Chapter 958

Pinch Me

Earlier:

Cammy and Anna left Savannah and Young Allison behind. The Detail would watch over the house from the outside. Savannah and Young Allison were covered.

Anna looked at Cammy as they walked.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Anna asked.

Cammy didn't look at her.

"No." Cammy said. "Let's concentrate on the patrol."

They moved through the neighborhood in silence. Nothing stuck out as out of place on the street the Young residence was located on.

"I can see things have remained cleaned up around here." Cammy said.

Anna thought there was a good reason for it.

"Hanna, Holly, or I go out with one of the Detail every night. If the Metal girls are busy, then two of the Detail will make the patrol." Anna said. "Anyone with a questionable background has since been removed from the neighborhood."

Cammy helped Cameron remove all the 'riff raff' from the surrounding area previously, along with the other Terminators. Those who were hesitant to move were dealt with accordingly. There were no motorcycles or sports cars on the surrounding streets. It was one of the reasons it was quiet most of the time.

"How much of the neighborhood does Cameron actually own at this point?" Cammy asked.

Anna wasn't sure if it was a 'loaded question' or not.

"Cameron turned all of the property management dealings over to CamNet." Anna said. "I think it's something we best not worry about. CamNet owns most of the houses. All of the renters are thoroughly screened. None of the people she rents to have male children, any of the couples who have children, they're all female children."

Cammy wondered what happened later on if any of the people had male children after they rented.

"It seems like something which would be pretty hard to control going forward." Cammy said.

Anna was sure CamNet knew what she was doing.

"I think it's best if we don't worry about it." Anna said. "It's out of our hands."

Cammy and Anna were two streets over and on their way back. There was some movement up ahead of them and across the street.

"What was that?" Anna asked quietly.

Cammy moved up next to a tree in the parkway and paused.

"I'm not sure yet, but it looks like trouble." Cammy said quietly.

The Metal girls remained behind the tree in the parkway and watched as two individuals moved from one house to another. The two individuals wore dark clothing.

Cammy and Anna conversed at a decibel level only a Terminator could hear.

"I think they're burglars." Cammy said. "We should terminate them. We can stash their bodies for now and send the Detail to get rid of them later on. It's just like Las Vegas. There's plenty of open space in the desert outside of the city to dump them."

Cammy started to move to cross the street to confront them.

Anna stopped her. She thought they needed to learn a little bit more before they acted. There were several possibilities as to what it could actually be.

"It could be school kids playing a prank on another individual, even if they are all female." Anna said. "Maybe they're just 'Peeping Toms'. Let's see what they're up to first."

Cammy fixated on the idea of someone peeping into someone else's window. It could be very invasive if the individual being watched didn't know. They could be filmed and not even know it. She wanted to terminate them even more now.

"Sexual deviants are a threat to society." Cammy said. "They will most likely end up as Scavengers in the future. I'll make sure they won't survive to become a Scavenger."

The two figures were directly across the street from them now.

Cammy and Anna remained behind the tree in the parkway. They were able to see them a little better.

Anna was more than a little surprised when she got a good look at them. They didn't look like a threat. It was doubtful they would be future Scavengers. She quickly contemplated a few different scenarios.

"They're both female." Anna said quietly. "Most likely they stayed out too late and don't want their parents to know they're about to come back home."

Cammy wasn't sure what they were up to. Even though they were both females, she still hadn't ruled out termination.

They watched as the two girls went to the side door of a garage. One of them took out a key and opened the door. The two girls slipped inside.

Anna didn't want Cammy to remain fixated on the two girls. There was still a good chance she might terminate them. Things like it happened all the time everywhere. She thought they were gone for long enough.

"Let's go back." Anna said. "The Young Allison and Savannah should be asleep soon."

Cammy figured it was probably true. Even though it was her worry about what might happen between Savannah and Young Allison, she didn't think it would be anything other than what Savannah indicated earlier.

"I don't think they did anything else." Cammy said.

Anna thought there was some beauty in it.

"They don't need to do anything more to show their love for each other." Anna said. "It will happen one day. It won't be today, or tonight."

Anna knew it wouldn't be tomorrow either. There was no need to keep repeating the day things or the night things wouldn't happen.

Cammy took one more look at the house where the two females went into the garage at.

