Chapter 1103
All Bets Covered
Sheila drove Ally, Hanna, and Gail to the target location. They were there to follow up a lead on the female motorcycle rider. They suspected she was a Fanatic but were unsure. She may have only infiltrated the Fanatic's group. She could be a Gray from some version of Skynet, or part of the anti-Metal faction. Those three groups were at odds with each other and always tried to infiltrate each other. The Resistance tried to stay in the background and not make itself known to any group. Whenever it came time to confront some version of Skynet, Cameron was usually the one to do it herself. She still tried to keep the heat off of John and Sarah. She didn't want them seen as the threat to Skynet. She wanted herself to be seen as the threat.
Any action they were involved in, they always tried to make it look like it was one of the other groups who was responsible. They always collected weapons and other intelligence from each group they dealt with. They made sure some of it was left at the location where they dealt with any of the other groups. They wanted to make sure they all blamed each other and didn't suspect the Resistance. The Resistance in the past was supposed to be viewed as a myth. Sarah Connor and John Connor were both supposed to have been terminated long ago.
Ally and Sheila witnessed the female motorcycle rider in the process of being interrogated by Cameron's Terminators. All of her teeth were removed to check for the 'poison tooth' some of the Fanatics possessed and to keep her from biting her tongue off.
It actually happened before with another Fanatic. The Fanatic also blinded himself. They found him with one eye completely pulled from the socket and laying on the ground, and the other one still attached, hanging on his cheek but crushed.
The Metal girls discussed what they were supposed to be looking for. They didn't really know.
Gail wanted them to use caution.
"We don't even know what's here." Gail said.
Sheila spotted something which needed further investigation.
"I guess we're going to find out." Sheila said. "Look."
Gail saw what she pointed at.
"I see it." Gail said.
Ally saw it too. She wanted to investigate. She thought she could do better on foot.
"Let me out here." Ally said.
Hanna didn't want Ally to go alone. It was less likely that two of them could be grabbed at the same time. They could watch each other's backs.
"I'll go with you." Hanna said.
Sheila didn't want to be spotted letting them out. She wanted to use a little discretion. She didn't with the girls on foot tied to their vehicle in case they were observed or were under observation.
"Let me pull around the corner first." Sheila said. "Let's keep everything as low key as possible."
Gail didn't think Ally and Hanna packed enough firepower.
"You're both under armed." Gail said.
Ally tried to blow it off.
"This is recon." Ally said. "If we start waving weapons around or wearing protective armor, we're going to make ourselves targets."
Sheila pulled around the corner and stopped. She was worried about Ally.
"Don't forget it, love." Sheila said to Ally as she exited the SUV with Hanna.
Sheila didn't want them to take any chances needlessly. They still didn't know what they were up against at this location. They needed some answers and they needed them fast.
Cameron was 'plugged in' to John Henry's server. She followed all the security footage around the base. She was pleased to see Jesse go to Claire's room. She liked it when everyone was happy. The happier the girls were, the more likely they were to do her bidding. She liked it even better when there was no one to worry about the things she did or wanted to do.
She watched as Vanna went to the nursery earlier. Allison was headed there now. Cam was still in Vanna's room. Holly exited from her room a few minutes after Allison left. She didn't look happy.
Cameron knew Holly was worried about being 'replaced'. She would need to remind Holly she was a 'replacement'. She glanced over at John. He was busy with John Henry. She sent a silent message to Cam.
Cam exited Vanna's room and intercepted Holly. Cameron watched them speak. Holly looked around and headed off with Cam. They went to Sheila's room. They went inside. Holly looked around again before she closed the door.
Cameron smiled. She liked to keep everyone happy. She would direct them to Claire's room later on if Allison and Vanna stayed tied up with Precious.
CamNet linked up with Cameron through John Henry's server. She was filled in on everything happening with Savannah and Young Allison. Some of the events which occurred with them were a little troubling to her. It made her think about what needed to be done, and when it needed to be done. She really didn't know what she was waiting for on some of the things. She could actually take care of them now before she went on her cruise with John. Maybe it's what she should do.
