Chapter 431

Stronger Bond

Things settled down at the Resistance base. Kyle was back safe and Cameron returned John. She collected Jim and Al and left.

Things picked up at Cameron's base. There was a score to be settled.

Cameron wanted retribution for the HK drone incident and near attack on Kyle's team. No one played the Resistance without a price. There was Hell to pay and she wanted to collect.

She led her Terminators along with Jim and Al against both targets they'd been investigating. There was little there when they arrived and it looked like there was little to begin with. It appeared the whole thing was a ruse to lure them out so they could be targeted. Now She was there and she he wanted more. She didn't like that they been played for suckers.

Cameron carefully checked the structures for booby traps or other explosives. There didn't appear to be any. If there was ever any surveillance equipment there, it was gone. She went with all four drones to back her up as well as the manned drone. Ally was the pilot on it. She'd placed teams of Terminators from both of the bases around the area. She hoped to draw someone out, anyone. That was the whole point.

She wanted whoever tried to play the Resistance. She wanted them terminated. She was there to boldly call them out and use herself for bait.

No one took the bait.

Jim was there because he'd been close to termination or major damage in the HK drone strike that Cameron prevented. He wanted some payback too. It didn't look like it was going to happen today. This seemed like a dead end to him now.

"Let's torch the place and go." Jim said.

Cameron wanted some action. She wasn't ready to walk away.

"I want more." Cameron said. "They tried to play us. I want to play back. I want payback too."

Al was on Kyle's team with Jim when it was almost attacked. He wanted more too but this was a nothing.

"How can we do that?" Al asked. "There isn't anything here."

Cameron could tell the other Terminators saw this as a dead end. She wanted it to be a different type of 'dead end' for Skynet or its illegitimate offshoots.

"There's something somewhere." Cameron said. "If 'Sky-Crap' wants a match it's 'Game On'. Everyone else can go. I'll remain here."

That sounded like a bad idea to Jim

"No." Jim said. "I won't leave you alone."

Cameron faced most of these operations alone. This one would be no different at that point.

"Jim, I'm a big girl." Cameron said. "I know how the game is played."

Jim didn't think being destroyed or deactivated was a 'game'. He also knew Cameron played by her own rules. Once her mind was made up, little could change it.

Cameron told John Henry to recall the drones. She sent her Terminators away along with Jim and Al.

John was in the Command Center with John Henry. He picked up real fast what Cameron was up to. It was really just more of the same.

"Cameron, I don't want you there alone." John said over the com.

Cameron would've preferred John be elsewhere than the Command Center. Maybe she should have played this a little more low key. His concern was nice but this was about fighting Skynet. This was about winning.

"I know how to play the game, John." Cameron said. "They played their bait and failed to score. Now I'm the bait for them. I always have a few cards to play. If I see what I told you to look for, I'll take it."

John knew Cameron referred to an energy bubble that would appear near her. It would mean the mission didn't go as planned and probably ended with termination. She would enter the energy bubble and be brought back to a slightly different time. As long as the time factor was relatively the same there shouldn't be any new timelines created. He planned to make sure that happened even if no one helped him. He was sure they would.

"I know what you mean." John said. "THAT event you can count on."

Cameron wanted to give John a little reassurance. They didn't have a TDE that would function to go into the past until recently. The one at the Resistance base was encrypted by River apparently at her request. None of them could figure it out. Her improved TDE with technology from River's future gave her a lot more flexibility for a lot of things.

"I am." Cameron said. "From now on. Things are going to happen my way."

John was worried about that. Did that mean Cameron would take even more risks now that she established she wouldn't let anyone die? If Cameron knew someone would 'come' for her, was she going to become even more ruthless and reckless? It seemed like a pretty good bet she would.

Cameron waited for the rest of the day and night at the target location. Nothing happened. It appeared Skynet didn't want to 'play'.

Maybe they would try to follow her. Cameron planned for that to be covered as well. She dumped her vehicle. She took a trip through the subway on the way home. She appropriated random vehicles and switched cars twice at malls. CamNet disabled all security feeds along her route and several other decoy routes as well. There was nothing. No one followed her.

This version of Skynet was a 'sissy'.

Cameron laughed.

Savannah was able to reaffirm her love for and with Young Jesse. It was with both sets of them, Vanna and Jesse and Savannah and Young Jesse. They did everything together. Cam and Cammy took over the protection detail and freed up Cameron's Metal to accompany the girls. They didn't want too many 'Cameron look a likes' out at the same time. They wanted Camille to spend time with Savannah, Jesse and Vanna as well. Gail wanted to spend more time with Young Jesse.

