Chapter 21

Girls' Night Out

Vanna and Allison reaffirmed their relationship. It was soon as strong as ever. The two girls really thought they would never see each other again. Now here they both were. they were together again in Paradise. The troubles of the future were in the past, at least their past.

The girls felt they'd been given a new lease on life. It was quite literally a new lease on life. The future was a dead end the way it currently was. It was like a bad dream. There was only one problem. It wasn't a dream. It was time to move their lives forward.

Vanna and Allison wanted to go out for the evening.

It was something Allison hadn't really done since she'd arrived in the past, the present. Most of the trips were during the day. Everyone was still very cautious about their surroundings on the outside.

Vanna wanted to ask Cameron if she would like to go with them. She decided not to. She didn't want to upset Allison and look like she was still actively pursuing Cameron.

The girls hadn't really decided on a specific place to go yet.

Allison was the one who brought up Cameron.

"Cameron suggested we should have a Terminator escort when we go out." Allison said.

It was something Cameron stressed. Usually Bob or Jim went with them. A couple of times John Henry went. He was usually busy.

Vanna didn't think it would be too hard to find one of the Terminators who weren't busy.

"We can ask someone." Vanna said. "There aren't any operations scheduled for tonight. I'll see if Jim or Bob is available."

Allison wondered if Cameron would want to go without John.

"Maybe I'll ask Cameron." Allison said. "We can have a 'girl's night out'."

Vanna liked the idea. She liked it even better when Allison suggested it. She didn't want Cameron to be an irritant between them. It didn't appear it would be.

"We could ask her." Vanna said.

Allison nodded.

"I'll do it." Allison said.

It pleased Vanna immensely.

Allison found Cameron and asked her if she wanted to come along with them. She explained they wanted to have a 'girl's night out'.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She thought about it for a few seconds. She said only if they could take Sarah with them. She was worried about Sarah, she seemed so alone. Even though John was back, it seemed there was still a deep emptiness to Sarah. Most of the male figures she cared about were dead.

She tried to interact with Sarah whenever she could. She was very appreciative of the fact Sarah made sure she was restored. Sarah also backed her up during her recovery. Sarah made sure nothing happened to her and she wasn't altered, dismantled or destroyed.

Cameron was with John a lot. Vanna and Allison shared each other. Sarah only seemed to have memories. She told Sarah she would never 'take' John away from her. She explained there was room for everyone in their tight knit group, together. She didn't wish to subtract anything from Sarah's life, but add to it. On her end, she made a point to see John stayed close to his mother.

Sarah was aware John and Cameron's relationship was 'expanding'. She didn't want to really think about it, or know by how much. She knew Cameron was the best person to help and protect John at this point in his life. Previously, when she'd asked Vanna about Cameron's 'completeness' as a female, Vanna indicated Cameron seemed 'fully functional' as a human female. At least all the 'components' were there. She felt what John and Cameron did on their own was their business. She wasn't going to get involved.

She was sure the closer they became, the more they would protect each other. It was beneficial to both of them. She appreciated the fact Cameron tried to include her in many important Resistance decisions as an equal.

Somehow in the moment after John went into the future, when she looked at Cameron's deactivated chassis, she knew it wasn't the end. It was just the start. She made sure she held up her end of the team. Now they were all reunited. It made her loneliness a little more bearable. As long as she had John, she still had Kyle. Well, she had a part of him.

Cameron found Sarah and asked her if she wanted to go out with them.

"Everyone would like it if you came with us." Cameron said.

Sarah looked at Cameron and then slowly looked around behind her to see if there was someone else in the room. There wasn't. She was pleased to be included. She was even more pleased it was Cameron who was the one who'd asked her.

"I'd like to do so." Sarah said. "It would be nice to do something else at night other than hunt down Skynet operatives."

Sarah agreed because she wanted to get a little closer to Vanna and Allison. She'd spent a lot of nights alone 'polishing her pearl'. Vanna tried to get 'closer' to her before Allison came back. She wouldn't mind an 'adventure' with Allison or Vanna at this point in her life. She'd done some experimentation in high school with some of her female friends. She was ready for the same adventure again. She wouldn't say anything to anyone about it, but if the opportunity arose, she was going to take it. She didn't want to develop any calluses in the wrong places. Her fingers needed a break. They weren't her only worry either.

The four 'girls' went out. There was no mission for tonight. Everyone except Cameron needed a rest from the action.

Allison wanted to know some more about Cameron.

"Are you really always active?" Allison asked.

Cameron didn't see the need to be inactive.

"I don't sleep." Cameron said.

Allison could understand, but there must be more to it.

"You don't need to recharge or regenerate or something?" Allison asked.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She felt her power cell was very efficient and powerful.

"No." Cameron said. "I can operate twenty-four hours a day for years at a time."

Allison liked her sleep. It seemed having all the extra time would be interesting, at least for a while. She'd be able to get caught up with everything.

"What do you do?" Allison asked.