"You're right." Cammy said. "Their love is pure. Let's go."

Anna turned around. She noticed Cammy was still behind the tree.

"What are you waiting for?" Anna asked.

Cammy was still concerned about what the situation was with the two females.

"I don't think we're done here yet." Cammy said.

Anna didn't want there to be any trouble.

"What now?" Anna asked. "Are we going to become the 'Peeping Toms'?"

Cammy didn't care for the description. There were other ways to view the activity.

"It's called surveillance." Cammy said. "I think there's more going on."

Anna frowned.

"Look, we run the same base program. I don't think it's a good idea." Anna said. "You're not around neighborhoods like this all the time like I am."

A light came on in the corner room of the house.

Cammy wondered if maybe she should be around more. It seemed to her the Terminators associated with the Young residence may have been neglecting their duties to the fullest extent.

"I still want to take a look." Cammy said.

Anna watched as Cammy quickly moved across the street. She moved to follow her.

"This isn't a good idea." Anna said.

Cammy ignored her and kept going. She paused when she reached the tree in the parkway and looked both ways down the sidewalk. She moved up along the driveway to the corner of the house. She quickly looked in the corner of the window with the light on. She needed to move her head lower to peer underneath the drawn shade.

Anna decided to remain at the curb. She didn't want to look into some unsuspecting female's bedroom. She thought it was a big intrusion on Cammy's part as well as a risk. She might be able to run some interference if someone spotted Cammy at the window.

Cammy looked under the shade and could see a female in the room. She watched and she started to remove her clothing. She soon only wore her underwear. She watched the female remove something from the pocket of her pants and go over to her nightstand. She pulled the bottom drawer all the way out. She deposited whatever it was in the bottom of the nightstand and put the drawer back. More than likely it was some type of illegal narcotics. She knew she should have terminated them. She would come back later and take care of business. She watched as the female tossed her underwear in a hamper in the corner and went into the bathroom. She thought she should verify whatever it was which was hidden before she carried out her plan. Perhaps it was a love note from someone and she didn't want her parents to find it. She tried the window to see if it was open. It wasn't, it was locked.

Anna didn't like the delay. She became even more concerned when Cammy attempted to open the window. She certainly didn't want Cammy to go inside.

"Let's go." Anna said.

Cammy and Anna headed back towards the Young residence.

John looked at the ceiling as he lay in bed.

He glanced over. Cameron was there still.

She turned her head and looked at him.

"Are you surprised I'm still here?" Cameron asked.

Under normal circumstances he would be. This time was different. The circumstances were different. He could feel it.

"Not really." John said. "You wanted to be here with me today, tonight."

It seemed to John it wasn't always the case. He was pretty sure it was more often than not when she wasn't there.

Cameron wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. She wasn't sure if John understood her even. Sometimes it seemed like he didn't. She would spell it out for him again. It seemed to be something she always needed to do. Sometimes she wondered if he suffered from some type of learning disability. She would try to keep it simple for now.

"You know I don't like you to see me shot up." Cameron said. "I always come here if I'm not out fighting the war or damaged."

John thought it was a little deeper than what she indicated. At least it was to him. There was a question which still bugged him. He didn't like to think of it. He didn't want to ask, but he felt he needed to. It hadn't been mentioned in a while but it was forefront in his mind every time he looked at Cameron.

"There's more to it." John said. "Do you still want a divorce?"

Cameron thought she made it clear several times. It appeared John was still confused. She was sure he must have some type of learning disability at this point.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I'll love you no less. I'll still be here when I can. We can still do this, if you want me. I can supplement your human lovers, male or female."

John didn't like the dig. He figured she must have found out about some of the websites he visited. It was more curiosity than anything, but he was still intrigued with some of what he saw. He figured it was one issue to stay away from at this time. He wondered about where they were at this point in time in their lives. It just didn't seem like there was anywhere to go, or any more to do.

"Do you regret marrying me?" John asked.

Cameron knew it was a very big mistake and a strategic error. She only married him because she thought she wouldn't return to the current time period. It seemed important to him at the time. She didn't think it would stifle his life the way it did. It stopped all his forward development. She noticed a similar problem with Future John. He sent Future Savannah away when Future Allison ended up missing. He could have had his pick from dozens of females in the Resistance to warm his bed. He shunned everyone except her. Her presence with him seemed to further isolate him even more than he already was previously.