She didn't know if she could get Savannah to go along, but she was pretty sure she could get Young Allison to go along. It would be even more so if Young Allison completed her temporal mission. It was something she could actually do in a matter of minutes. Maybe it was too risky so close to the sailing date. There were other options available to her. She could tell everyone she did, even if she didn't. It was something she didn't need to start planning now.
Her thoughts were interrupted by what developed with Sheila's team. Maybe Cam and Holly would need to continue at a later time. Depending on what Ally and Hanna were able to see, she may have to head there herself. It wasn't something she looked forward to in case she was damaged.
If Cameron damaged her sheath, one of the other undamaged 'Allison based clones' was going to give up their chassis to her, one way or another. The best part about it was, John wouldn't know the difference. She was her program anyway, not her chassis. She was in more than a few chassis anyway, both male and female.
She definitely preferred to be in a female chassis. A male chassis was bulky and cumbersome. She didn't care for the 'junk' between the legs either. Not only was it in the way, it also left a lot to be desired aesthetically. She actually thought about removing the entire 'package' from the male sheath. The only reason she didn't was because she knew the next owner of the chassis would need to wait a long time for everything to regenerate. It only sped up her resolve to be out of the male chassis back into a female chassis. Female chassis, like most female bodies, were much more eloquent.
Cameron glanced over at John and John Henry. They both looked busy.
She wasn't going to give up her honeymoon with John. The Metal girls were all going to help her, one way or another. The most exciting thing about it was she planned to strip each of them of their virginity with her program in control of their chassis. John would have the best honeymoon ever. She could be someone 'different' and it would still be her. Well, her program anyway. She was her program, not her chassis.
Cameron definitely wanted to use Sheila's chassis. She desired to use it over any of the other ones. Her next choice after it would be Holly. It would probably be followed by Hanna and Gail. The more she thought about it, the more she realized John would probably like her to use Anna's chassis first. She was pretty sure she would run into some negative feedback from Young Allison if she got wind of what she was up to. The key there would be not to tip her hand.
She thought it was even more reason to get Young Allison onto the cruise ship because Anna would accompany her. John wouldn't need to watch anything any longer. He would be able to live it and it was actually going to be her. Move over and make room for Anna-Cameron.
She needed to think things through a little further. Right now her mind was a little clouded with all the different things she thought she might be able to pull off. She knew if she overstepped she was going to be 'ordered' by Savannah, or Young Allison, about what she could or couldn't do. If she tried to bite off too much, she wasn't even going to be left with a tidbit. She knew the girls wanted her to spend the time with John. It was why they wouldn't go. As long as her program was in' or in control of a different chassis, it would still be her spending time with John. She was pretty sure it was a matter of perspective more than anything. Her program was her program wherever it was at.
She wanted her program to be anywhere other than in a metal box.
John Henry could tell things were about to change if not heat up.
"We may have a situation developing." John Henry said. "It looks like Sheila's team has a solid lead."
It was daytime and the girls were on the street.
John knew on a city street in daytime the girls wouldn't be properly protected.
"None of them have their vests on or body cams." John said.
John Henry wanted to stress it wasn't combat, at least not yet.
"This is a recon." John Henry said. "I may be able to get some footage."
John looked over at Cameron. She seemed to be watching the same thing. He thought she might look a little distracted. He figured she was probably worried about the Metal girls as well. He quickly realized if they had a drone at altitude they could at least get some additional perspective.
"Maybe it's time to get a drone up." John said. "Unless we have some other options available."
John wondered if there was a solution a little closer to them. It seemed like something he should have thought about earlier.
John Henry agreed with John's assessment. He knew there were a few things working against them currently.
"It would be nice to have a drone overhead." John Henry said. "Young Allison isn't currently in her bunker. She's out doing her physical training exercises and swimming practice. She wants to build her endurance and stamina."
