"
"Okay Reese" Blair cracked a smile and then added. "Well…let's get going. I'm hungry and I have to go pee….unless you want me to piss my pants."
"Alright already….damn you are the worst patient ever Williams." Derek shook his head, jumped down from the truck and held his arms up to help Blair climb down.
"So you won't need our help then Reese?" One of the troops spoke up.
"Doesn't seem so…little miss pain in the ass thinks she can do it all by herself. You guys might as well head in for some food." Derek nodded to the two troops.
"Pain in the ass huh…just shut up and help me down Reese." Blair kept her face like stone, but her eyes couldn't hide their relief he was there to help.
The soldiers, seizing their moment, turned and quickly made their way towards the bunker.
Derek grabbed Blair's waist as she slowly made her way off of the truck. She wrapped her good arm around Derek's neck as he gently lowered her down to the ground.
Once safely on the ground neither one of them broke contact. Blair kept her arm wrapped around Derek's neck and Derek still had his arms on her midsection.
Blair suddenly pulled her arm from his neck and looked up at Derek with a crooked grin. "Are we gonna stay like this all day or do I get to go inside to freshen up?"
Derek sighed and reluctantly let go of Blair's waist. "I'll be right behind you Williams."
"I'm sure you will, but try to keep your eyes off my ass." Blair smiled to herself as she left a red faced Derek standing by the truck and ambled towards the bunker.
...
Twenty minutes later, most everyone from the vehicles were inside the bunker. John and Sikes were at one of the mess hall tables, huddled over some coffee and food, discussing what was going to happen with the refugees.
Allison and the rest sat at a table next to where John and Sikes were seated.
"So Conner, what happens with these refugees now?" Sikes inquired as he took a sip from his cup.
John finished swallowing his food and answered. "I think we call a meeting for all the newbies, tell them what is going on and give them a choice to either stay here or come with me to Crystal Peak."
"Things are pretty tight here Connor, Hammerhead runs like a well oiled machine. Hell, even that guy you brought back half dead is chipping in." Sikes leaned in closer to John. "We don't want or need any freeloaders Connor...that needs to be made crystal clear."
John locked his blue green eyes with Sikes and spoke with conviction. "I'm not here to dump a bunch of trouble on your lap Sikes…that's why I'll explain things to the whole group before we decide what will happen. After everyone eats and is well rested, I'll call the meeting."
"Yeah… some rest and food will help with keeping everyone sharp. Just as long as they know that they need to pull their own weight around here." Sikes grinned and went back to stuffing another piece of flatbread into his mouth.
John nodded and went back to finishing his meal.
….
Allison and the others had been seated for a few minutes, all of them enjoying a bowl of fresh mystery stew and some flatbread. Everyone was in a good mood and joking around, mostly at Kyle's expense.
The girls were having a great time banding together to torment Kyle.
It was a relief to Kyle when he looked up to see Blair walk into the mess hall, her arm in a sling and her face looking a bit pale, but she seemed in good spirits.
Close behind her was Derek, his brow furrowed as he kept a close eye on Blair.
Kyle waved to Blair to get her attention, all eyes at the table looked over to see what Kyle was waving at.
Blair smiled, nodded and slowly made her way towards the table.
"Hey guys…how's the food?" Blair cheerfully asked as she looked around the table.
"The food is wonderful Blair…Mel even managed to get us some strawberries." Amanda beamed.
"Ohhhh…they were like heaven Blair." Allison rolled her eyes back to put accent on the heaven part, then she smiled from ear to ear and eagerly asked. "You want us to try and get some for you?"
"That sounds wonderful ladies…yes I'll have some, if there's any left." Blair slowly sat down at the table.
Derek came up behind Blair and stood by like a body guard.
Blair shot him a puzzled look. "Reese…stop standing around like yer a stalker and sit down."
"Don't you want something to eat or drink?" Derek meekly asked.
"Well yes, but the girls have offered to help get me some food and drink." Blair looked over to Allison and Amanda and smiled sweetly.
Derek grumbled and sat down beside Blair.
"Are we getting you something too Derek?" Allison lifted her brow in question.
"Well now that you asked...sure… what ever they have...thanks." Derek winked at the two girls.
"I'll have some strawberries, since yer going to ask." Kyle added.
Both girls looked over to Kyle, they crossed their arms at the same time. Allison spoke first. "What's wrong with you going?"
"Well I thought since you two…"
"Hold on a minute….do we look like your servants?" Amanda cut in waving a finger in the air.
"Well….no…but…"
"No buts…you got two arms and two legs…use them." Allison gave Kyle a scolding look.
"Gee…you two don't need to be so nasty." Kyle gave them the hurt puppy look, but it didn't help.
Both girls burst out laughing and quickly made their way to the counter to grab food for Blair and Derek.
Melissa and Blair chuckled over Kyle's predicament.
Even John and Sikes had stopped eating to look over at the scene unfolding.
Derek just sat back and shook his head at his brother. "Man…you really gotta learn how to treat women right."
"Like you would know Reese?" Blair poked Derek in the ribs with her good arm.
"What's that supposed to mean Williams?" Derek rubbed his ribs and looked over to a smiling pair of brown eyes.
"Yeah….what's that supposed to mean Williams?" Melissa leaned in to listen closer.
Blair shot Melissa a quick smile and winked before speaking. "Well for one thing, he tried bossing me around. He wanted to have me carried in on a stretcher."