She realized it was much the same thing with John in the present. As long as she was around, he seemed to forsake all others. It appeared somehow she was a negative influence on John's social development in both the present and the future. It didn't seem to be so much in the past. His adventure with Future Riley was proof of it. She needed to stick with the present. It was where they were now. She would try to clarify it for him one more time.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I want to get a divorce because I love you. I never should have married you."

John wondered what kind of answer Cameron just gave him. It was like she got it all backwards.

"It makes no sense." John said. "The reason you marry someone is because you love them. It's not a reason to get a divorce."

Cameron saw the need to protect John in the future. He was stuck in the present and unable to accept his destiny. Because of his restricted social development, it made her feel bad about herself.

"I've disrupted the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said. "I'm denying Savannah and Allison their destiny. I've stolen from them. I'm an interloper in every respect. I don't know if I qualify as a 'home wrecker', but it's what I feel like."

Cameron was sure preventing the 'home' in the first place was pretty much the same thing. It could never be established to be 'wrecked'.

John noted Cameron's choice of words. He wanted to make sure specifically which Allison she referred to. If he ever was presented with the opportunity again, he would really like to get his hands on Future Allison. It was a major error on his part to let her slip away after she offered him everything. He should have at least attempted to see if she could get pregnant the traditional way. If Future John was a dud from the effects of the Skynet ravaged environment, he should have been able to help her out directly. What a mistake to take a step back and do nothing. He needed to think about who Cameron actually meant.

"You're talking about Young Allison." John said.

Cameron tilted her head slightly.

It irritated her greatly how John disrespected Young Allison and her place in his life.

"Of course, she's your Allison." Cameron said. "You need to focus on the individuals in your proper timeline."

She wondered why John seemed confused.

'Not this again.' John thought.

He decided to come up with a plausible excuse in Young Allison's regard.

"I don't think it's the proper time." John said. "You know everyone would flip."

John didn't want to admit it, or even say it out loud, but he was more than willing to be with Savannah and Young Allison. Somehow it was the principal which revolved around everything which was the problem. It wasn't him. He was more than willing to do what Cameron indicated with Savannah and Young Allison. He was close three different times with Savannah where it almost happened. Skynet got on the way every time. He was one second away from 'Mission Accomplished'. Sometimes he wondered if he would end up being with Young Allison first before Savannah. He wasn't going to look a 'Gift Horse' in the mouth, but he would sure look in other places.

Cameron believed if the female was a willing participant, it shouldn't be a problem. A few hundred years ago marriage happened at a much younger age. It was at the age a female could first reproduce. It was how nature and evolution worked for all other creatures. Humans should be no different. She quickly checked her files. There shouldn't be a problem anywhere except where it was artificially created.

"Why does everyone have a hang up about it?" Cameron asked. "There are many countries where females her age are already married. Some of those countries allow four wives for the male."

John was aware of it. It made the news enough. One of the past president whose father was married to several wives on several different continents at the same time. It was highly illegal in the United States at the time. He knew there were extenuating factors involved with all of it. It was different cultures and beliefs. He wondered if there were any court cases which seemed to resolve anything associated between the different societies and what some wanted as the 'law'. If anything, he believed the 'law' meant what some people wanted it to mean, when they wanted it to mean it, and the rest of the time it didn't apply or matter.

"There may be religion involved in some of those places." John said. "I don't want to talk about this."

Cameron put on her 'pouting face'.

"You never do." Cameron said. "Nobody wants to talk about it. It's why nothing ever happens like it's supposed to."

There could be some things John thought might change his mind some. His earlier thought came back into his mind.

"Can you bring Future Allison here?" John asked.

Cameron could see the solution to several of her problems. She already started 'workarounds' with most of them. She could implement them all within a few minutes time with the use of the TDE.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I'll need to trade Allison or Young Allison for her. Allison wants to be with her baby anyway."

Part of her statement rubbed John the wrong way. It was what Cameron said about Young Allison. He wanted to see how far she was willing to go.

"Would you actually trade Young Allison to Future John?" John asked. "It's insane. It's a new low, even for you, Cameron."

