Chapter 86

Understanding

Cameron was satisfied with the outcome of the battle. She was very displeased about what almost happened to Jesse and Allison. Bob, Jim and Ed were directed to collect the remains of the Terminators, who were terminated, during the battle. There wasn't much else to collect otherwise.

She quietly asked them to find out what was located where the three Terminators who accosted her came from. She was sure there was a little more to the story. She wanted to know what it was. It was all to be done clandestinely. There was no reason to alarm the others. It was something she would deal with on her own later on.

John and Cameron returned with everyone back to the base. The strike was a success, even if it turned a little dicey at times. They'd stopped Skynet, a Skynet, again. They were able to capture some more Terminators and destroy several others. It was a win, even if it was a close one.

Only Jesse still suffered the ill effects from the smoke inhalation. It was from dragging Cameron away from the flames at great peril to herself. Allison's heroic actions helped save both Cameron and Jesse. They all knew from the body cam footage that Jesse saved Cameron from having her sheath burnt off. Cameron would be nothing but bare burnt metal now otherwise.

Jesse almost died saving Cameron. Jesse could have abandoned Cameron at any time to save herself. She didn't. It meant something to everyone in the Resistance. It was clear Jesse was changed.

They all wondered if they could have done the same thing under the same conditions. It took a lot of courage to stay with Cameron in that inferno.

Jesse slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry at first. It looked like Allison was in the room with her.

"Thank you for not leaving me to burn in there, Allison." Jesse said as she tried to focus. "I did all I possibly could. How is Cameron?"

Cameron was the one who stood over Jesse. She was touched by Jesse's actions, and again now by her words.

"I'm Cameron, Jesse. It was you who saved me from major damage." Cameron said. "I want to personally thank you for what you did for me. My sheath would have been destroyed if you hadn't risked your own safety to assist me. YOU saved me."

Jesse smiled faintly.

"I did what I could." Jesse said. "I wasn't going to leave you. I didn't leave you."

Cameron's hand gently touched Jesse's cheek.

"Allison pulled both of us out." Cameron said.

They were aware from reviewing the body cam footage that Jesse instructed Allison to 'leave' her and help Cameron instead. It was also noted by everyone. It was the second time Jesse was willing to sacrifice herself for Cameron.

Jesse blinked a few times. She thought she was seeing 'double', she was, sort of. Cameron and Allison were on each side of her now. Allison walked up and joined Cameron a few seconds ago.

"We all did what we needed to do, when we needed to do it." Allison said. "It was you who removed Cameron from the danger zone. All the credit goes to you, Jesse."

Jesse smiled at both of them. She did it because she loved Cameron. She was well aware the 'old Jesse' wouldn't have helped anyone but herself. It actually disgusted her to think about it. She really wondered what kind of a person she was before. It certainly wasn't a good one.

Cameron wanted to commend both of the girls. They each performed extraordinarily.

"You both acted beyond the call of duty." Cameron said.

Allison was there because she loved Cameron. It was what brought her into the inferno. The girls all loved Cameron. Saving her meant more than their own life to them. Their actions proved it. It was also clear they all made it because they received help as well.

"Bob, Jim and Ed carried all three of us out." Allison added. "I don't think any of us would have made it otherwise."

Jesse always liked Allison's look. Now when she saw her, there was more than just her 'appearance' behind her feelings. It was deeper much deeper. Allison saved her.

"I won't forget this, love." Jesse said.

Jesse reached up and touched Allison's cheek.

The two girls shared a look of 'understanding'. There was a new bond between them. They both faced certain death together. They both held on and did the 'right' thing.

Allison reached back and gently touched Jesse cheek. She could feel the deeper bond too. She couldn't help but think how beautiful Jesse looked.

Cameron could see Jesse and Allison both 'felt' more towards each other now. This seemed to be an unintended development. She wondered how she could bring the girls 'closer' together. It would be a benefit to the Resistance, and to each of them personally. It would also benefit John later on. She wanted Allison and Vanna to share with Jesse. It would strengthen all of them and give them better support. She was grateful to both of them herself for what they did, and the risk it took to do it.

"I won't forget it either. I appreciate immensely what both of you have done for me." Cameron said.

Jesse knew she wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing again.

Cameron thought she would leave Jesse and Allison alone. They seemed to be able to share and communicate as 'friends' now. She would return the favor someday. She wasn't sure how, but she would find a way to do it.

