John woke up on his bed with a gasp. His chest was heaving with heavy breaths he took with every passing second. He looked down at his body and realized his whole body was drenched in sweat. He took a deep breath to calm down his racing heart.

The same nightmare again.

In his dream he wasn't eleven years old, he was of the same age as he was now. The T-1000. It was chasing him and almost had him in the steel factory. He was so sure he'd die but at the last moment someone tackled the T-1000 away from him. John was at the edge of the platform below which lay the hot molten steel. Both figures fell down towards the molten steel. Cameron had managed to grab a chain somehow to prevent her fall, but so did the T-1000. It had managed to grab hold of one of her legs.

John looked down at the scene. The T-1000 was damaged heavily as its lower portion was completely vaporized by the hot molten steel, but even then it was not ready to give up. It was trying to get up by using Cameron. And Cameron of course had also realized it. She looked down at the T-1000 who was still holding her leg and trying to climb up and then back up towards John.

John's eyes were wide with fear. He was not concerned about himself, he was concerned about her. Even at half-strength the T-1000 was exceptionally powerful. At the moment his green eyes met Cameron's brown ones. At that moment his mother had also arrived and was looking down towards where Cameron and the T-1000 both were struggling to climb up. But at that moment Cameron suddenly stopped climbing and kicked the T-1000 hard, but it simply absorbed the impact and latched onto the lower portion of her body. Cameron looked up, first at John. She smiled slightly and then at Sarah with a serious look on her face.

"For John." She said, and she'd let go of the chain and dropped right into the hot molten steel along with the T-1000.

John could only scream her name as his mother was holding him back from jumping into the molten steel to save her.

That's when he woke up and found himself in his bed.

John looked at himself in the mirror. He looked terrible. His eyes were red and there were slight signs of dark spots under his eyes. He brushed his mouth and went straight for a shower.

A cold bath could help him.

As he stood underneath the shower, his thoughts again turned to his nightmare.

Cameron.

He couldn't save her. But she did save him like she always did. Not only that she had sacrificed herself so he could live. John placed his hand on the wall of the bathroom and supported his body. So much blood, murder, death. He knew it was getting to him. The toll of this battle.

John knew he couldn't let anyone else close to him die anymore. If he does, it would finally break him.

Derek.

His mom, whom he cannot express how much he loves.

And especially Cameron.

A few days ago he didn't even know her and out of nowhere she appeared like an angel and became the most important person in his life. He knew he was attracted to Cameron's beauty but that was not what made him want her so much. It's for who she was. She was his friend, the only one he could tell with hundred percent certainty that she'd never turn away from him, whether it was something big or small, she would never tell him that she was busy to spend time with him, she knew how to comfort him when he needed it, she'd be always there to listen to him, she was the one who understands him most, and she'd be always there for him. What more could he ask for? Losing his mom would certainly push him to his breaking point from where he'd never recover, but Cameron….. If she'd die, John was certain that he would die with her too. He couldn't imagine a world where he'd live and she wouldn't be there. In such a short time from no one, she has become his world.

When Cameron stayed beside him on the bed at night, he'd sleep peacefully and even if he had nightmares she knew how to calm him down in his sleep. Cameron had helped him in ways which he couldn't even explain. She was the one who brought the confidence in him, that even as a teenager he was still John Connor, and his decisions and insights mattered. He knew why his mom didn't want him involved in anything, it was because she loved him and wanted to protect him. She wanted to shield him from everything. He loved his mother for that. But that's not what he wanted or the fate wanted from him.

He was John Connor and the war is here. He had to step in and fight. With precise planning if you'd struck at enemies weak points even the enemies who seemed invulnerable can also become vulnerable. Cameron had taught him that. Like his mother, Cameron also didn't like him directly involved in fighting or out in the open for Skynet to target him, but she had always respected his decision. She had let him fight because she was there to protect him. John knew Cameron would never let anything happen to him, ever. She is so different from Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob only wanted to follow mission parameters and even listened to him because that was one of his mission parameters too. But Cameron is not like that. He could talk to her about anything and she'd always have something to say and understand almost everything, unlike Uncle Bob.

She has a will of her own, she was his own person, she could take decisions herself, not a mission driven terminator. He had seen that she could get upset and even be happy which he bet is not possible for any kind of terminator, not even the advanced T-1000 model. John was sure there was so much more to her, which he has no idea about.