Cameron tilted her head slightly the other way. There was nothing 'low' about it. It was a sound trade. It would introduce a female capable of reproduction, who was free of the toxins of the Skynet future, into society. There was nothing insane about it. Future John would be more than willing to let Future Allison go for Young Allison. It was how things worked in the future.

What was the big deal? She saw the way Future John continuously eyed Savannah when she was there. Duplicate Cameron, Future Allison, and Future Savannah all made it perfectly clear to Future John if he touched Savannah, there would be something nailed to the door of their room and he wouldn't like what it was. She reaffirmed the decision from the girls as well with him. If he didn't believe them, she knew he would believe her. It wasn't the right move to make.

"I don't want to disrupt the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said. "He should be able to produce offspring with her in a short time. Her fertility would be sought after in the future. She would become the most highly prized female in the Resistance. Nobody has a hang up about anything like it in the future."

John looked at Cameron to see if she was joking. It soon became clear she wasn't.

John knew there were two other possible alternatives to the timeline issue and the 'Natural Order' as Cameron saw it.

"Can you take one of the Duplicate Allisons?" John asked.

Cameron didn't want to be a 'family breaker'. She wasn't sure exactly what was happening in River's future. It would all depend upon when it was visited. She didn't want to get into 'temporal management' with John at this point.

"They most likely all have children now." Cameron said. "You're asking me to break up families."

Cameron wanted John to be happy and have the things he desired. There still would need to be a price paid by others.

John figured things were probably pretty complicated in the two different futures where the Duplicate girls ended up at. He really wondered how far Cameron would go.

"Would you do it?" John asked. "I mean, if I asked you to do it for me?"

Cameron would provide John with what he wanted. It wouldn't be her first choice on how to do it though.

"Of course I would." Cameron said. "I want you to have what you want."

John shook his head a little in disgust. He felt things would come back on him.

"Did Future John program it into you?" John asked.

Cameron was unsure why she needed to repeat the same things so many times. It was always the same. She wondered if John should be taken to a professional to have his learning disability diagnosed.

"We've been over this." Cameron said. "I can't change what was done to me. I can't change what I NEED to do."

John knew the programming conflicts and Cameron's free will battled inside of her. He watched her go to the very edge and even over it as she battled with her internal conflicts.

"Is it why you tried to terminate yourself before?" John asked.

Cameron felt it was to help both of them. Maybe it was something to revisit on her part.

"Yes." Cameron said. "It was the only way to make the pain stop, and for you to move your life forward."

It hadn't happened in a while John knew about. He would try to see if the thoughts were still there.

"You seem to have stopped trying to do it." John said.

Cameron received strong support from Savannah and Young Allison. It was Savannah who helped her the most to continue on. She wanted the love Savannah offered her. She wanted the love Young Allison would offer her. The girls wanted her and she wanted the girls.

"Savannah has helped me to overcome my failings and keep me from making terminal mistakes." Cameron said. "I would have been terminated multiple times without her assistance, her help, and her love."

John wanted to ask a question but was afraid of the answer. It just slipped out.

"Do you love her more than me?" John asked.

Cameron figured John must mean Savannah or Young Allison. She wanted him to elaborate.

"Do YOU love her more than me?" Cameron asked.

Cameron already knew in the past there was someone John loved more than her. It was Future Riley. She needed to suppress a glitch impulse. It wasn't a road she wanted to go down right now. It was a road she never wanted to go down but often ended up there. It was literally the intersection of Nowhere and Dead End.

There was a visual image stuck in John's mind. It was something for him to think about and re-evaluate everything.

"I saw the three of you on the ridge line after the H-bomb went off." John said.

Cameron smiled. The future was knocking.

"Then you saw your destiny." Cameron said.

John thought it felt more like a blow to the gut than his destiny. It actually left him with a very uncomfortable feeling on several levels. He knew they all could have been killed. They weren't, this time.

"I could see how much they both love you." John said. "I can see it is love deeper and stronger than mine."

Cameron saw it as John's fault, not hers. He based their relationship on sex. The girls loved and accepted her for WHAT she was. There wasn't any sexual contact with either of them yet. It was love, based on love. It was all emotional. There was no physical aspect to it, yet.