"Ohhh my" Melissa gasped.
"After he finally let me get up on my own, he manhandled me as I tried to climb off of the truck."
"Hold on there…I had to or else you would have fallen off." Derek vainly tried to defend himself.
"Then I had to practically beat him off with a stick so he would let go of me."
Melissa gasped again and put her hand to her mouth in a melodramatic way.
"When I turned to leave, I felt his eyes undressing me." Blair pretended to wipe away a tear.
"I was keeping an eye on you, just in case you fell or stumbled…Oh my God you twist things around." Derek had turned red, but it was unclear if it was from anger, frustration or embarrassment.
Kyle had leaned in to listen closer, he was enjoying the spotlight being turned on his brother instead of him.
Melissa and Blair looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Kyle was smiling too, until his brother shot him a look like he was about to beat on him.
Derek was about to get up and leave, when Blair placed her hand on his shoulder and grinned.
"Reese….you're so easy to tease. You're easier to tease than Kyle and he's a pushover."
"If you weren't injured, I'd put you over my knee and give you a good spanking." Derek shot back as he plunked himself back down.
"Promises…promises." Blair winked at Derek.
"You two girls are unbelievable…evil…wicked and who knows what else…there is no way I will allow you two troublemakers take care of Allie and Mandy." Derek said forcefully and with conviction.
"Oh Really Reese? Ask the girls when they get back." Blair's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"I will"
Just then Allison and Amanda came back with some food and drink for the table, including strawberries.
"We managed to get some more strawberries for you Blair…The cook is a real sucker for a sweet smile." Allison smirked as she placed a plate of food and a cup of coffee in front of Blair.
Derek sighed and put his head into his hands.
"Derek? Are you okay?" Amanda asked.
Derek looked up and responded half heartedly. "Yeah just peachy."
"It seems Derek doesn't want you and Allison bunking with Mel and me." Blair tossed in her two cents and winked at Melissa.
Seeing a grand opportunity to torment Derek more, Melissa spoke up. "Yeah it is a shame they won't be coming with us."
"WHAT?" Both Allison and Amanda spoke up, their faces going white with the shock of the news.
"Ohh?...Didn't Derek tell you two?" Blair kept her face straight as she tried to let on that Derek was the one to blame.
"NO"
"NO"
Allison and Amanda were pissed.
"What the hell Derek…we want to go back to Crystal Peak with Blair and Mel." Allison stormed.
"Wait a minute...hold on... I didn't say it that way…I…."
"No use in lying to them Derek." Melissa cut in.
Derek looked over to his brother.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders and responded by saying. "Look Bro this is your battle. I'm not jumping into the pit of hell you've created. It's a no win situation."
"Thanks a lot…Bro." Derek glared at his brother.
Derek looked up to Allison and Amanda, both of them standing across from him with arms folded and nostrils flared.
Admitting defeat, Derek broke down and gave his blessings for the two girls to bunk with the two older women. "Alright already...you two munchkins can stay with the heartbreakers…but if things get nasty, I'm pullin' you two outa their clutches."
It was no use, the girls never heard his last warning. They jumped for joy, hugged and hi-fived each other.
"This is gonna be sweet, we get to bunk with girls." Amanda squealed to Allison.
"Ladies…It won't be all fun and games. We have plans to put you two into training for the resistance. Mel here has agreed to join up too, seeing as she is needed more in the resistance than policing the Crystal Peak civilians." Blair stared the girls down as she spoke.
"That's right girls… I'm joining up too." Melissa spoke up.
Kyle and Derek looked at each other, but Kyle spoke up first. "Looks like we're in for some big trouble bro."
"You can say that again." Derek sighed.
Over at the next table, Sikes leaned in towards John. "What's with Blair and Mel tormenting that Derek guy?"
John smiled. "Blair likes him…lots…and Mel is in the thick of things too."
"Well holy shit, I never thought Blair would ever soften up." Sikes replied.
"Chalk it up to Mel urging Blair to lighten up and have some fun for a change."
John looked over to the mayhem at the next table. Damn it's nice to see happy faces in a crowd for once. He thought to himself.
Kyle and Derek had shrunk themselves as low as they could in their chairs, while the girls celebrated by sharing out the last of the strawberries.
Allison paused for a second to look over at John, she had noticed he had been watching what was happening over at the table and smiling. Looking straight into his eyes, she gave him her biggest smile she could muster, but quickly averted her eyes once she knew he had seen her glancing. Her face turned a light pink as she secretly smiled to herself.
John is so nice and his eyes are so beautiful. I'm so happy we are going with John to Crystal Peak.
Sikes noticed the look Allison gave John and commented. "Looks like you have a new admirer Connor…Is she Reese's sister?"
John looked over to Sikes and grinned. "Yeah sorta like an adopted sister, she is the one Reese was looking for, the one I helped rescue, a real sweet girl…a fighter with a big heart, so is her friend Mandy…I'm glad we got to them in time."
"Well if she turns out anything like Williams or Webster, we'll be in good shape." Sikes replied.
"Yeah…Blair and Mel will do a good job of training the girls. We need all the help we can get." John spoke but remained staring off into nothing.
"Many kids grow up too fast Connor, this is how life is now." Sikes stated.