John felt it was still his job and his responsibility. Young Allison made calls from her bunker to assist them greatly through CamNet. She was doing things John Henry and him should have done. It seemed it was the whole point. They didn't make any of the calls Young Allison did on her own accord. They all helped the team immensely. HE didn't make those calls. SHE did.
"We should have done it as a precaution." John said. "Young Allison has a life to lead too. I don't want to overuse her. She will have enough to deal with soon enough when Cameron and I are on the cruise ship."
Cameron heard the last statement by John. She was willing to bet once Young Allison was in his bed, he would overuse her. She could speak from personal experience exactly what it would be like. It was her current goal to build his stamina up now for their upcoming cruise. There was a difference between working towards the goal, and having to do something else, just for someone else's pleasure.
They looked at one of the screens. There were some fresh images.
John tried to determine what he actually looked at.
"Is it from a body cam?" John asked.
John Henry wanted to try an option he thought might still be available based upon its previous usage.
"Yes." John Henry said. "I've activated Sheila's body cam. I let her know. It may have been a mistake."
There was some movement and they were looking at the front of a shirt. A hand came up and lifted the front of the shirt showing it was Sheila. Her breasts with her nipple rings were in full view. She flashed the camera and let her top go back down.
Nobody said anything.
John Henry was sure the incident was his fault. It wasn't his fault Sheila was totally unpredictable, but what she just did was very predictable for her.
"I should have asked her before I activated the camera." John Henry said.
John wasn't sure why Sheila even wore her body cam with street clothes.
"I guess it was her way of showing she found out after you activated it." John said. "How did you know she took it with her?"
John Henry thought a diplomatic answer was the best answer. He didn't want to mention she was showing off her private parts whenever she could get the chance to do so. It was mainly for the benefit of CamNet and him.
"It was an educated guess." John Henry said. "You know our Terminators or always ready for different contingencies as they arise. It's hard to catch them flat footed, especially when they're in the danger zone."
Cameron watched what went down but didn't comment directly. She saw John and John Henry both look at her several times. She pretended like she ignored everything. While she waited, she went through some stored files she came across in John Henry's server. They were of Sheila and her antics with her body cam. She silently watched them through her connection. She found them to be quite fascinating to view. It seemed there were quite a few images and video files John Henry collected regarding Sheila. Some of them were extremely explicit. She was a little surprised at how far some things could be stretched.
As she watched everything there was to watch about Sheila, it only reaffirmed her earlier decision. She decided she was going to use Sheila's chassis, even if hers wasn't damaged. She wanted to give John some variety and it would still be her. She was her program.
She also went about trying to determine what was happening with Sheila's team now. The fact Ally and Hanna were out on foot only added to her worries. Whenever any of the team entered a danger zone, the threat for damage and destruction always went up. Anything dealing with the Fanatics was a clear and present danger no matter how it was viewed.
Cammy was in the pool with Savannah, Young Allison, and Anna. Cammy used the flotation rings Young Allison purchased for Anna to use. They worked quite well once she got the balance right. It was the hardest part to do. There were times when the devices wanted to flip her over. She needed to compensate quickly for any such motion. It seemed to happen very quickly.
Young Allison challenged Cammy to a swimming contest. She set the rules Cammy needed to follow. The wording was what usually limited the Terminator to not surpass Young Allison in the contest. She basically played from a 'stacked deck'.
Cammy wanted to get the rules down to some specific wording.
"So I can swim at the same speed as you, right?" Cammy asked.
Young Allison thought it was fair.
"Of course you can." Young Allison said. "I want to be fair."
Anna and Savannah looked at each other. They knew Young Allison was setting Cammy up to lose. Cammy was a Cameron clone and would play to win. Like Cameron, she would bend the rules to suit her needs. Rules at best might be considered a loose guideline, or as something to work her way around instead of follow.
Cammy wanted to make sure the rules were clear.
"We will start out from the end here and swim. We can't use our feet to kick off the wall at any time." Cammy said. "We will swim back and forth two times each way. I can't swim faster than your fastest speed."