With a sigh John stopped the shower and put a towel around his waist. Then he exited the bathroom, got ready and headed down for breakfast. He knew his mother was probably preparing pancakes for him. John went down and saw that Derek was already sitting on a chair with the newspaper in his hand.

"Good morning. Had a good night's sleep, John?" Derek asked.

"Good morning to you too." John groaned. He still wasn't feeling well, mentally.

"John ready the plates." Sarah said from the kitchen.

John groaned again. Derek smirked at his reaction. John thought what if the resistance soldiers would have seen him now, arranging plates on the dining table, the great General John Connor. He wondered what their reaction would have been.

"Where's Cameron?" John asked no one in particular.

Derek scowled which John didn't fail to notice at the mere mention of Cameron. "The metal is outside, reviewing the security of the house. It wasn't satisfied with our current arrangement."

"We could always use more security." John said, casually, defending Cameron.

"Whatever." Derek said sarcastically and concentrated on the newspaper again.

At that moment John realized that he had forgotten to bring his cell phone from his room. He got up from his chair and started to head towards the stairs. But his mother's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going John?" Sarah asked with a tray of pancakes in her hand.

"I forgot to bring my phone. I will be back in a few seconds." John said.

"Well, hurry up." Sarah replied while putting down the tray of pancakes on the table.

John nodded and headed upstairs to his room jumping stairs. When he opened the door of his room he saw a sight which he never imagined in his wildest dreams. Cameron was standing at the foot of his bed, with her back to him and completely naked in her glory, with a towel in her hand, getting ready for a shower.

John just couldn't move. He stood there like a statue with his eyes round like saucers and his mouth opening and closing several times, without any sound coming out. She had let her hair down on her back and John could see the creamy smooth skin of her back which he had seen before but in a completely different situation, her long legs and her naked ass. She was turned away from him at a forty five degree angle so he could also spot the side of her naked breasts from his position. At that moment Cameron turned her head around to look at him and John's face turned several shades of red, not to mention how his pants suddenly felt so uncomfortable and tight.

John saw that Cameron had realized that he had seen her in a very vulnerable state but that didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She was looking at him curiously.

"Need anything John?" She asked innocently.

Yeah John needed his phone. But now he needed many things from her other than his phone, as his mind was going to completely gutter at the sight of her glorious naked form right in front of him, free for his eyes to look as much as he wanted.

John cleared his throat and somehow managed to say, "I forgot my phone."

"Oh!" Cameron said and then looked at the phone lying on his bed. She bent down to pick his phone but John's voice stopped her. He was already out of the room and had closed the door behind him.

"No! No! I will get it later." He said and then Cameron could hear his footsteps going down on the stairs.

John just ran away. He didn't want to see more than he already did. He was not so confident that he would be able to control himself if he'd seen more. He might end up doing something which he would regret as long as he'd live.

Cameron stared back at the closed door after John left with a confused expression on her face. Then slowly the confused expression on her face changed to realization and then to a complete smile as she understood what had bothered John so much that he had to run away like that.

John quickly ran down the stairs and sat down on his chair, with his face still completely red. Derek was the one who noticed it first.

"Why is your face so red, John?" Derek asked.

"It's nothing." John replied while fumbling with his food on his plate. Now Sarah had noticed that too. John never does that when he eats. He was always in a hurry when he eats. She knew the reason. Her son was bored of eating the same food everyday but she herself was not a good cook. She cooked for him the food items she knew about and she would admit that they didn't taste very good. But her son had never complained.

But today, right now he was acting weird. He looked like he had seen or had come to know of something which he shouldn't have.

"John?" Sarah asked.

"It's nothing." He repeated the same way, and this time with enough force to silence his mother and his uncle. They both seemed to be satisfied with his answer.

John put the food in his mouth but his mind was somewhere else. He just couldn't push away the scene from his head which he saw a few moments ago. He knew Cameron was gorgeous but today he had to admit to himself that she was just flawless. That image of naked Cameron in his head was both turning him on and making him uncomfortable at the same time. He just had no idea what to do.

First the nightmare, then now this. This is not a good day for him. He groaned inwardly and put the pancake in his mouth again not to raise too much suspicion. He had no idea how much time had passed while he ate the pancakes slowly and occasionally fumbled with it, as he watched his mother and uncle deep in conversation.