"I plan to change that as soon as possible Sikes. I know Skynet is still out there, just waiting for the right time to attack and we need to be ready." John looked back at Sikes, his eyes hardened like emeralds once he spoke of Skynet.
"I know Connor…..I know…" Sikes nodded his head in agreement.
...
It was about an hour later when John called a general meeting for all the people that were rescued from the slave camp.
There were approximately fifty or so refugees that John and his troops had managed to bring back with them, including Allison and Amanda.
The mess hall was cleared of any regular troops so as to make room for all of the adult refugees to join in on the meeting. John, along with Sikes, stood up on a table in the far corner and began the meeting.
"Good afternoon everyone." John called out.
A sudden quiet came over the room, except for a couple of babies that were fidgeting and voicing their disapproval at being hushed, every one became silent.
John began to speak.
"I'm glad you were all able to fit into the room, welcome to Hammerhead Bunker. Standing beside me is Sikes, he is the leader of this bunker and my name is John Connor." John looked over to Sikes and motioned with his hand as he mentioned his name and then looked out to the crowd as he spoke his own name.
There were some gasps and minor bustle to the crowd, but otherwise the people in the room remained focused on John.
"I am not dead or captured as some of the stories go, I am here and I need your help. We need you to help us get ready to battle with Skynet and to help bring back order to splintered groups that make up the resistance. Skynet is not dead, it is in waiting. Waiting for the right moment to strike and I fear the moment will soon be upon us." John looked around and made eye contact with many in the room.
Some people were puzzled, and some had a look of dread on their faces.
"Don't worry, we are not making you do anything you don't want to do, we are giving you a choice. Join us in the fight to unite humanity. Join us in the fight against Skynet. We need your help desperately and in any way possible. Without you we cannot win the war, we cannot rebuild, we cannot continue moving forward."
The crowd was silent, even the babies sensed something and remained quiet.
"I'd like to let Sikes say a few words now." John looked over to Sikes and took a step down from the table.
"Like Connor said, we are giving you a choice today. We need help, not free loaders. I need help here, so any of you that want to remain here, you are welcome to stay. Others may want to go to Crystal Peak with John and his troops. Again, you are welcome to go along, provided you know that you need to be part of the team, part of the resistance. Still others may want to go off on their own. The door is open both ways."
"If you leave, you can always come back and if you stay you can always choose to leave if you want to. I will add that the resistance is most likely your best option, until the rogue gangs can be brought under control or eradicated. Thank you all for your time." Sikes stepped down and John got back up on the table to make a final statement.
"So that's it people, you have until tomorrow morning to decide if you want to come with me, stay here at Hammerhead, or take your chances on the outside. Thank you for your time."
John stepped down and the crowd slowly began to disperse into smaller groups to talk things out.
Allison, Amanda bounded up to where John was standing, with Melissa just behind them, walking at a more leisurely pace.
"I liked your speech John." Allison blurted out. Both girls had mischievous smiles on their faces.
"Thanks girls….I think." John gave them a funny look. "I thought you two were going with Derek anyways, why stay for the meeting?"
"Ohhh…. we just wanted to hear what was going on." Allison looked over to Amanda and gave her a funny grin.
Amanda leaned in to whisper something into Allison's ear while looking at John. Allison turned beet red and shushed Amanda.
John lifted his eyebrow in question. "Something you wanted to ask me ladies?"
Both girls looked at each other.
Melissa stood beside them and rolled her eyes. "Connor, this is your fan club." She replied nonchalantly and motioned with her hand towards the two teens.
"No Mel, we just liked his speech and wanted to say hi." Allison chirped.
"Yeah, Hi" Amanda made a little wave with her hand.
John looked over to Melissa for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, John started to turn to leave. "Ladies, I must get going. Sikes and I have some important things to discuss. I'll see you all later, at dinner maybe?"
"We'll save a seat for you John Connor." Allison's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
John gave the girls a crooked grin and walked off after Sikes.
Allison kept her eyes on him for a moment and let out a big sigh. She looked back at Amanda with a huge smile on her face.
"Oh My God, oh my God….he's gonna join us for dinner." Allison whispered, but she could barely contain her excitement. Amanda was beaming too.
"Ladies?" Melissa was confused over the girls' giddiness. She rolled her eyes.
Was I like this at their age?
"Ladies lets get going now, we need to organize some gear before we head back to Crystal Peak tomorrow." Melissa barked.
It was at that moment that Derek sauntered up to check out what all the fuss was about.
"What's going on girls?"
"Oh nuthin' Derek." Amanda answered politely.
Derek furrowed his brow. "Yeah….sure….whatever."
"Hey there Derek, no nurse duty right now?" Melissa asked as she flicked her hair back, flashed her baby blues and gave Derek a crooked grin.
Both teen girls watched and listened intently.
"Blair is resting in a cot. The food did her good, but she's wiped out from the loss or blood." Derek replied.
"So you got some free time then Derek?" Melissa walked over and ran her fingers along Derek's forearm.
"Ummm…well…uhhh…I guess so, why?" Derek nervously answered.
Melissa smiled sweetly at Derek and placed her hands on her waist. "We need help to organize the vehicles for supplies."
"Oh" Derek sounded disappointed. "Well I guess I could help with…"
"Good, then you can come with us right away." Melissa cut in.
Melissa made her way out of the mess hall, Allison and Amanda following close behind.
Derek was left standing all by his self, dumbstruck.