Cammy saw Young Allison took all her advantages away. Being able to push off the wall with her feet would have propelled her past Young Allison in a flash. She was sure it would propel her from one end of the pool to the other. She wasn't sure if it would damage the tile on the end of the pool if she did it. There would be a lot of force applied to it. It would be more or less like jumping. Instead of going vertical the motion would be horizontal. The effects and results should be very similar. There would be much more resistance from the liquid than there would be from the gas, the air.
Young Allison felt the rules were very straightforward. Cammy wouldn't be able to use all of her advantages as a Terminator in the contest.
"You got it." Young Allison said. "What's fair is fair."
Cammy didn't think she would lose. She should be able to match Young Allison in everything.
"I'll tie you then." Cammy said.
Young Allison saw an opportunity to further her agenda and desires. She wanted to up the stakes.
"What if I win?" Young Allison asked.
Cammy thought their ability should be equal.
"It will be impossible for you to beat me." Cammy said.
Young Allison was sure she hooked Cammy now. She pushed it.
"I bet I'll win." Young Allison said.
Cammy wanted to see where things would go. She was up to any challenge. Since there would be some type of bet involved, it only furthered her resolve to conduct the competition.
"What's the bet?" Cammy asked.
Young Allison looked at Anna. She didn't want Anna to hear what she wanted for the bet.
"Anna, turn your audio off for a little while." Young Allison said.
Savannah didn't like the development. She didn't think there should be any bet involved. It should be a friendly competition and nothing more.
"What about me?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison decided to whisper to Cammy so Savannah didn't overhear her. It was about the last thing she wanted to happen.
"I'm going to whisper in Cammy's ear." Young Allison said. "It's private."
Savannah was more than a little worried with the revelation. She could think of a dozen things Young Allison would want to do along those lines. There was also another group of them she could make Cammy do.
Young Allison went to Cammy and whispered in her ear.
Cammy looked at Young Allison. She was surprised at the request.
"Are you sure?" Cammy asked.
Young Allison was clear to Cammy what the bet was.
"I'm positive." Young Allison said.
Young Allison turned to prepare for the start of the race.
Cammy could play dirty too. She would make Young Allison think twice about betting on the unknown. It was a mistake to enter into 'combat' thinking you held the upper hand and couldn't be defeated. There were no such guarantees on the battlefield. There were plenty of times when an inferior force was able to defeat a superior force. It wasn't just the sheer size of an army or the weapons used. It was the fight between combatants, and what the goal involved. Everyone fought harder for different things, especially when some mattered more than others.
She wanted something in return based on Young Allison's request if she won.
"What if I win?" Cammy asked.
Young Allison was overconfident. She didn't think it was possible. The best Cammy could do was tie her. She would like to see what Cammy thought was worth betting on with her.
"Tell me what you want." Young Allison said.
Cammy looked at Young Allison. She thought about what may be important to her and why. She knew some things were more important for various reasons. She knew some things were easily replaceable, she knew other things were irreplaceable. She wanted to see how far Young Allison was willing to go. She placed her mouth next to her ear.
Savannah watched everything with extreme apprehension. She didn't like whatever secrets were being discussed. She didn't like it for two reasons. First it involved her cyborg lover. The other one was it involved her future human lover. She was jealous of whatever it was they were discussing. She wanted to know what it was. She didn't like what either one of them were doing, especially since it was being done behind her back, even if it was in front of her.
Cammy whispered in Young Allison's ear.
Young Allison looked a little ashen. Her eyes widened as she looked at Cammy.
Cammy set the stakes high. She knew she was being treated unfairly by all of the restrictions placed upon her. She should be able to use all of her 'natural abilities' the same way anyone else was able to do. She planned to make Young Allison lose big if she lost the challenge she set up. She wanted something special from Young Allison.
Young Allison looked at Savannah and back to Cammy. She swallowed hard. Maybe she needed to rethink the nature of the contest based upon what the bet now involved.
"It's not what I planned." Young Allison said. "Maybe we should rethink things."
