Chapter 1188

Fifteen Minutes

Sheila, Ally, and Hanna didn't sleep. They planned to return to the small theater at the rear of the ship after everyone was in bed and use the musical instruments which were kept there. They decided to watch the group who used them actually play them so they could emulate them. They were there now to do so.

They watched the Rockabilly Trio play several songs. The girls knew they could play those same songs now. The more they watched, the more they knew what to do to make every instrument make each note, dyad, or chord. They were confident they could play any music now in rockabilly style.

They watched the entire performance which lasted forty five minutes. The band was going to take a fifteen minute break and return for another half hour set. The fifteen minute break just started.

The Metal girls would have preferred if they continued the performance without stopping. They knew humans lacked their same ability to do the same task indefinitely. They could perform until their power cell ran out or they were terminated.

"We have fifteen minutes to kill." Ally said.

Sheila looked around. Maybe they could settle a score.

"Do you see the older couple?" Sheila asked. "I'm ready to kill them. It won't take fifteen minutes either."

Hanna suppressed a smile.

"She meant fifteen minutes of free time." Hanna said. "You knew what she meant."

Sheila did know. She just wanted to mess with Ally and Hanna. She wouldn't mind taking care of the older couple either. She was ready to pull her dress up now. She was always ready for a little action.

"We can knock off a quickie." Sheila said. "None of us is wearing underwear. All we need to do is hike our dress up and we're good to go."

Ally considered sliding her hand inside Sheila's dress. She did it earlier in the private box. It made her smile to think they all touched each other's 'private box' in the private box. She wondered if it was why they called it that, or maybe it was where the name came from in the first place. She wanted to mess with Sheila.

"I just need to reach my hand into the slit of your dress and you're good to go." Ally said.

Sheila was always ready anytime. She didn't care who saw her. She actually preferred it when someone did. It always provoked some type of reaction in them. She knew the more she did with her body up top or down below in front of others meant the least amount of time they would spend looking at her face.

"One slit leads to 'another'." Sheila said.

Ally giggled. She was just thinking about the same thing.

Hanna looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. They weren't. They drew a lot of looks, especially Ally since she looked like Cameron right now. It was seldom the case. Nobody appeared to try and listen to them. Everyone was on vacation. It looked like Sheila and Ally were about to get 'hands on' contact with each other. She really didn't think it was the proper place for them to do anything of such a nature.

"You two did enough of it during the performance in the main theater earlier." Hanna said. "You don't need to make a spectacle of yourselves in here. I would prefer it if you didn't."

It seemed like a win - win for everyone to Sheila. Nobody should need to worry about it.

"You got your turn." Sheila said. "You liked it too."

Ally knew Sheila was always ready for more.

"Everyone gets a turn when you're around." Ally said.

Sheila liked the way she looked and what she was able to offer others. She knew a happy customer was a repeat customer. She felt she could offer something to everyone. She would accommodate any request no matter how profane or perverse it was. She was currently limited to what she could do to females. Cameron strictly forbade any contact with males other than John, at least at first. If John ever asked her, she couldn't say 'no'. She didn't plan to say 'no' either. She knew the first time he was with her it would probably only last a few minutes and it wouldn't do much for her, even if it did for him. It was just the way it worked with humans, especially on their initial encounter.

"I'm not ashamed of who I am." Sheila said. "If you've got it, flaunt it."

Hanna needed to agree with her statement.

"You do both of those things." Hanna said.

Sheila wanted some action now.

"I can't wait until tomorrow." Sheila said.

Ally offered her a workable solution. It was all a matter of perspective.

"It's already 'tomorrow' on the east coast." Ally said. "Does it count?"

The thought of being nude in front of others with no hassle excited Sheila. She was ready to put her body up against any of the human females on the ship. She was willing to bet her jewelry would seal the deal. She saw how big of a hit she was at the club with the nude beach for females only. It was only in the last week.

"I meant for the nude sunbathing." Sheila said. "I can be out in the open with other people around me and it's no big deal. They'll all be doing it."

Ally wondered how far Sheila would go. She thought there needed to be a certain amount of restraint. She didn't think it was necessarily a 'pickup' point. Some people might want to sunbathe and not have tan lines. She didn't care for the look of tan lines.