Vanna heard Young Jesse ask Jesse about a few personal things, so she and Savannah moved away to give them privacy. Savannah asked Vanna about a few 'things' herself before, they both understood. If you wanted to know something private, who better to ask than 'yourself' who'd already experienced it?

Gail left with them and Camille stayed with Savannah and Vanna.

Cameron sent word they could return whenever they wanted and why it was now OK.

Savannah was pretty sure that was going to be a mistake in some way. It didn't matter. She needed to face the music for her actions. She'd only gone away to prevent people from accusing Cameron of manipulation or forcing others to do her will. That wasn't how it was at all. None of it was.

She talked things over with Young Jesse. She was surprised when Young Jesse wanted to speak with her when there was no one else around them. Young Jesse wanted to know about the future and what it was really like. Young Jesse wanted to know how she would do there. She tried to tell Young Jesse it wasn't a place she'd want to live in. There were very few amenities for personal comfort. That was even with her mother - Mrs. Weaver in charge of everything. Things were much worse for the rest of the people.

Savannah and the girls returned a few days later. She was more comfortable about her 'body' but it didn't really matter since Cameron decided to come 'clean'. She would do everything the same again if she could. The only difference would be she would start earlier when her body was first able to reproduce. She could have given Cameron her first child a few years ago instead of to Duplicate Vanna a few days ago.

Vanna went to Palmdale see Allison with Cam.

Jesse was out on the town for a few days with some special guests, her family. They wanted to take a trip to the States. It seemed like a good time. The ride in a private jet sounded like a lot less hassle and a lot more fun. Cameron made sure there were plenty of Terminators in the background and as shadows for them. Her family was kept in the dark as to all that the Resistance was doing and involved with. Her family didn't stay at the base. CamNet rented the entire floor of any hotel they went to. There were millions of dollars in drug money that Cameron acquired over the years. Her stock market manipulation helped a lot too. At this point CamNet possessed billions of dollars for any use needed.

Savannah was glad to return home. If she ever thought her room 'sucked', which she used to think sometimes, she didn't any more. Almost a year in the future reminded her how good things were even if they were basic. She'd grown up in luxury as a small child but saw how unnecessary that all was now.

The future allowed her to have a few more experiences than she'd been able to have in the present. That was another story. It was a long one too. Everyone got what they 'wanted'. That was all that mattered.

Cammy was in the room with her. She thought maybe she could knock off a quickie. She could use the 'release' right now. A Metal girl was tops for that. They could get her off in no time.

There was a knock at the door. That was unusual. Normally someone would just walk in after a tap. There were no secrets at the Resistance base. She looked at Cammy and saw her frown.

"Come in." Savannah said.

John entered the room. He looked a little embarrassed. He didn't often 'call' on anyone in their room.

"Hello, Savannah, Cammy." John said.

Cammy instantly moved up alongside of Savannah. It was her instinct to 'protect' Savannah from the 'competition'. Savannah 'belonged' to her and she wanted to make that clear.

John noticed. He wanted to be alone with Savannah for a private discussion. He didn't want any outside influence.

"Cammy, can you excuse us for awhile?" John asked.

Cammy made no effort to move. She remained at Savannah's side. Like Cameron, she played by her own rules when it came to Savannah.

John took in Cammy's beauty as she stood there and watched him. She looked exactly like Cameron right down to her clothes even and she was Tight. He knew Cammy ran Cameron's program with Savannah as her prime directive instead of him. He understood the hesitation.

Cam and Cammy were supposed to run on mixed programs but both of them, seemingly refused to so and remained altered versions of 'Cameron'. They became more individual and distinct versions of 'Cameron' everyday. Vanna and Savannah wanted that and asked them to do that.

Cameron didn't like it. It was only because she loved Vanna and Savannah so much that she allowed it. That was as long as they would release their files of their time with the girls to her if she ever asked for it. Then their experiences would become hers as well. She hadn't done so yet.

Savannah could see there was going to be a problem. Cammy wasn't going to 'obey' John. This was a personal issue to her not an operational issue. She wanted to give Cammy some reassurance.

"It's OK, Cammy." Savannah said. "Please."

Cammy walked out. It was clear she was upset and worried. What made it worse was Cameron was outside waiting there for her. Cameron took her away.

Cameron could see Cammy was hesitant to leave the area. Cammy looked back several times as she was led away. It was clear Cammy thought John was there to 'claim' Savannah.

"Are they going to…?" Cammy asked worried.

Cammy knew Savannah was the 'Chosen One'. When John 'claimed' her, she knew she would be pushed away. It was the same fear all the Metal girlfriends felt. The fear of being 'replaced'. The fear of being 'sent away'. The very fears Cameron experienced and lived. They all knew the damage done to Cameron by them. She began to experience a glitch in her left hand.