Cammy could see she hit a nerve. She wanted to drive her point home. She figured it would give Young Allison something to think about and keep her a little off track. She wanted to keep her hook in Young Allison. She knew what the things where she wanted. She knew she didn't want to wait for them either. She whispered in Young Allison's ear some more. She wanted to keep her in the bet. She sweetened it some for Young Allison. The things she mentioned wouldn't be a problem for her to pay up if she lost.
Young Allison wanted what Cammy added. Many of them were the things she desired. She was given a taste of things before. What was now offered would be more than a taste. She wanted to make sure the bet was worth the risk.
"I get to do it whenever I want?" Young Allison asked.
Cammy glanced at Savannah and Anna.
"When it's appropriate…." Cammy said. "You need to win first. When I win, I plan to collect. It will give you something to think about going forward. You can still back out of the wager now and the competition can remain friendly. You're the one who chose the battlefield and the method of fighting. My hands are tied so to speak at many different levels because of your rules. We can also call the whole thing off and act as if it never occurred. Remember, you're being given a choice. I don't intend to lose."
Cammy didn't feel she actually would lose anything if she lost. She felt she would actually gain. It would be Young Allison who would lose if she lost. She knew Young Allison was blinded by the reward, rather than by the contest to achieve it. It was a mistake on the battlefield. They were in a pool, but it was now a battlefield of a different type.
Young Allison thought about the rewards if she won. Cammy sweetened the deal to her enough so she was willing to risk 'everything'. She went over all the parameters of the contest and didn't see how she could possibly lose. It couldn't be anything less than a tie. If it was a tie, she still won.
"It's a deal." Young Allison said.
Savannah didn't like what she heard. She disliked what she couldn't hear even more. She was sure whatever the bet was from each of them, it was completely inappropriate. It was why they needed to whisper about it. She thought she should demand to know what the bet was for both of them. Maybe she didn't want to know. She wasn't going to sit by and do nothing. She needed to protect her future lover. She wasn't going to let Cammy teach Young Allison an unchangeable lesson.
"I'll be the judge." Savannah said. "The final say is mine if Cammy wins. Is it understood? I will not allow the contest to go on otherwise."
Cammy felt Savannah would be fair and honor her win if she won.
"I agree to it." Cammy said. "Savannah is the 'Decider'. I know she will honor anything agreed to and won within the rules of the contest."
Savannah and Young Allison shared a long look.
Young Allison knew Savannah was watching out for her. She was pretty sure Savannah wasn't going to approve of the bet. In fact, if Savannah knew what the bet was from both of the contestants, the competition would be immediately canceled. They would probably be a strong admonishment directed at both Cammy and her on top of it.
"I know you will do what's fair." Young Allison said to Savannah.
Cammy and Young Allison were three feet from the end of the pool.
It was time to get the competition underway.
Savannah checked to make sure they were both ready. They were. It was time to get the ball rolling.
"Get ready. Get set." Savannah said. "Go."
Cammy and Young Allison took off down the pool.
Savannah and Anna watched them.
Savannah hoped Anna listened to what the bets were. She wanted to know what was at stake for both of them.
"What was the bet?" Savannah asked.
There was a stern look on Anna's face. She was sure everything involved would be inappropriate for Young Allison, regardless of who won.
"I don't know. I didn't listen because Young Allison asked me not to." Anna said. "I have a pretty good idea what each of them asked for. I think we can both assume it's what neither of us want to see occur, at least for Young Allison."
Savannah figured she did as well. Neither was good for Young Allison. It was only speculation on her part currently. She was pretty sure she understood how each of them thought. She knew Cammy could be cold and ruthless when she needed to be. The fact she was challenged with severe restrictions would only raise her competitive nature.
"I tend to agree." Savannah said. "It's what I was afraid of."
Anna was sure her 'order' from Young Allison was going to cause a conflict, when either Young Allison or Cammy came to collect their win.
"It can't be allowed to happen." Anna said. "I have a directive to prevent it."
It sounded good to Savannah. She needed to step up.