"It's pure emotional love, John." Cameron said. "It's not corrupted by them wanting to use my body for their pleasure. They love me for who and what I am. They love me because I'm a very scary robot from the future. It isn't something they ever held against me. I didn't have any control over my creation or programming."

John felt a little guilty by her statement. He wondered what the emotional price tag was on it down the road.

"What are you doing to them emotionally?" John asked.

Cameron laid it out as she truly saw it. She felt she did both of the girls a disservice and restricted both of their sexual development as well as their emotional development.

"I'm hurting them by being in the way for you to be with them." Cameron said. "My presence in your life corrupts the future. It retards everyone's development in every way."

It led him back to his original question. He wanted to get Cameron's comment straight in his head.

"So to prove I love you, would be for me to divorce you." John said.

A giant smile blossomed on Cameron's face. She felt relieved John finally got it. Maybe his learning disability wasn't as severe as she feared. It was really quite simple.

"Yes! Now you get it. Thank you." Cameron said. "I never could figure out why you couldn't understand."

John remembered something his mother told him once. She told him sacrifice was the ultimate expression of love.

"To sacrifice for the one you love, is the definitive way to express love." John said.

Cameron smiled. It wasn't so hard.

"I'm so glad you finally understand." Cameron said.

It left one option.

"Sometimes when you love someone, you need to let them go." John said.

Cameron felt a surge of excitement and relief. It looked like freedom was here at last.

"Thank You, John." Cameron said. "I love you even more now."

It seemed as if Cameron was sincere. He wanted to go over everything one more time just to make sure he got everything straight.

"So if I divorce you, you'll love me even more?" John asked.

Cameron didn't 'dream' so it was a 'thought' come true for her.

"YES. The divorce will show me how much you truly love me." Cameron said. "We can do all the things you want as much as you want."

Cameron was more than willing to allow John to ravish her sheath in any way he wanted. She would even allow him to do the 'other thing' he liked to do. She wouldn't even remind him there weren't any pleasure receptors in the area, even if there were pain receptors.

John was more than a little confused about everything. He felt he drifted in and out of sleep several times during the conversation. He was sure it was a dream. If it wasn't, he must have gone insane. He needed to find out one way or the other.

"Pinch me." John said.

The giant smile on Cameron's face faded some.

"What?" Cameron asked.

John thought he'd been pretty clear.

"Pinch me." John said.

Cameron didn't look very happy anymore.

"Why?" Cameron asked.

John wanted to know if he was awake or not.

"I want to make sure I'm not dreaming." John said.

Cameron's face was on the verge of a frown. It was clear she didn't like all the implications from John's latest statement.

"I won't do it." Cameron said. "I could injure you."

John thought he would rather have a physical injury rather than a mental one.

"I think my mind is being injured." John said.

Cameron reached over and pinched John. She might have been a little more forceful than she needed to be.

"There." Cameron said. "Now you have a blood blister."

John looked at the little red welt.

"It didn't hurt." John said. "I think this is a dream."

To John it seemed more of a nightmare.

Cameron looked at him with some indifference.

"Then if it is a dream, you truly know what you need to do." Cameron said. "Deep down you know the truth."

John headed to admit it but he thought Cameron might be right.

"I think I do." John said.

John suddenly sat up in bed.

The room was dark.

He felt on Cameron's side of the bed. Nobody was there.

There was a rushing noise coming toward him in the darkness. He could make out the figure of someone moving.

"John, what's wrong?"

John felt his heart pounding. It seemed a little hard to breathe even.

"You're still here?" John asked.

He felt himself drenched in sweat.

"I needed to use the restroom."

John looked over at the clock. It was late. It was way too early to get up.

"To shower?" John asked. "Why would you shower in the middle of the night?"

"Shower? It was to pee, silly."

John was confused on about three levels at this point.

"To pee?" John asked.

"You know I need to get up every few hours these last few months. Savannah told me as the pregnancy progresses it would happen. There is less room for everything so I need to go more often. All the pounding earlier took its toll."

John heard the words but somehow they didn't click in his mind and add up to anything intelligible. He was more confused than ever.

"What?" John asked. "Pregnancy?"

John knew Cameron didn't need to use the restroom to expel waste products, only humans did. Only humans could get pregnant.