He turned his head around when he heard footsteps behind him.

Speak of the devil.

It was her.

She smiled at him and then her face turned serious when she stared back towards Derek and Sarah.

"Did you eat?" John asked her, trying to talk to her normally after what had happened. Thankfully she didn't bring it up right in front of Derek and his mom.

"I don't need to eat." She said and sat down on an empty chair beside him.

John scowled slightly when he saw that his mother didn't leave any pancake for Cameron. But he didn't open his mouth to voice his opinion this time. Instead he did what he thought was right.

"Come on. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." John said again and lifted the pancake with his hand and let it linger in front of Cameron's mouth for her to take it. Returning his smile, and surprising him and the other occupants in the room, Cameron took a bite from the cake with her mouth instead of taking it with her hand. John fed her the rest of the cake as he glared at his mother while Cameron ate the cake from his hand. It was like a silent communication between him and his mother.

She is not a part of the team. She is not one of us. She is a machine. The enemy. You cannot trust her John.

She is part of the team. She is one of us. She is not just a machine, she is much more. She is a person just like the rest of them. She is not the enemy. She is their ally, his friend. I trust her.

And I love her.

Yes, John had admitted to himself, at last, that he did love her. He was not concerned about whether she could love him back the way he wanted, maybe a small part of him does. What he felt for her was beyond all the feelings he ever knew. It was so relaxing, so full of happiness and life. There was no expectation in return of his feelings. It felt so selfless. Amongst the blood battle, death, cruelty, mistrust, his feelings were the only thing that felt right.

And he wouldn't let anyone get between it. Not even his mom.

His mother didn't understand. Perhaps she would never understand and maybe she didn't want to. Both his mom and Derek hated machines, but it does not mean that all of the machines were bad either. Uncle Bob was another example. Cameron was so different from them, he tried to make his mom and Derek understand that, but they didn't listen to him and purposely either ignored Cameron or made her feel miserable.

Well not anymore.

Cameron is always there for him and from now he will always be there for her and no one can stop him from doing that. He will treat the way she deserved to be treated, like a person, a part of the family member, a loved one. He was not even to show it openly anymore, that he does care for her and will never turn away from her, even for his mom.

It will never happen.

John decided to break the tension that was building inside the room. "I have researched about the Japanese company. We need to get to their AI too."

Derek didn't seem satisfied at his suggestion. "It does not become Skynet. We could land ourselves into wanted attention because of it. Too risky."

John shook his head. "Everything is risky. How do you know for certain, Derek? Things have changed."

"John is right." Sarah agreed, pushing the scene of her son feeding Cameron at the back of her mind. "We can't take any risk of a potential AI becoming Skynet."

"Fine." Derek agreed grumpily. "What's the plan?"

"I have already made contact with them. I am going in as CEO of a tech company and Cameron as my advisor. Tomorrow. 6 P.M. sharp. Hampton Inn." John explained.

"What made them accept to meet you in the first place?" Derek asked, his eyes narrowed.

John smiled cheekily at this. "I offered them something beyond their dreams. I would try to get it out of them where they have kept the AI. When I do, I will message you, mom. You and Derek will take care of it." Was all he said. "But first we need to go shopping. We will need special clothes for this occasion."


SOMETIME LATER

John had brought Cameron with him to the shopping mall to get himself a proper business suit, suitable for a special meeting and a dress for Cameron. The meeting would take place in Hampton Inn. John knew they would have to be ready for some social events with the meeting, like a formal dance. John was not very selectable about his suit, but Cameron made him choose a good one. A dark green one. She said it matched the color of his eyes. The salesman agreed to that and said that John's girlfriend has a good taste.

Cameron was ready to correct the salesman that she was not John's girlfriend but John had stopped her and told her to play along. Now it was Cameron's turn to choose a dress. The first dress she chose was a good one, but once she put it on, John immediately rejected it because the dress revealed too much of her cleavage, which he didn't like. Of course he didn't say it out loud to Cameron, he simply said to her that it was not good.

This time John had chosen a dress for her which he thought was pretty decent. He was looking for something which would cover Cameron's body right from her shoulder. John didn't want the two men who would come to the meeting to stare at Cameron's chest the whole time. The thought alone made him boil with anger. John waited outside while Cameron was inside the trial room. While he was waiting one sales girl approached him.