"Then make sure you follow your directive." Savannah said. "I'll cover Young Allison's bet."
Anna thought it was impossible at this point for Savannah. She didn't want to get too specific.
"You don't know what it is." Anna said.
Savannah would do what was necessary somehow.
"It doesn't matter." Savannah said. "I'll cover it."
Cammy and Young Allison reached the other end and started back again. They could not kick off the rear wall. So far it was a tie.
Savannah was displeased with both Cammy and Young Allison at this point. She thought both of them acted recklessly and without regard for each other or their own actions. She wasn't sure it would do any good to have a 'talk' with either of them after this event was over. They were both clearly beyond 'talking'.
She thought about it a little bit more and it further upset her. Cammy ran Cameron's program, even if it was out of date. Cameron's program was infused with the data from the 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison. In a way, Young Allison was actually competing against herself with Cammy.
Jesse and Claire were all over each other. It was like a volcano waiting to erupt. They both wanted each other desperately.
Claire tried to catch her breath. Her anticipation and excitement for Jesse overwhelmed her and she finished in seconds. It was a first for her. She was usually much more giving.
Jesse was a little surprised at how rapidly the first 'finish' came.
"It was quick." Jesse said. "I could tell it was going to be."
Jesse moved back around so her head was next to Claire's head.
Claire wanted to give Jesse an explanation. She actually thought it sounded pretty lame once she started to say it but she wanted to say it anyway since it was the truth.
"I'm sorry." Claire said. "I've been thinking about this non-stop since the last time we were together. You lay back and relax. I want to make you happy."
Jesse was always in for it. She liked to be happy.
"A 'happy ending' is a good ending." Jesse said.
Claire moved over the top of Jesse and looked in her eyes. She moved her head down and gently kissed her. She wanted to say something to Jesse for a long time, but she didn't. The need to say it overwhelmed her now. She felt it was something very important. It was very important to her.
"Jesse, I love you." Claire said.
Jesse smiled. She loved all the girls.
"I love you too." Jesse said.
Claire looked at Jesse with total seriousness. She wanted Jesse to know the depth and commitment of her love.
"Jesse, I love, love you." Claire said.
Jesse realized the full magnitude of what Claire just indicated. She could see she was dead serious. She wanted to know the depth of everything.
"Bad?" Jesse asked.
Claire swallowed hard and looked at Jesse with wide eyes.
"I have it bad, real bad." Claire said.
Jesse liked to keep her emotions in check. Normally she could. When she was around Claire things were a little different. Claire wasn't from the future. She wasn't tainted by the hardships and challenges the girls from the future needed to go through. Claire was different.
"We're all one big happy family." Jesse said. "I have to admit I'm real sweet on you."
Claire wanted a better answer.
"Do you love me?" Claire asked.
Jesse reached up and touched Claire's face. She felt it deep in her heart and decided to tell Claire the truth. It wasn't something she said lightly. In fact, it wasn't something she said much at all. It was something she could be afraid of because of its power.
"Yes. I love you, Claire." Jesse said. "I've been trying to deny it. I already stopped fighting it. I didn't want to influence you one way or the other. I wanted you to be sure of yourself first."
Claire didn't understand it. She didn't know why Jesse would do it. She thought about it a little bit more and realized she did much the same thing. She wasn't sure why either. She wanted to know what Jesse's reasoning was.
"Why?" Claire asked.
There was a lot of pain Jesse felt over time. Most of it wasn't physical either. When she got too close to someone in the future, it was almost like she signed their death warrant. People died often and usually without warning. The more she loved them, the more painful it was.
"I know how love can hurt." Jesse said. "There was a lot of loss in the future. You don't know what it was like to grow up there. You don't know what it was like to live in the Wastelands. Almost everything ended badly. There was no way to realistically plan for anything."
Jesse did know there was something to plan for. She didn't really want to mention it under the current circumstances. The only thing they could plan for in the future was death. The manner in which it would arrive was the unknown.