Amanda looked back at Derek and called out. "Hey there slow poke, you comin' or what?"
Derek waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there."
How do I always get suckered by pretty girls into doing work? Derek mused as he slowly turned to exit the room.
...
A few hours later, Derek and the girls had completed going through the trucks and compiling an inventory of items that were stored in the vehicles. A list was drawn up to be given to Connor and Sikes for them to decide on if any items or vehicles were to remain behind at Hammerhead.
During the afternoon, John had managed to drop by and visit with Martin Beddell to see how he was recovering. Upon hearing about the rescue, Martin looked visibly relieved and impressed over the success of the rescue.
"I'm glad you guys got to the women and children in time." Martin managed a small smile, he was still in pain and found it hard to stay lucid for the conversation.
"Well it was a struggle and we lost a couple of good people, but we did manage to save all of the women and children they had captured. Besides we made off with some extra vehicles and supplies." John replied.
"The vehicles and extra supplies will come in handy Connor. I think I'll stay here a while, until I am closer to a hundred percent." Martin shifted around to get more comfortable, but was still in a lot of pain.
"You look tired Martin, I'll let you rest. If I can make it, I'll drop by later before nightfall." John turned to leave.
"No need Connor, the medic here will shoot me up with some powerful stuff and I'll be out for the night." Martin gave John a crooked grin and weakly waved him off.
"Okay Bedell, But I should be around back in this area in a few weeks and hopefully you'll be feeling a bit better." John smiled and nodded.
"I plan to be Connor, thanks for stopping by." Martin replied.
John slipped out of the infirmary and made his way back to the mess hall. It was close to dinner time and his stomach was starting to grumble a bit.
Along his way down the narrow hallway, John ran into some familiar faces from the bunker, as well as some newer faces he remembered seeing from earlier in the day at the meeting. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, full of smiles and greetings.
As he came around a corner, John almost collided with two familiar teen girls, his 'fan club'.
"Oh…Hi John Connor. We were just heading towards dinner." Amanda greeted John with a warm smile.
Allison stood back a bit, seemingly at a loss for words, she never made eye contact, but she too was smiling.
"Hello ladies." John gave them a crooked grin and pointed the opposite way they were coming. "But the mess hall is in that direction."
Gasps and giggles came from the girls and then Allison spoke up. "Well we were hoping to run into you and escort you to dinner sir."
"Escort?" John lifted his brow in question.
"Yes sir, we just finished helping Derek and Melissa organize the vehicles for tomorrows trip to Crystal Peak. I think Derek has the paper work for you and Sikes to look over." Allison spoke like a true trooper.
John seemed visibly impressed.
"Good work ladies and thank you for the report. I don't know about you, but I'm starving, lets go to dinner." John headed off towards the mess hall, with the two girls following close behind.
Both girls were in seventh heaven as they strode behind the famous John Connor. They still managed to garner some odd looks from others in the narrow hallway. The sight of two small scraggly girls following behind the much larger and impressive looking leader of the resistance like they were his body guards caused more than a few double takes.
As they came into the mess hall, John spotted Blair and Derek together at a table. Derek looked up from his conversation with Blair and waved the three over.
"Connor, we saved a table for you and your entourage." Derek smirked at the three.
"Why thank you Reese. I see you have your patient looking much better." John looked over to Blair and smiled.
Blair was looking much better, she had rested in bed for most of the afternoon.
"I had a nice restful sleep this afternoon Connor. Now I feel a hundred times better." Blair beamed.
John sat down at the table across from Derek and Blair, immediately he was flanked by both Amanda and Allison.
Derek gave the girls a funny look. "What's with you two…you his body guards or something?"
"John asked us to join him for dinner….so here we are." Allison replied nonchalantly.
"Did you guys eat yet?" Amanda asked.
"They just started serving food now. You two can go if you want, I'll follow along in a minute." Derek waved the girls along.
Allison got up to leave, but paused for a second. "Would you like me to get you a plate of food John?" She stared at John intently, waiting for his answer.
"Sure, thank you Allison." John was surprised at her helpfulness
"Coffee too?" Amanda questioned.
"Coffee would be just fine Amanda."
The girls ran off towards the counter to get the food, both in a race to see who would get to it first.
Derek looked at John and grinned. "Damn Connor, looks like you have personal servants. If I asked, it would be like pulling teeth to get them to do something for me."
"That's because you're around them all the time Derek and in their eyes, it was Connor that saved them. He is their hero." Blair tossed in.
"Well I was there too." Derek sat up and gave Blair a sharp look.
"Maybe so, but you were downstairs and John was upstairs." Blair pointed out.
"Well if it means I get to sit and be served, I'll manage." John smirked.
Blair gave John a look. "Well the girls really like you Connor, so you better be nice to them and not run them ragged. I'll tell Kate on you and she'll put you in the dog house."
John laughed and Blair soon broke her stony look and smirked.
"Kate….yeah…I miss her and my other sweetie. It'll be nice to get back to see them, I hate leaving them." John's eyes glassed over a bit as he thought of Kate and Kayla.
Blair put her hand over John's and gave it a squeeze. "We'll be back tomorrow."
"Mmmm….tomorrow isn't soon enough Williams." John spoke softly as he looked off towards nothing in particular.
"Well I'm starving so I'm off to get some grub." Derek stretched and got up from the table. "Blair? Would you like me to bring you a plate of food too?" He locked his blue eyes onto her brown.