"I promise to pay both of you back one day." Cameron softly said to herself as she left. "I swear it."

Cameron wanted to reward the girls with a night out. She decided to help Jesse out and make her look as best as possible. She worked on getting Jesse ready. She was very satisfied at the look she was able to achieve, so was Jesse.

Jesse looked at herself in the mirror. She could hardly believe what she saw. Her appearance was a long way from being held in a Scavenger camp, or a starving girl at a Resistance base. She wondered if it was really her. She knew it was, but it still seemed like it was someone different.

"I can't believe I look like this, Cameron. I've never looked this good in my life." Jesse said in amazement. "I didn't even know I could look like this."

Jesse looked again to make sure it was really her.

Cameron made one more adjustment to Jesse's hair.

"You look Tight." Cameron replied.

Cameron stood in back of Jesse as she sat and faced the mirror.

Jesse wanted to turn around and pull Cameron towards her to kiss her, but she knew she couldn't. Cameron wasn't ready for such an adventure, yet. She didn't want to take anything away from Cameron, but maybe add something to her life. She certainly didn't want to do anything to 'hurt' Cameron.

She knew she needed to think about others first, before herself. It was especially so if it was people she cared about. She understood sacrifice was the true test of love. She was willing to sacrifice for Cameron on several levels. She wasn't about to abuse anything.

Jesse stood and looked at Cameron. The look of love was in Jesse's eyes.

Cameron didn't want Jesse to overextend herself. She did want to show her appreciation.

"Jesse, I want to thank you again for pulling me away from the fire. John wouldn't have been happy if I was 'damaged'." Cameron said.

Cameron knew it would have been more than 'damage'. Her whole sheath would have been burnt off.

Jesse could see the look of love in Cameron's eyes. It wasn't for her. It was for John. She wasn't really sure exactly what Cameron could 'feel'. It was clear she could feel something. She wanted to know a little more without being too intrusive. She didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, especially Cameron.

"You truly love him don't you?" Jesse asked.

Cameron could 'feel' it inside of her. She was aware it was a 'feeling' which continued to expand. It didn't seem to be something she could actually control.

"Yes, with all my hea…, my - being." Cameron said.

Cameron previously made it clear to Jesse what she wanted for John. She wasn't sure if she could do it at this point. It seemed as if what Cameron thought she 'wanted', was more than she might be able to stand emotionally. There was clearly going to be some type of conflict of feelings. She learned through experience about what people wanted. What people thought they wanted, wasn't always what they really wanted. She believed they were two different things.

"You'll even sacrifice yourself, or your 'heart', for him. I can see what you're doing…. I know what you 'want'…." Jesse said. "I know it will hurt you…."

Jesse was ready to make her body available to John or Cameron at any time.

Cameron thought she was ready for at least one of the girls to be with John. It wouldn't be like John chose someone over her. She was the one who would make the selection. Sharing for reproduction wasn't 'cheating'. There were certain things which needed to be done. There were certain things she was unable to do. She needed assistance to do them. As long as she chose the 'assistants', she believed she was in control.

"Yes, I'm barren. I can't provide John with his descendants. I was able to restore the future timeline, so Future John could continue his life. He is now with the women he loves and who love him. They're the women who are supposed to be there. It's Future Allison and Future Savannah. They're the women who Future John wanted. They'll be able to have a family now. I need to know when I'm 'gone', there will be loving females to provide companionship and offspring for My John. It's very important to me he's provided for, and looked after, by those who love him."

Cameron's statement of finality bothered Jesse. She didn't want to replace Cameron because she was terminated. She didn't want Cameron terminated in the first place. It seemed Cameron made lots of plans for everyone. She wasn't really sure it was her place, especially after Cameron's previous statement. She wasn't any version of Allison Young or Savannah Weaver.

"From what I understand, you have four replacements lined up to cover the 'dilemma'." Jesse said. "I'm sort of 'odd man, well, odd woman out'."

Cameron looked directly at Jesse and touched Jesse's cheek. She wanted Jesse to understand exactly what she wanted and why.

The sexuality radiated off of Cameron. Jesse could feel it. It was like Cameron reached inside of her.

"Five females is better than four." Cameron said as she looked into Jesse's eyes.

Jesse swallowed hard.