"Anything I can help you with, sir?" She asked politely.

"No. Thank you. My girlfriend is in the trial room. I am just waiting for her." John replied the same way, with a small smile.

"Oh." The sales girl smiled. "And there she comes. I think."

When John turned around, what he saw made him speechless. From somewhere Cameron had managed to get a pair of large circular earrings and her hair was tied to a loose bun, while some she had let some tendril of loose hairs fall down from her head. The black dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly and had ended up right above her knee. He didn't fail to notice she was also wearing a pair of heels. She was looking breathtakingly beautiful. She was the most perfect creature John had ever laid his eyes upon.

"How do I look John?" Cameron asked.

But John was in no state to answer. He just stared at Cameron with slack jaws.

"Cameron you look….." John stuttered.

The sales girl smiled looking at the two of them. "Excuse me mam." She said to Cameron. She looked at the girl while John was still staring at her with wide eyes. "Judging by the reaction of your boyfriend, I think he loves it."

"Boyfriend?" Cameron asked.

The sales girl nodded and indicated towards John. She then left them there and went to assist other customers in the shop.

Cameron saw the girl go. She then looked back at John who was still looking at her silently.

"John, how do I look?" She asked again for his confirmation.

This time John was able to get out of his trance. "Cameron, you look beautiful." He answered honestly.

"Thank you, John." She smiled sweetly at him.

"I bet you'd look better without any clothes." A voice said.

Both Cameron and John turned their heads to see three large boys looking at them, or rather towards her specifically. Eyeing her body up and down.

"Leave us alone." John said at once.

"You go where you want to." The large boy who stood in front dismissed John away. "I would like to talk to this one." He added looking at Cameron. "She is a hot one. What do you say boys?" He asked his two companions. They both agreed.

"Who is he?" The boy asked Cameron, indicating John. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yes." Cameron deadpanned.

She waited patiently. She didn't show any sign of hostility. So far these three boys showed no threat to John.

"Tsk. Tsk." The boy made a sound with his mouth. "You know you should spend time with real men, who can show you good times, and appreciate your beauty." He said, and traced Cameron's cheek with his finger.

Cameron could have easily broken both his finger and hand but she didn't. She didn't want attention on her and John.

John was fuming with anger at the boy's attitude. How dare he touch Cameron? He knew she could defend herself and was holding back because of him.

"Hey!" John grabbed the boy's hand and jerked it away from Cameron's cheek. "Hands off!" He warned the boy.

The boy seemed to tense and Cameron also tensed, ready to protect John from everything. But the boy seemed to relax. He ignored John and looked at Cameron again. "So what do you say? You could join me. I would rock your world in a way you've never imagined."

"No. Thank you. John has rocked my world several times before. I do not need you." Cameron replied with a straight face but John blushed deep crimson at her words.

Hearing her reply the boy glared back at John. "You can do much better than him."

"No. I can't." Cameron replied at once.

The large boy's eyes rose. "What?"

"You asked whether I can have a better boyfriend than John, I said no." Cameron simply said.

"You really believe that?" The boy laughed along with his two companions.

"No. I know that." Cameron replied truthfully.

John would never admit to anyone, but at that moment he was both touched and felt proud of himself by her words. He knew what she said was a lie, but he was touched by her words nevertheless.

"Is there a problem?" One of the sales people approached them.

The large boy glared back at John angrily before taking his leave with his companions. John looked back at the sales person. "Everything is okay. Could you please pack these things?"

"Please follow me." The sales person politely said.

After paying for their clothes and other necessary things both headed down towards the ground floor which occupied the food space.

"Ah, Cameron." John called.

"Yes, John?" She asked, looking at him.

"I am sorry, Cameron. I didn't mean to do it." John apologized.

"Do what?" Cameron asked, confused.

Would she really make him say it?

Alright man up, Johnny boy. You have to accept your mistake and have the guts to apologize for it too.

"For earlier today. I shouldn't have barged into the room like that. I really didn't know you were changing. Otherwise I would've never….." John began to blabber but Cameron cut him off, "John, it's okay. I know. There is no need to apologize. I didn't mind." She assured John.

"Huh?" John looked surprised. "You didn't? Why not? You should be."

"It was you, John." She simply replied.