Blair gave him a crooked grin and there was a little twinkle in her eyes. "Doctors orders?"
"Yes"
"Well if you insist, then the answer is yes."
Derek nodded and spun around to make his way towards the counter and the growing line of hungry patrons.
As soon as Derek was out of ear shot, John leaned in to speak to Blair. "So Williams, I see you and Reese are getting along quite well."
"Well he can be a bit of a bone head, but I know he means well." Blair looked away and smiled for a second. "He does have beautiful blue eyes….I could stare at them all day long."
"Just don't be too hard on him Williams, he has had a tough time too."
"I know….I can see it in his eyes…the sadness." Blair continued to stare off, lost in her thoughts.
"We all have a little sadness inside Williams. Everyone has lost and suffered." John replied solemnly.
"Yes we have." Blair whispered solemnly.
Moments later, two hyper teen girls bounded up to the table with plates of food in their arms. Allison placed a plate in front of John and sat down beside him with her own plate of food. Amanda had her plate of food and a cup of coffee for John that she plunked down beside him.
Both girls looked to him for praise, but they were met with a puzzled expression.
"Is something wrong with the food?" Allison asked.
"Forks?" John glanced over to Allison and raised his brow.
"Oh shit….I forgot…be right back." Allison shot up and raced over to the bin that held the utensils.
Blair gave John an evil eye. "Connor"
John looked at Blair and smiled. "Yeah I know, don't be tough on them."
Amanda gave John a funny look, but went back to working on devouring her dinner. She had made sure she had a fork for herself
Allison came running back seconds later. "Here you go" she said breathlessly as she handed John a fork.
John grinned and thanked Allison.
A moment later, Derek carefully walked up to the table, balancing two plates on one arm and two cups of coffee in his other hand. Slowly he placed the warm beverages down and then passed a plate over in front of Blair.
Blair looked at her plate and frowned.
"Something wrong?" Derek asked, he had a worried look on his face.
"No forks Reese?"
"Fuck….I'll be right back." Derek muttered to himself as he got up again and went back to the counter.
"Williams? Aren't you being a little demanding and harsh?" John playfully asked.
Blair shot him a look. "Hey…I'm wounded. I deserve to be waited on."
John chuckled and shook his head.
As soon as Derek got back, everyone settled into their meal and some light conversation.
Eventually Kyle and Melissa joined them at the table. There was an aura of normalcy and a certain peacefulness as everyone silently, but swiftly ate their meal.
Only after everyone had finished did the conversation ramp up and laughter made its way around the table. It seemed even the ones that were the source of the joking and laughter were having a good time, a rarity in these grim times.
After dinner John and Sikes went over some of the paper work Derek and Melissa had presented them and decided on who got what, from the confiscated items brought back from the raider camp. Seeing as it was getting late and John wanted to make an early start, it was determined by both men, that they would finish up things in the morning.
John left the meeting room and made his way to the men's general quarters to clean himself up a bit before getting some sleep.
Allison and Amanda both left with Melissa to wash up and get settled for the night in the woman's quarters. Things would be a bit cramped in the woman's dormitory, especially with all the new comers being either women or children. Most girls would double up in the bunk beds, while others would need to triple or quadruple themselves in the larger beds. It was going to be a long and uncomfortable night for all, but at least they were safer there than outside.
Derek and Kyle helped Blair to her bed in the medical wing of the bunker. She had made both brothers promise to not leave her behind as there was no way she was willing to sit around at Hammerhead and wait for the next supply run from Crystal Peak.
Once the brothers had Blair settled and comfortable in her curtained off stall, they both went to leave, but Blair called out to Derek.
"Reese?"
Both brothers looked around.
Blair looked at Derek. "Can I talk to you for a moment Reese?"
Derek pointed to his chest. "Me?"
Blair rolled her eyes. "Yes you. Come here for a moment…please?" She smiled sweetly, after she said please.
"Well I'm off to grab top bunk then." Kyle smirked, winked at Blair and took off out of the room.
Blair patted the edge of her bunk. "You can sit here."
Puzzled, Derek sat down on the bunk. "So what is it Williams?"
Blair looked into Derek's eyes, she took a deep breath and smiled at him.
"Derek?"
"Yes?"
Derek was still a bit puzzled over what Blair wanted.
"I wanted to just say thank you for helping me out today and for helping to patch me up too." Blair kept staring into his eyes, she slid her hand over, grasped his hand for a moment and gave it a quick squeeze.
"I…It was nothing Williams. You needed help and I was near by." Derek turned a little red from embarrassment and looked down at where she had slid her hand into his.
"Lean a little closer, I need to tell you something Derek." Blair's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes had become brighter and she had a crooked smile on her lips.
Derek shuffled closer and placed a hand on either side of Blair so as to keep himself steady, then he leaned in closer.
"What is it you need to tell me Williams?" He whispered back.
"Come closer Derek." Blair's voice was barely audible, she bit her bottom lip while waiting for Derek to lean in more.
Derek wasn't sure if this was another trick or something, so he leaned to within a few inches of her face. "Is this close enough?" He breathed.
"Derek?"
"Yes?"
Blair brought her hand up to Derek's face, ran her fingers along his cheek, under his ear and back around his neck. She pulled him nearer, parted her lips and tenderly kissed him. Blair closed her eyes and savored the moment.