Cameron felt the response Jesse experienced as her hand still rested on her cheek. She was pleased at the reaction Jesse had. It was the reaction she'd hoped for.

Jesse wasn't used to being 'overpowered' sexually. She was always the dominant one in the room who would pick and choose who she would share her body with. This was different. It wasn't sexual, but somehow it was. It was actually beyond it somehow.

Confusion and indecisiveness were foreign to Jesse. She felt 'lost' in Cameron's presence. There were a lot of thoughts and feelings conflicting in her mind. It was more than just her mind, it seemed to be her entire body. She wasn't sure she was worthy of what Cameron wanted. Her past track record haunted her right now. She wanted to address her transgressions and failures as a human being.

"I'm not…, I have…, I don't kn…, Cameron…, I…." Jesse stuttered.

Cameron knew of Jesse's past. It was what it was at this point. It was her past. She'd offered and given Jesse a better path to follow. She'd given Jesse a future which was actually worth looking forward to.

'Dreaming' by 'Blondie', came to Cameron's mind.

The song seemed to say it all for this situation. She would need to get a player and let Jesse hear the song. She wanted to remind Jesse life moved forward not backwards. She knew it was never good to be trapped in the past. Whenever the past haunted someone, it stunted their growth forward. She believed she possessed plenty of experience to prove it.

"The past is done, Jesse. You're a better person now than you were, but not as good as you will be, yet. This is where we are now, you, John and me."

Jesse looked apprehensive. There were a lot of things she did to people on purpose, just to hurt them. She did things which scarred them for life. She did it because she was angry with life. She was angry she was a female, and needed to pay the price. She was angry because she'd been born. She wanted to please Cameron. No one had ever treated her so nicely before. To think it was a machine who made her feel human again, really gave her something to think about.

Cameron slowly kissed Jesse's cheek.

The simple gesture was very meaningful. It seemed better than any sexual encounter she'd ever experienced. It was on a different level. She didn't feel as if it was someone who just wanted to use her, and then discard her like rubbish.

Jesse tried to speak but it seemed she'd forgotten how. It was almost as if there were too many thoughts inside of her mind. There were so many thoughts. They all wanted to come out at once. She couldn't formulate words.

Cameron's lips moved from her cheek to her ear.

"Think about it for me, please." Cameron whispered.

Cameron looked deep into Jesse's face.

Jesse was totally captivated, lost…. She would do anything for Cameron…. She'd never been so in love before. It seemed beyond love somehow, if there was even such a thing. She really didn't know what it was or how to describe it. She just knew it was something intense and beautiful.

Cameron heard someone was about to enter the room. She gave Jesse one last 'thank you'.

"Thank you again for not letting me burn, Jesse." Cameron said. "I'll never forget this."

Jesse thought she was going to 'finish', and she hadn't even touched herself yet. It was Cameron's presence and sexuality, which was affecting her. It was as if they were a real physical touch.

Allison entered the room. She paused for a second as she looked at Jesse. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open slightly. She knew beauty when she saw it. It raised a 'hunger' inside her.

"Damn, she looks Tight." Allison said as she walked into the room.

Jesse was already highly aroused. When she spotted Allison, it increased her desire. There was a more important issue she wanted to address. Anything else could come later. She moved over and hugged her. She wanted to share her thanks too.

"Thank you, for not leaving me." Jesse said.

Allison could feel the sexuality radiate off of Jesse. She tried to downplay her real feelings which flooded her right now. She also thought about how she wouldn't want to have been left behind to burn to death. She was sure in the future, the majority of people would have simply left her to die under the same conditions. She did think about her own safety, but she also thought about the safety of others. Maybe it was one of the reasons why she was always the first to volunteer for a patrol when someone turned up missing. It was the right thing to do.

"You're part of the team, Jesse. We would all do the same for each other." Allison said. "We all need to look out for each other. We all need to help each other. We all love and care about each other."

Jesse felt very overwhelmed by both of them. There were feelings inside her she didn't know how to fully process. She was sure some of them were feelings she never felt before. It seemed she'd spent most of her life running. She didn't feel comfortable anywhere before. She often wondered if she really wasn't running from herself.

"I owe you, Allison. I won't forget this." Jesse said. "All of you are different, caring, and loving. I've never felt I 'belonged' anywhere before. I do feel it now. It's something very special."