What did she mean by that? By simply being John Connor I have the right to see her naked anytime? No no. She didn't mean that. Get your head out of the gutter, John. He said to himself and slapped himself mentally.

"Ah… okay. If you say so." Was all John said.

Cameron smiled at him reassuringly.

They were about to leave the mall but suddenly Cameron pulled him behind a large pillar. John was so taken back by her action that he was unable to say anything. He saw Cameron was looking at someone from the pillar's cover and he also tried to see. But he couldn't understand what she was seeing.

"Cameron, what?" He asked with confusion in his tone.

"Look." She pointed towards the far corner of the food store where two men sat in front of a coffee table. One was a large black man wearing a tuxedo and the second one was a slightly elderly man wearing normal clothing.

John couldn't recognize the man in suit, but he was able to recognize the elderly man sitting in front of the man in suit.

It was none other than Enrique Salceda.

"What the hell is Enrique doing here? I thought he said he had retired." John murmured.

"He lied." Cameron simply said.

Yes. John remembered. Cameron had expressed her doubt about Enrique that day but both he and his mom didn't listen. How could they? They had known Enrique for years and he was a trustworthy man.

Even now John doesn't know what Enrique is doing here. It could be anything, something simple. He won't put blame on anyone unless he'd come to know for sure.

"Cameron, do you recognize the other man?" John asked.

"Yes. FBI Agent James Ellison." She simply answered. "I know him from the future."

"Can you hear what they are talking about?" John asked.

"No. The glass doors are sound proof." Cameron replied.

"Damn it. If only I could hear what both of them are talking about…." John said with regret. "What do you think about Enrique, Cameron?" John knew Cameron didn't trust Enrique a bit. But his mother did and he too, or rather he could say he used to. Right now, he didn't know. After seeing Enrique with an FBI agent he had his fair share of doubts which had begun to rise on the surface.

"He is the mole, John." Cameron simply said. "He is dangerous to us, to you."

John was still hesitant about it. "Cameron, I don't know. I need to be sure."

"I will bring you the proof, John. Then it will be your decision to make." She replied.

"I can work with that." John said, eyeing Ellison and Enrique. "Better not tell mom about this until we have proof."

Cameron nodded.


BACK AT HOME

As soon as they both entered John had to face his mother who was waiting for him anxiously in the dining room.

"What took you so long? Did you run into trouble?" Sarah asked, coming near John.

"Nothing happened, mom." John lied.

"One boy was hitting on me." Cameron suddenly said.

"What?!" Sarah asked, surprised. "Is it true, John?" She asked for confirmation looking at John, at which he nodded. "Then what did you do?"

"I put him in his place." Cameron simply replied.

"And no one would find him in a body bag?" Sarah asked, folding her hands over her chest.

"No. I didn't touch him." Cameron denied.

"Come on mom. Nothing happened. We handled the situation peacefully." John cut in. John didn't reveal that he was seconds away before punching the boy himself.

Sarah seemed to be satisfied with her son's words. "Okay if you say so."

John scoffed and immediately headed upstairs. But Sarah had one question she had to ask Cameron.

"What if he touched you?" Sarah asked Cameron.

Cameron looked at Sarah for a moment. Even John stopped and gave his mother an irritated stare. She understood what Sarah meant and she decided to tell the truth.

"Then he would have ended in a hospital bed with two hundred and six broken bones." She simply said with somewhat an angry glare on her face. And Sarah saw the same expression on her son's face.

John went upstairs to his room. Cameron was about to follow him but she stopped again and looked back at Sarah.

"Have faith in John." She said to Sarah.

Sarah seemed slightly angry that a machine was lecturing her about trusting her son's instincts and decisions. "Well, do you have faith in John?"Sarah replied angrily.

"I always have." Was all Cameron said before disappearing behind John, upstairs.


A/N: The plot didn't progress in this chapter much since I had decided to base this chapter on John and Cameron. Where they stand, what John feels for her, what he was ready to do for her, the bond between them, etc. These things were not explored in the previous chapters, so I dedicated this one to these things. Don't forget to let me know your thoughts about the development of the relationship of John and Cameron. Do you think this is okay? Good? Bad? Out of place? Odd? Too much drama? Not focused on the plot? Please, please let me know.

Thanks to all who takes their time to read this story and special thanks to those who leaves a review at the end.