Derek was shocked at first, but soon was caught up in the kiss. He too closed his eyes and returned the kiss with equal tenderness.
"Oh for crying out loud, will you two go get a room please. I'm trying to sleep." A voice from another stall bellowed.
Instantly the couple broke their kiss, both of them turning various shades of red from the embarrassment of being caught kissing.
"I'll be right back." Derek got up and left her stall.
The next stall was empty, but the third one Derek popped his head into contained a rather peeved looking Martin Bedell.
"Oh…man I am really sorry. Look I'm leaving right away, we won't disturb you again." Derek apologized sheepishly as he made to leave right away.
Martin huffed. "Well the pain is killing me and the medic isn't here yet with my pain killers. To top it off, you two decide to get all kissy and mushy….it's not hard to hear you two, the walls are curtains." He put extra emphasis on the curtain part by waving his arm towards the divider.
"I'm really sorry….I'm leaving right away and I'll find the medic for you." Derek was genuinely sorry for disturbing Martin.
"Just finish up saying your good night and fetch me that damn medic and I'll call us even." Martin dismissed Derek with a wave of his hand and went back to sulking in his bed.
Derek swiftly made his way back to Blair.
Blair had an impish grin on her face, she was enjoying the embarrassment Derek was forced to endure. She had, of course, heard everything Martin had said, but didn't have to face the wrath or embarrassment.
"Now what Williams?" Derek was agitated.
"Nuthin' Reese" Blair curled her lips up in a half grin.
"What?"
"Just get over here Reese." On the outside, Blair was making a poor attempt at being angry and demanding, but inside her head was spinning around with excitement.
Derek walked over and sat down in the same spot he had left. Both of them locked eyes, prompting Derek to lean in for another kiss, but this time he was stopped by Blair's hand on his chest.
"What now Blair?" Derek snapped.
"Do you promise not to leave me here?"
I swear this woman is going to drive me nuts. Derek thought to himself, then he replied in a rather irritated manner. "Yes Blair, I promise not to leave you here….okay?"
Derek leaned in to kiss Blair, but again she stopped him from advancing by holding her hand to his chest.
"Hold on there Reese." Blair was all about being stern.
"Can't we seal the promise with a kiss?" Derek gave Blair a 'puppy dog' look while he asked, but it got him nowhere with her.
"When the promise is fulfilled, then you get the kiss and not a moment sooner Reese." If Blair could have crossed her arms in determination, she would have. Instead she leaned back and gave him an icy stare, just to show she was serious.
"What the hell Blair….Why did you kiss me just now?" Derek was bewildered, but kept his voice hushed.
"That was a thank you kiss Reese and when I am back at Crystal Peak, you'll get another one….maybe." Blair stated as a matter of fact.
"Well then looks like you'll owe me big time Williams." Derek smirked and got up to leave, but Blair stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
Derek sat down again and looked into Blair's face, he was perplexed over what was happening. "What now?" He whispered as he moved in closer to Blair.
Blair had a mischievous look on her face just before she leaned forward and kissed Derek again, but this time it was barely a brush of her lips onto his. As soon as Derek realized what had happened, the kiss was over.
Blair leaned back in silent triumph, her impish grin had returned.
Derek sat on the edge of the bed, unsure as to what just happened and what to do. He didn't know if he should be overjoyed or shocked, so he just sat on the bed with a silly look on his face.
"I don't understand, what was that kiss for?" Derek whispered as his brow knitted itself together in deep concentration.
"I dunno Reese, maybe it's the drugs they gave me." Blair giggled.
"You do realize that you are driving me crazy Williams. I don't know what to do with you." Derek was all honesty in the way he spoke to her. Deep down he really was totally in the dark over what Blair wanted, but he knew now that he wanted her.
Fully knowing that she had succeeded in Derek's undivided attention, Blair casually brushed her hair back from her face and pretended to be tired.
"I'm sorry Reese, but I am really tired. Can we talk about this when we get back to Crystal Peak?" Blair put on her most innocent face she could muster.
Derek sighed.
He looked away for a moment, then looked back at Blair. Derek brought up his finger to wave at her as he began to speak. "You are really sneaky Williams, but I'm on to your little game her. Just be prepared to pony up on your 'thank you kiss' when we get back to Crystal Peak, and no cheap short ones either."
Blair just gave Derek an amused look, then spoke. "You'll just have to wait and see…good night Reese."
"Williams" He huffed and then stood up to leave.
"Don't forget the medic needs to be sent in here…remember your promise Reese." Blair added in a voice loud enough so Martin could hear.
"Yeeesss, I know." Derek answered through gritted teeth, frustration and embarrassment was written all over his face as he slipped past the curtain and made his way to the next room.
Blair leaned back and sighed, the kiss had been much better than she had anticipated.
She was thoroughly enjoying his undivided attention and secretly hoped things would grow between them. There was something about Derek that made her want to be with him more and more.
Just down the narrow hallway was the main medical room. It served as storage for medical supplies as well as the main operating room for serious injuries.
Derek casually knocked on the door and entered. The room was dimly lit by a small lantern on a desk just inside the doorway. At it sat a smallish man in his late twenties.
"What can I do for you?" The small man asked.
"I just came from the recovery room next door and it seems the guy in the third stall wants his pain killers." Derek explained.