Even though Claire went to Cameron's future, everything was well controlled and orchestrated for her. She was never in any real danger, or faced any threat while she was there. She didn't see what Jesse previously saw. She knew the alternate future was even worse. She heard the stories. What made them all worse was she knew the girls always held back about some of the things. Just to imagine them was terrible.
"It's just us and the Metal girls." Claire said.
Jesse wondered about the other 'players'. She felt there were two of them. She didn't want to cause a problem for anyone so she only mentioned one of them.
"There's Vanna…." Jesse said.
Claire didn't see how it was a problem. Vanna shared with both of them.
"She and Allison are lovers." Claire said. "We both share with Vanna. You share with Allison as well."
Jesse knew Vanna was in a little deeper.
"I know Vanna is sweet on you." Jesse said.
It excited Claire. She was attracted to Vanna from the moment she first saw her. It was only because Vanna was her daughter's lover why she hadn't pursued it beyond a sexual relationship. There was a lot of love shared during their sexual unions, but they both kept it in check for Allison's sake. They both knew it was the right thing to do.
"Did Vanna tell you she was?" Claire asked.
Jesse learned how to 'read' people. It helped her survive. It also allowed her to manipulate them how she saw best to benefit herself more. It was a skill necessary to survive in the Wastelands. If she read someone the wrong way, she always kept her knife close by. She used it more than a few times when things didn't go her way.
"I can tell when Vanna talks about you." Jesse said. "Vanna is the human version of your cyborg lover. They've shared the 'Neural Interface'. Part of what Hanna feels for you is the 'Vanna' in her. You've cultivated the rest of it yourself."
Claire knew how much Hanna cared for her. She needed to think of her daughter too. She loved Vanna and she loved her daughter as well. She wanted to reaffirm her position and why.
"I don't want to hurt Allison." Claire said. "I can't hurt any of my daughters. I won't do it."
Jesse just wanted the 'water' clear so everyone knew where they stood.
"Vanna doesn't want to hurt Allison either." Jesse said. "We all share here, you know it."
Claire felt so much love since Cameron entered her life, and everything Cameron brought with her and provided her with. Many doors were opened to her. Before it all happened, she felt her life was at a dead end. She felt trapped. It wasn't a good feeling. She was very unfulfilled in many ways. Things were different now. Everything was different now
"I do." Claire said. "It's beautiful. There's so much love here."
Jesse wanted to remind her they were all in close proximity.
"We're a small group." Jesse said.
Claire wanted to move forward. She wanted more. She liked to have a cyborg lover. She liked to share with all of the girls, both the human girls and the Metal girls.
"What do we do?" Claire asked.
Jesse wanted to make her lifestyle clear. She was who she was. She was ready to take it one step further, but she wasn't willing to leave anything behind. She lost too much in the future to ever give up anything willingly.
"I get around a lot. It's part of who I am." Jesse said. "You have to accept it. I'm with everyone often. It's something I'll continue to do."
It didn't seem like an issue to Claire. They all got around.
"I do too." Claire said. "We all do. I just wonder if there can be more."
Jesse could tell where this was headed. She wasn't opposed to expanding a relationship further, but she also needed to think about her prior commitments.
"Are you asking me if we should move in together?" Jesse asked.
Claire wanted it, but even to spend more time with Jesse would work for now. She also needed to think about others as well. It wasn't just Jesse and her.
"I don't want to hurt Gail or Hanna." Claire said. "I just want you to know you're special to me and I want to be with you more, not to hurt those around us. It's all I'm asking. I want to spend more time with you and do more things together. Everything else can remain the same."
Jesse wanted more from Claire. She felt there were a lot of missing parts to her life. She thought in the past she would have been able to fill some of those missing pieces in. She actually didn't think she did much of it. She seemed to be stuck in the same rut. The things which troubled her were all in the future. The future still troubled her greatly. Her future was her past, which was the future. She wanted to get out of the rut. She wanted to break free. She wanted to be who she could be, not who she was. She wanted more. The human touch was always nice.