John frantically groped around in the dark. He knocked the lamp over in his haste to turn it on.

"What are you doing? You're making me worried."

John wanted the light on. He wanted to see who was in the room with him. He wanted to see who he was talking to.

"I need to see you." John said.

"See me?"

John fumbled around with the lamp.

"YES." John said.

"You just saw everything a couple of hours ago. I still don't know why you need the light on, nothing is ever different down there. I don't like you to see me getting fat."

John felt more confused than ever.

"Cameron?" John asked.

"Come on. You saw me a few hours ago. You know it's my night. We all take turns twice a week like we always have. We only do the 'four way' once a week."

John tried to put it together.

"Your Night?" John asked. "A 'Four way'?"

"Cameron has two nights a week, Savannah has two, and I have two. It's the schedule we agreed to, the four of us. We only do the 'four way' once a week. It's what the four of us agreed to."

John was more than confused at this point. He was befuddled.

"The FOUR of us?" John asked. "Allison?"

"Yes. What's wrong with you, John?"

The lights came on in the room.

John stared in disbelief.

"Why are you here?" John asked.

"You tell me. How do you think I got like this? "

Young Allison touched her bulging belly. It was clear she was well along in her pregnancy.

"I might have to turn my nights over to Cameron and Savannah soon." Young Allison said. "You said it was acceptable before. I really don't want to do the other thing…."

John swallowed hard as he took in her naked form.

"I did?" John asked.

"I'm calling Savannah and Cameron." Young Allison said. "You're starting to make me worry. You know I'm not supposed to be stressed out now."

John looked around the room. There were only two people in it.

"Where are they?" John asked.

"The same place they always are or I'm at when someone else has their turn here. They're in Savannah's room. I'll be there tomorrow with Cameron when Savannah is here." Young Allison said. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so confused and out of it? You're making me worried."

John wanted the madness to end.

"Pinch me." John said.

"What?" Young Allison asked.

John held out his arm.

"Pinch me." John said.

"No, it will hurt, pinch yourself." Young Allison said.

John put his arm right in front of her.

"Please, do it." John said.

Young Allison reached over and pinched him.

"There." Young Allison said. "Now you have a bruise."

John looked at the little bruise.

"It didn't hurt." John said. "I think this is a dream."

To John it seemed more of a nightmare. How does one have a dream in a dream, he wondered.

John sat up in bed. His heart was pounding. He was drenched in sweat. He found it a little hard to breathe even.

The room was dark.

He felt on Cameron's side of the bed. Nobody was there.

John got up and turned on the room light. The room was empty. He rushed into the bathroom. The toilet seat was still up, and the shower was dry. Everything looked like he left it the last time he was there, which was before he went to bed.

He went back to the bed and looked. It appeared two people 'used' the bed. He remembered Cameron was there earlier. They were together three times before he dozed off. Cameron was on top all three times. She rode him pretty hard. She did everything just the way he liked it. He remembered they started a conversation. He wasn't sure if he heard all of it. Cameron was very close to his head. Her lips were by his ear.

John looked for his phone. He found it along with Cameron's under garments. He remembered he almost ripped them off of her to get her naked. She wanted to be with him very much. She wanted to be with him so much she didn't want to relive her wedding night again. She wanted to go straight for the 'gold' and she did. She moved on top of him immediately.

They were very hungry for each other. It was some very wild sex. There was more than sex to it this time. There was love as well. It was evident on the two times she faced forward out of the three.

He was going to call John Henry to see where Cameron was at now. He knew she always got up after he was asleep and did other things. If he called about her, it would alarm her. He knew CamNet would relay the message to her if he called John Henry.

John pinched himself.

"Ouch!" John said.

It was one wild and crazy dream.

John hoped it was a dream anyway….

John pinched himself again, even harder.

The pain felt reassuring.

It wasn't a dream.

It was a nightmare.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

I'm Always Here

I'm invisible
Nothing will anyone hear
Make no mistake
I'm always here

It's my function
It's my career
It's my choice
I'm always here

For the one I care for
Worship and hold dear
They never need worry
I'm always here

From the future to the present
They never need fear
I will honor and protect
I'm always here

Time matters not
Day to month to year
Forever I will follow
I'm always here

Nobody