"Ahhh….yes, Martin Bedell. I'll see him shortly, as well as Blair Williams. They both need their meds for the night." The man replied.
"Oh really, so Williams didn't get her meds yet?" Derek lifted his brow.
"Nope"
Derek mused inwardly over the curt answer. Damn that girl. She pretended to be tired from the drugs, but didn't even get any yet. Payback will be sweet. A small smile came across Derek's lips as he slowly formulated a plan to get back at Blair and her little mind games.
"Is there anything else?" The medic asked.
Derek snapped out of his thoughts
"Oh…no sorry, I was just thinking about something. I'll be on my way now, but I'll be back tomorrow morning to get Williams ready for the trip." Derek quickly made his way out of the room and down the hallway towards the men's dormitory.
The medic just shook his head and went back to his paperwork. He would look in on his patients in a few minutes, after he had prepared their meds.
...
Melissa, Amanda and Allison had all settled into their cramped quarters. The three of them would be sharing one fairly large bed, an act they were all not to keen on experiencing.
"This sucks that we have to all sleep in one bed." Amanda pouted.
"Just be thankful we have one to sleep in ladies." Melissa shot back.
"Yeah, it is better than sleeping on dirt." Allison added solemnly.
The three had stripped down to t-shirts and underwear as it was on the warm side in the room from all the extra bodies stuffed into it. They all piled into the bed and settled in for the night. Allison and Amanda were not tired, they were still worked up over the excitement of the day and so they continued to babble about what had gone on and what might happen. They sat cross legged on the bed, while Melissa lay back on her pillow with her hands behind her head.
"Do you think Derek and Blair will hook up?" Amanda gushed.
"Oh my God, that would be so cool if they did." Allison countered.
Melissa smiled to herself, but the girls looked over, noticed her silence and pressed the issue.
"Hey Mel…you're awfully quiet. What do you think of Derek and Blair being an item?" Amanda pressed.
"Ummmm…well…I sorta got them to be an item." Melissa blurted out.
"Ohhh?" The two girls responded together.
"Okay…promise not to tell?" Melissa whispered.
"Promise" Allison and Amanda whispered back.
Melissa sat up to join the other two and make a circle on the bed.
The two girls were engrossed in the drama unfolding, they hung on every word Melissa whispered.
"Oh my God…Derek has seen like nobody for any length of time for ages, it's about time he found someone." Allison added.
"Yeah, it is about time. I mean he is so cute…he needs someone like Blair. She is so pretty too." Amanda was eager to put in her two cents worth.
Melissa thought for a second, then spoke. "Yeah he is cute, but not really my type. I kinda started a bet with Blair about snagging a boyfriend."
Both girls ears pricked up and they eagerly leaned in to hear more. The site of the three girls gathered around in a circle was reminiscent of times long forgotten, when young girls would have sleep overs or slumber parties. The others around then, for the most part either stuck to themselves or were already sleeping.
"So you helped get them together?" Allison eagerly asked.
"Well….yeah….but it was mostly Blair liking Derek. I could see she had a thing for him." Melissa whispered nonchalantly.
"Ohhh that is so sweet…they look really good together." Amanda added.
Melissa went on to recount what had gone on after Blair had lost Marcus and what had happened to John as a result of Marcus's sacrifice. The girls were spellbound by the story and its details, they hung on every word spoken from Melissa's lips. After Melissa had finished, it took a moment before the girls had let everything settle in.
Allison spoke first. "So Blair had not bothered to see anyone after Marcus?"
"Yes, that's about it." Melissa answered honestly.
"You mean she just kept to herself?" Amanda questioned.
"Well sorta….look…she just clammed up, kept to herself, cut herself off from seeing anyone. She had been hurt by all that had gone on with Marcus. All I did was help get her out of her shell. If she didn't snap out of it, she might just have lost it and ended up doing something stupid and reckless. She is a good friend and I didn't want to see that happen to her" Melissa stopped and looked away for a second, her eyes becoming moist from the thought of losing yet another close friend.
"Allie and me are the same. We have been friends for almost 2 years and I would cry if I ever lost her." Amanda looked over to Allison and smiled warmly.
"Awww…you always say the nicest things Mandy." Allison leaned over to hug Amanda and whispered into her ear. "I feel exactly the same about you too Mandy."
"You two are more like sisters then friends." Melissa stated as a matter of fact.
"Yeah, we drive each other crazy sometimes. Like when I bug Allie about John Connor." Amanda gives Allison an all knowing smirk.
Allison tries to give Amanda the 'evil eye', but she fails miserably, as it only ends up making Amanda laugh. In frustration Allison slugs Amanda in the shoulder.
"It's supposed to be a secret dummy." Allison blurts out.
"Oh God…I bet everyone knows you like him." Amanda informs Allison with a broad smile, while she rubs her sore shoulder.
"So do you Mandy."
"Shut up…I do not."
"Liar, liar Mandy…" Allison has a playful grin on her lips.
"Ladies…it's obvious to me that both of you like Connor, but he is happily married." Melissa cuts in.
Her statement is met with pouts and grumbles from the two teens.
"Well it's true and he has a little girl too." Melissa adds.
"He's still cute to me." Allison beamed.
"Same here" Amanda chirped.
Melissa smirked and shook her head. " Look…there will be plenty of boys around your age at Crystal Peak to check out."
"You don't know Derek like we do Mel. If a boy looks at either Mandy or me the wrong way, he's right there…with a gun." Allison stated.