Cameron thought about it. She did a lot of things.

"Everything…." Cameron said. "I do whatever needs to be done."

Allison wasn't sure what it meant. Maybe Cameron could show her sometime. She felt Cameron could improve her training. She was a Resistance fighter, but she wanted to improve herself. Cameron would be the perfect one to do it. She glanced over at Vanna. It didn't seem like the right time to ask. She would need to ask Cameron later.

"Tonight is 'fun night'. Let's go have some fun." Allison said. "I need a break."

They discussed what they wanted to do. They all agreed on a few things they would try.

The girls caught a movie and dinner. They wanted to have a few drinks. Sarah needed to purchase them. No one would serve Allison or Cameron, even if Cameron didn't order a drink.

Over the last few weeks, Vanna and Sarah taught Allison how to drive, or attempted to anyway. It was a new skill she was challenged by. They wanted her to learn in a safer manner than she'd learned in the Wastelands. It was slow going, but she was a quick learner. She said she also wanted to learn to drive a 'stick shift'. She wanted to learn how to drive everything.

Allison wanted to practice driving tonight. Maybe the couple of drinks she tried didn't help her any. She tended to drive slightly more erratically than usual. She'd either hit one pot hole too many, or the curb too often. It seemed she never slowed down enough for the corners when she made a turn.

Cameron was a little disturbed by Allison's ability, or lack of it. She thought she should take over Allison's driving instruction.

They ended up with a flat tire on some dark side street. Cameron changed the tire without the use of tools. The girls loved it. There was a lot of cheering and clapping from them. It was clear the human girls all drank one too many.

All of the noise and laughing brought some unintended visitors.

Cameron put the flat tire in the back of the SUV. She heard and then spotted the figures as they approached. She warned the others. She'd experienced encounters with similar groups previously. They all played out and ended the same way.

"There's trouble coming." Cameron said. "I have it."

One of the figures stepped forward and spoke. It was most likely the leader of the group.

"You 'chiquitas' look like you need some real men to help you out." The leader said.

There were half a dozen members of a local street gang who approached them.

Allison recognized the threat for what it was in the future. She warned the others as she reached for her weapon. She knew how to deal with the threat.

"Scavengers!" Allison said as she gripped the butt of her Model 66. "I'll take the two on the far right."

Sarah didn't want Allison to overreact. She knew Allison was unfamiliar with contemporary society. More than likely, the individuals would end up as Scavengers, those who survived anyway. There was a pretty good chance it wouldn't be very many of them who made it through J-Day, for multiple reasons.

"Relax. Don't do anything yet." Sarah said. "They're just a local street gang. They're nothing more than thugs and punks."

The leader and his group heard what Sarah said. He realized it wasn't an accident either.

The rest of the group heard it as well. They didn't like it.

"Thugs and punks?" The leader asked. "You sluts need to learn some respect, especially when you're on our turf."

Sarah held Cameron and Allison back. She wanted to try a diplomatic approach first.

"Let's hope he comprehends better than he hears." Sarah said. "If you punks leave now, no one will get hurt."

There were angry murmurs from the thugs.

"I don't think we're the ones who'll be hurt." The leader said.

Sarah tried to warn them again.

"Just leave now and nothing will happen." Sarah said.

There was muted laughter from the thugs.

"What's gonna happen?" The leader asked.

Sarah nodded her head towards Cameron.

"She happens." Sarah said.

The gang sized up Cameron.

"Are you 'loco'?" The leader asked Sarah.

Sarah smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I've spent a few years in the 'nut house'." Sarah said. "I always thought it was more a matter of interpretation. Maybe it wasn't."

The gang heard enough. They felt they were being mocked or taunted.

"You 'putas' are gonna get a real work over by my crew. I'm gonna start with her." The leader said.

He pointed at Cameron.

"Then I'm gonna do her sister and friend." The leader said. "The mouthy mother will be last. My whole crew will take a turn with each of you."

Allison heard enough. Those were 'killing' words in the future. She was ready to draw her Model 66 and fire.

Sarah gently grabbed her to hold her back.

"Cameron has this." Sarah whispered.

Cameron looked at the girls and Sarah.

Sarah nodded.

Cameron faced the leader.

"OK." Cameron said.

Cameron took off her purple coat and handed it to Vanna. She didn't want to get blood on it, or worse, a rip.

"Try not to kill anyone." Sarah whispered to Cameron as she reached back and touched her Glock.

The leader didn't like the challenge.

"OK - what?" The leader asked.

Cameron stepped forward.

"You said I was first." Cameron said. "Here I am. Now what?"

Cameron walked up and faced the six punks.

The act seemed to unnerve the thugs because she wasn't afraid of them. It was definitely unfamiliar territory for them. They were still unable to recognize it for the threat it actually was.

Cameron openly challenged them. She looked a little bored.

"Well?" Cameron asked.

The leader hadn't ever encountered this type of behavior before. He began to feel a new feeling. It was fear. He felt threatened now. He felt a little defensive. He didn't like the way the girl stared at him.