Allison wondered where things could go. There was a new arrival there now.

Vanna walked into the room. She stopped after a few steps as she took everything in.

"Tight City…." Vanna said.

Vanna hugged Jesse.

Allison watched but said nothing. She understood.

Vanna and Jesse looked at each other.

Jesse gave Vanna a second big hug.

Vanna could feel the room was full of sexual tension. It was clear to her it needed to be acted on and released. She'd been in similar situations many times. None of them were as intense as this. It was clear to her when people needed each other. She wondered where things were headed.

With Vanna now in the room with them, Jesse needed to do more. She needed to say more. She wanted to make some of the feelings inside of her known. She wanted to express her appreciation to all of them.

"I want to thank all of you for treating me with kindness and 'respect'. I want to thank all of you for helping me. I want to thank all of you for 'saving' me." Jesse said as she looked at Cameron, Allison and Vanna. "You've saved me beyond the fire…. You've all worked to save me at a personal level."

Jesse felt like a different person. Everyone could feel it. She didn't feel like garbage anymore. She was more than just somebody to be 'used' for someone else's sexual gratification. She's been very mean and cruel at the beginning. Maybe Sarah literally knocked some sense into her. Nobody usually stood up to her, especially a female. Sarah was the 'stick', Vanna and Allison were the 'carrot'.

"Girl hug!" Allison said as all four hugged together.

Vanna was pleased at the new shared atmosphere they all felt. She could feel it on multiple levels.

"Is Sarah going to come with us?" Vanna asked.

Cameron tried to keep her phraseology clean.

"Not tonight, she said she had a lot of 'catching up' to do." Cameron said.

All four girls giggled. They all knew what it meant.

Suddenly Cameron looked dead serious. She needed to push her agenda. She needed to make her mission understood. She wanted to make herself clear.

"You three, ALL THREE of you, will need to make sure John is 'caught up' when I'm - gone…."

Allison and Vanna exchanged glances when Cameron said 'you three'.

They knew Cameron wanted Jesse to be part of the 'circle'. It was something they were open to at this point.

Vanna didn't want Cameron to go down the same path. She knew it caused Cameron grief and discomfort to 'say' it. She didn't want a cloud hanging over their activities for the evening.

"Cameron, don't start again. Let's go have some fun tonight." Vanna said. "We don't need to talk about any of those things right now."

Allison knew how the subject seemed to torment Cameron. It wasn't pleasant to witness. She wanted to give Cameron some reassurance, without needing to rehash everything and go through the details.

"We'll do what's right for the time if needed." Allison said. "It will only be WHEN it's needed, IF it's ever needed."

Jesse planned to do her part. She would do anything for Cameron.

"All of us." Jesse said and held out her hand.

She looked at Cameron, Vanna and Allison in turn.

Cameron seized the opportunity to bring them all closer together. She stacked her hand on top of Jesse's hand.

Vanna and Allison looked at each other and did the same thing.

Cameron was pleased. She'd brought them all closer together. They were all much closer on a personal level. It was a start. She would work on expanding it. She wanted them to share with each other. She wanted to bring them closer on every level. She wanted them to be there for John when it was necessary.

Allison made an exploding sound. All four their hands lifted off in different directions.

Cameron felt happy as she looked at her three 'replacements'. They were all Hot and Tight. John should be pleased with any one of them. There was no reason to stop with one of them. He could have all three. The girls from the alternate future were a bonus. There were still the girls from the current timeline in John's future. She wasn't about to give up on them either, no matter how things progressed.

She looked at the three beautiful women again. She was very happy, she was even happier for John. Cameron knew she'd chosen well for him. Beauty was something Cameron could recognize. It was more than skin deep too.

Cameron smiled as she selected a song on Allison's player. She hoped it set the mood for tonight's activities.

'Going Up the Country', by 'Canned Heat', filled the room.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Two Can Save Two

It's not known
If one can save
Another that already
Has a foot in the grave

It's been said
That one can save them self
If they are saving another
Salvation creates itself

As the sky falls
One has not won
If the total is emptiness
To shun still equals none

As the shaking ledge collapses
Under one's unbalanced slipping feet
A steady hand extended seems sweet
To hold firm unfailingly is no easy feat

Deep within a mind
There's so much to give
From a lost frightened soul
Who yet seeks to live

Nobody