Cameron reached down and took Cammy's glitching hand, it stopped. She didn't want Cammy to end up in a bad place like she'd ended up in so many times. She understood Cammy's fears.

"Relax." Cameron said. "I would have to hold both of them at gunpoint to make that happen, you know that. They won't listen to me. YOU need to assist me more about THAT too."

Cameron wanted John protected and it wasn't happening fast enough for her. Cammy wasn't doing anything to encourage it either. Maybe some additional programming was in order.

She took Cammy to her room and they sat on the bed sideways. They both leaned back and stared at the ceiling and talked. She still held Cammy's hand to reassure her. She understood….

Cameron knew all of Cammy's fears because they were her own.

Those same fears often led Cameron to places she didn't need to be but she ended up there anyway. She hoped to spare Cammy some of that grief. She doubted it would.

John moved up and stood before Savannah.

Savannah stood and faced him.

They took a long look at each other.

John saw what a beautiful young woman she'd become. He'd seen it for a long time. Cameron made sure of it. To say he didn't 'want' Savannah would be a lie. He did want her. If he wasn't worried about Cameron it would have happened a long time ago.

Savannah was sure there was going to be some repercussions for her actions. She wanted to get out in front of it. She didn't want to be on the defensive.

"I'm sorry, John." Savannah said.

John moved up and hugged her. He didn't want her to think he was here for 'trouble'. He wasn't. He was here for her. He wanted to show his support.

"No, don't be." John said. "I want to thank you for what you did for Duplicate Vanna, for Cameron and for me. That all took a lot of courage and determination. I'm glad you're back unhurt and safe."

Savannah felt a lot of emotions flood through her. This wasn't as easy as it seemed it should be. Nothing ever was. She wanted to explain and justify what happened and how. She also wanted John to know what she wanted going forward.

"I did it because I love Cameron. John. I love you." Savannah said. "I know what the future holds for us. I'm ready. I mean that in the most honest and loving manner. It's all my choice and what I want. I wouldn't do any of this unless I wanted to myself. I'm another year older now too. I'm ready to wear Cameron's dress. I WANT to wear it…. I want to wear it for YOU."

John was as surprised and elated as he could be to hear that.

Savannah wanted to be honest and open about the future for them.

John and Savannah talked for hours about everything. Each was as honest as they could possibly be. They both understood the future better and Cameron, the woman they both loved, better. The issue was Cameron and how to move forward and not hurt her.

That issue raised a lot of frustration for both of them.

"I'll die before I hurt her, John." Savannah said. "I don't know what to do."

John understood how delicate the issue was no matter what Cameron said. He'd seen first hand how his actions hurt her before. There was also a personal issue he wanted to address. It was up to Savannah though how or if to do that.

"We both need to listen to Cameron. If Judgment Day comes we will cross that bridge when we get to it." John said. "I want to tell my mother she's a grandmother with you at my side, Savannah."

Savannah felt a sense of pride and loss at the thought of her daughter, Hope. She didn't regret any of it. She thought Sarah should know she was a grandmother.

"I'm ready." Savannah said. "I am not afraid or ashamed of what I did. I have already done it again and I will continue to do so…."

Savannah took the thumb drive Cameron gave to her of her files with Hope, from her birth, until the time that they left from that future.

"You will see all of me, John. It won't be pretty. I want you to see me and see our baby – Hope." Savannah said. "I miss her, John. I miss her, our daughter."

John swallowed hard. He wasn't a direct part of this 'event' but he felt like he was. He agreed to what Cameron asked of him and this was the result. He knew it would happen. It did. It was all just a little sooner than he'd imagined. He could see how deeply it touched Savannah. It touched him too.

"I'm sorry, Savannah." John said.

Savannah started to cry. John soothed her. Their bond grew even stronger…. As did their love and their love for Cameron.

They both knew it was going to 'happen'. They both wanted it and they wanted it more because Cameron wanted it too.

It was what all THREE of them wanted to happen.

It was only a matter of time….

Stronger Bond

When two start out together
Can they ever really be one
Maybe that all depends
On what each thinks they've won

The goals for some
May be very specific
They may move on quickly
If the other isn't terrific

Some want a lot extra
Maybe that's their hang-up
It seems the more they pour in
The less there is in their cup

Perhaps the focus should be
On what they have in common now
To dwell on the many differences
Will only make it end quicker anyhow

To allow feeling to grow and spawn
Takes a lot more than feeling fond
They need to listen and respond
To create in life a stronger bond

Nobody