"What are you looking at?" The leader asked.

Cameron leaned forward slightly.

"I'm looking at you." Cameron stated.

One of the thugs moved around to try and come up on Cameron's side. She reached her leg out and tripped him. She punched him in the back of the neck as he fell. His head hit the pavement with a loud 'crack'. He'd been in the process of pulling out a butterfly knife. It clattered to the pavement unopened. Another punk rushed her from the other side. Cameron grabbed him and brought her foot up from in back of her, over her shoulder and slammed it into his head. It produced another loud 'crack' sound. He silently joined his gang buddy on the ground. Both figures were unmoving.

She advanced on two more thugs. They'd reached for guns or knives. She slammed both of them together. She then threw them to opposite sides of the street like rag dolls. They didn't move after they landed.

Cameron looked around and smiled, four up and four down, two to go. The expression on Cameron's face never changed. It was the look of a Terminator.

"Is this how you play the game?" Cameron asked.

Everything happened in just a few seconds so far.

"You're crazy." The leader said in utter fear.

Cameron advanced on him.

"Probably…." Cameron said.

She actually felt she was at times.

Cameron snatched the pistol out of the leader's hand he'd finally managed to draw, and threw it into the face of the remaining man. He went down as blood squirted from his split open forehead. She was sure she saw the bone before the blood gushed out.

Cameron faced the leader. He was all alone.

"I like this game." Cameron said.

The leader pulled a switchblade.

Cameron picked up the butterfly knife from the pavement the first thug dropped. She expertly opened it in a swift fluid motion. The leader stepped back. He was terrified. The front of his pants rapidly formed a wet spot.

Allison and Vanna watched in awe. It was only about ten seconds since Cameron first said 'OK'.

Sarah wanted to give the girls something to think about.

"She's taking it easy on them." Sarah informed Vanna and Allison. "They're all still alive. I haven't heard her snap any necks yet."

Cameron grabbed the punk's knife hand and crushed his wrist. He screamed in agony. The switchblade fell to the ground. She held her knife to his throat.

"What did you want to start with?" Cameron asked. "I'm here."

The leader whimpered in agony. There was the foul order of human excrement in the air.

"I'm gonna kill you." The punk gasped out.

Cameron's face was blank.

"You can't kill me." Cameron said.

Cameron picked him up by the neck and lifted him off of the ground as she squeezed her hand. He thrashed around wildly for a few seconds before he fell limp. She dropped him to the ground.

Vanna and Allison looked on in awe.

"Wow, you were amazing." Allison said. "Cameron, you're the greatest."

Vanna put her mouth against Allison's ear and whispered as softly as she could.

"Are you still going to try to hit on her boyfriend?" Vanna asked.

Allison swallowed hard.

Sarah thought it was time to move on.

"That's enough 'fun' for tonight." Sarah said. "Let's go."

Allison was pumped full of adrenaline.

"This was fun. I had a really great time." Allison said "Let's do it again tomorrow."

Vanna could see Allison meant it too. She thought it was a little more than just the alcohol talking.

Cameron looked over at the six fallen figures. There was no movement from any of them. None of them scanned back as deceased.

She faced Allison.

"Most nights are usually like this for me anyway." Cameron said.

It surprised Allison.

"Really?" Allison asked.

Cameron thought she'd been quite clear.

"Yes." Cameron said.

Allison wondered if Cameron normally acted less restricted than what Sarah wanted tonight.

"Do you ever kill anyone?" Allison asked.

Cameron thought it depended on the mission.

"Sometimes." Cameron said. "It happens."

The incident tonight reminded Allison of her past, the future.

"I know things like this happened all the time in our future." Allison said.

Cameron thought it was universal.

"Things happen here too." Cameron said.

Allison really wanted some additional training now.

"Can I go out with you some night?" Allison asked. "I'd like to learn more from you and be more like you. That's if you want to teach me. I'm a quick learner."

Cameron thought about it for a moment. Perhaps it could be a two way street.

"Anytime…." Cameron said. "Maybe we can learn from each other."

Allison wasn't sure what she meant.

Cameron knew there were a few things she needed to learn from Allison. The main one was about what happened in the future between Allison and John. There was more to the story than anyone said so far. She wanted answers. She wanted the truth. She thought she was more likely to get it from Allison, than she was from John.

It wasn't her place to judge since she hadn't been in the future with John and Allison. She'd been trapped in a metal box.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Do You Ever Think About Dying

Do you ever think about dying
No need to shed a tear
Death is always near
Its call you can hear

Will it be a new beginning
Or is it really the end
No need to build bridges
Or any fences to mend

You can go out screaming
Paint yourself with disgrace
Or tackle the Grim Reaper
With a smile on your face

We know how the story ends
Do you know where you stand
Will you be the one to give
Or receive the command

If they say they haven't
You know they're lying
I will ask you once again
Do you ever think about dying

Nobody