"If he has it his way, Allie and me will never have boyfriends." Amanda chuckled.
"Well maybe Blair will straighten him out." Melissa winked at the girls and leaned back to rest her head on the pillow. She thought for a moment and then looked over to the girls. "Hey"
"Yeah Mel?" Amanda looked over to Melissa.
"How are you two doing after all that happened?"
The two girls glanced at each other, then Allison answered. "We're okay Mel."
"Are you?" Melissa's stare deepened as she looked for any trouble signs from the girls.
"Yeah…we'll be fine." Amanda added.
"Girls…this isn't something to take lightly. If you need to talk about it, then do so. Don't keep everything bottled up inside." Melissa had sat up and leaned in closer to the two girls. Her face showed she was dead serious about what she was saying.
"We're just happy you guys came to save us. Now we just want to forget about it Mel." Allison replied with a stone face, any emotions were kept well hidden from Melissa.
"You will never forget it Allie…but you can deal with it and learn from it. Talking about it will help out lots and you can talk to me or Blair any time you need to." Melissa looked both girls in the eyes as she spoke, making sure they understood she was serious about helping.
Both girls looked down for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then Amanda spoke up. "Thanks for being here to help Mel, if we need to talk about things we know that we can trust you and Blair."
"Yeah, thanks Mel." Allison looked up and gave Melissa a smile, but it was only masking her pain and sadness over what had happened.
Satisfied that she had done what she could for now, Melissa plunked her head back down onto the pillow.
"Now lets get some sleep, we leave before sunrise tomorrow."
"Awwwwww…"
"Ladies"
The girls stretched out on the bed beside Melissa, it took a few moments, but all three managed to find a comfy spot and settle in for the night.
Allison spoke to Melissa softly. "Thanks Mel for helping Blair and Derek get together and thanks for being our friend."
"It's no problem Allie…I think it'll be nice to have you two around and you will really like The Peak." Melissa whispered back.
"The Peak?"
"Yeah….Crystal Peak. Nobody that's a regular calls it by its full name."
"So I guess we are regulars then." Amanda added.
"You are now…now get some sleep." Melissa ordered.
Both girls happily snuggled in bed and soon fell into a restful sleep. Soon after, Melissa joined them in a deep slumber.
...
Kyle and John were already down for the night when Derek came sauntering into the men's dorm.
"Hey guys, you two already in bed?" Derek asked.
"Well yeah, we have to be up before sunrise. Even the girls are in bed." Kyle stated.
"I dunno, I'm still wide awake." Derek added.
"That's because you spent time with Blair." Kyle gave Derek a knowing look.
"Well it was just a couple of minutes."
"Yeah, yeah…you have the hots for her bro…"
Derek just stood and grinned.
John noticed something different about Derek right away. "A talk huh." John lifted his brow in question.
"Yep"
"She kissed you, didn't she." John stated.
Derek turned beet red. "Hhh…How did you know?" He stuttered.
Kyle chuckled. " All right Bro…you kissed her?"
"Twice" Derek beamed.
John smirked. "I kinda knew you two would become an item. I know Blair and she was hooked right from the first time she set eyes on you Reese. I guess congratulations is in order then."
"We just kissed so it's not really like we are dating or an item...yet." Derek put extra emphasis on the 'yet' part.
"I'm afraid it's official Reese…once she kissed you, that's it yer hers." John chuckled.
"Yeah well we'll see how things go, I don't want to rush things. Besides she does some really freaky things…like some sort of mind games. Sometimes I don't know if she really likes me or not." Derek pondered.
"Welcome to the world of women Reese. They will always keep you guessing and expect you to know what they want without saying it." John sounded serious, but his eyes were bright with mischief.
"Yeah bro…girls can be soooo complicated." Kyle put in his words of wisdom. Even if he had little experience, he wanted to help out his brother in any way possible.
Derek looked over to Kyle and smiled. "Well I'm sure there are plenty of girls at Crystal Peak with broken hearts…right bro?"
"Not yet, but I'm workin' on it" Kyle just turned red and looked away.
"Okay guys, I'm calling it a night." John lay back on his pillow and stretched his legs. "We have a long day ahead of us."
"Night Connor." Derek replied as he climbed up on the top bunk and settled in.
"Night"
"Night guys" Kyle whispered as he smiled to himself, while he thought of his brother and Blair.
"Night Kyle"
"Night bro"
All three soon were sleeping, Kyle being the first to nod off and start to snore, with John and Derek soon falling asleep from sheer exhaustion stemming from the past few traumatic days.
Things were starting to take a turn for the better.
People had been rescued, new friendships and relationships were forming. John Connor's legend had grown to the point where criminals would now fear and respect him. Hope was growing in the masses of human survivors.
The only thing that stuck in the back of many peoples minds was Skynet.
Was Skynet really defeated?
Had the destruction of Skynet Central in San Francisco really sealed the evil machines fate?
Would mankind finally be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and begin rebuilding?
In John Connors mind, no one was ever safe and he knew deep in his bones that Skynet was still out there, somewhere, waiting to sweep in on the unsuspecting human masses.
He would never be at ease or rest until he was certain Skynet was no more.
...
Authors Note- A big thanks goes out to all those that read and review my story.
Thank you to my beta reader The1Russter, your help is tremendous.
If you see any problems or have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Moe