"I want it too." Jesse said. "I don't want anything to get complicated and I don't want to hurt anyone. Most of all I don't want to get hurt. There's been too much hurt in my life."
Claire wanted to be there for Jesse emotionally. She believed she could offer Jesse more than she was able to find so far. She believed they could feed off each other's strengths and help prop up each other's weaknesses. They were two very different individuals. They were most likely polar extremes from each other. She thought it was part of the attraction. Each one wanted parts of the other one's life they hadn't been able to experience on their own. It was the ultimate 'good girl, bad girl' combination.
She wanted to reach out to Jesse. She wanted to reach into Jesse. She wanted Jesse to open up. She wanted Jesse to let her in. She wanted more.
"Share your pain with me." Claire said. "We can share the good, the bad, and the ugly."
Jesse was afraid she might scare Claire away from her. She looked inside of herself. There wasn't much good. There was a lot of bad. There was an awful lot of ugly. She knew the 'real Jesse' wasn't a good person before. She was actually very ashamed of her past now. She didn't used to be. She felt everything she did was necessary to survive. She knew she hurt people she didn't need to hurt. She hurt them on purpose too. She wanted them to suffer. She wanted to hear them scream. It was because others did things to her. She always thought it would make her feel better inside, but it never did. It only made everything worse. She felt with Cameron's help and guidance she was somewhat reformed. Vanna and Allison gave her a lot of love when she needed it. They never took anything from her in return. They only shared everything.
"There's a lot of darkness." Jesse said. "I've done a lot of things. A lot has happened to me."
Claire wanted Jesse to leave the darkness behind.
"You've shared some with me. Now is the time to face the darkness." Claire said. "Let me face it with you. Let me be your light away from the darkness once and for all."
Jesse thought of the people she hurt and what she did to them. She wanted to tell Claire the truth about many. She was sure it was a bad idea. She still wanted to come clean. She wanted to be honest. She wanted the truth out there.
"You probably aren't going to want to be around me if I'm honest." Jesse said.
Claire thought if Jesse addressed the past, she could see the past wasn't her future, even if it was her future before.
"I want you to be honest." Claire said. "I want you to be true to yourself. Believe in who you are now. It's time you control the darkness and not let the darkness control you. You're out of the future. You get to make your own future now. Stop reliving what has already passed. It's behind you now even if it is still in the future, a future. That was then, this is now."
Claire was still over Jesse and looked into her eyes.
Jesse looked at Claire for a long moment. She figured she might as well find out where she stood for real. She was who she was at the end of the day.
"I guess I'll start with Judgment Day. It's when it all fell apart." Jesse said. "From there it only got worse and worse, until I became the darkness and the evil myself. I hurt people. I maimed people. I killed people. I did it on purpose."
Claire wanted to be the light at the end of Jesse's tunnel of darkness.
"I know who you are now. Love is blind." Claire said. "There won't be any 'judgment' on my part."
Jesse really hoped it could be true. She didn't know if it could be or not. Maybe it was time to find out.
"There will be 'judgment' on my part." Jesse said. "There always is. I can never escape it. It's forever a part of me."
Claire took Jesse in her arms.
"Things are different now." Claire said. "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. I've seen parts of the real you try to come out when we do things, other than make love to each other. It is love too. It's not just sex. It hasn't been for me with you for a long time. Something inside you reached out to me. I've reached back and want more. I want it all. I want the real you. I want you."
Jesse wondered where she should start. She could hear the screams again in her head. Most of them were hers….
Closing monologue by Cameron:
All Bets Covered
Some people's egos write checks
That their bodies can't cash
There will be a lot trouble
Along with a backlash
No one knows when to stop
Even when they hold the winning hand
The real prize before them
Slips through their fingers like sand
They can't comprehend
When they gamble they lose
They make the wrong choice
When it's time to chose
The easy way is the wrong way
The road to riches is just a myth
The one that is already before them
Stands out like a monolith
As life plays out over time
The truth is discovered
One needs to make sure
That all bets are covered
Nobody