"You'll be like a kid in a candy store." Ally said. "You'll be the one checking everyone else out. You need to remember not everyone thinks like you do when it comes to other things."

Hanna doubted Sheila would be able to keep her hands to herself.

"I'm sure when Sheila gets a little too frisky and grabby, they'll have to call security." Hanna said. "I'm sure it will be Bob who needs to respond."

Sheila was intrigued with the idea.

"I'll let him walk me to the brig naked." Sheila said. "Even more people will be able to check out my hot sheath."

Ally shook her head.

"Crazy is as crazy does." Ally said. "Look what happened at the last place. You thought you were the 'most' there.

Sheila remembered how she got carried away at the club they were at recently. She also remembered how everyone looked at her. She thought there would be a little better control on the ship.

"You got that right." Sheila said. "It won't be like the nutty nude beach joint we were at either."

Hanna looked around. She lost track of the team. Holly and Gail were gone too.

"Where did the others go?" Hanna asked.

Ally checked out the area. They were the only ones left.

"They probably went to look around." Ally said. "We can do it too."

Hanna didn't think Cameron and John went too far. She didn't see them. She figured they were close by somewhere.

Sheila didn't want the immediate issue forgotten. She wanted some fast action.

"What about our quickie?" Sheila asked.

Hanna offered a suggestion to Sheila if she couldn't wait.

"You can always replay a file." Hanna said. "It doesn't get any quicker than that."

Ally watched Sheila do it often enough already. It seemed to put them in unsafe predicaments more than once.

"She does it all the time anyway." Ally said. "It gets dangerous when she is driving and does it at a stoplight. It's even worse when she's maneuvering through traffic. I always feel like we're going to pile up. It wouldn't be so bad if she let me drive. She always hogs the wheel like she does with everything else. She should at least consider others at times."

Sheila didn't see it as a big deal. She was confident in her abilities.

"I can do more than one thing at a time." Sheila said. "What makes you think I'm not doing it right now?"

Ally looked around the small theater. She spotted a place close by they might be able to use. It made her think about something Sarah and John dealt with more than a few times. They even used the same last name as the author of the book about it.

"Let's go behind the stage curtain." Ally said. "We can be like the 'Wizard Of Oz'."

Sheila wasn't exactly sure what Ally meant by her statement. She tried to think of any perverse acts in the movie or book. She hoped when they remade the movie, like they do all the other ones, someone would put some in it. Maybe it involved something with the actors or actresses off screen in their personal life. Unless they were some type of images she could view, she wouldn't waste her time looking.

Hanna looked at the small stage. It wasn't where the Rockabilly Trio played. They performed next to it where there was a dance floor. She worried about accidental exposure.

"What happens if the curtain opens up?" Hanna asked. "We'll be right out in the open in compromising positions in front of a room full of strangers on a stage."

Ally thought she already brought the issue up.

"It will just be like the Wizard Of Oz." Ally said. "There won't be any mystery as to what exactly is behind the curtain."

It was all Sheila needed to hear to seal the deal. She liked when an audience watched her. Normally it was only a few individuals. The idea of an audience consisting of a room full of strangers was very appealing to her. The fact she would be on a stage only seemed to further entice her.

"We'll instantly become the biggest hit on the ship." Sheila said. "I'm in."

Sheila planned to 'headline' the event if it happened.

Hanna and Ally both thought it was a bad idea. They figured the best idea was to get Sheila out of the view of everyone else before she did something crude and lewd. Besides, they didn't think it would hurt anything to knock off a couple of quickies.

The three Metal girls headed for a door next to the stage, it led behind the curtain. It seemed like a more clandestine way to get onto the stage and not attract attention. It would be rather obvious if they climbed up on the stage and then went behind the curtain. One of the crew might spot them and come to investigate. It might even be one of the passengers.

Sheila looked around for some automatic way to open the curtain. She was sure she could steal any show. She was pleased to see more people were entering the small theater where they were at. She was sure she would be able to pick up on a few females if they saw what she could offer them. She planned to take them over the top. She knew a happy customer was a repeat customer.

"Let's go." Sheila said. "Nothing gets done thinking about it."

Ally tilted her head slightly.

"When you replay a file it's exactly what you do." Ally said. "You think about what happened before when you made it. I have to say it qualifies as thinking about it, and it does get done."

Hanna nodded in agreement.

"She's absolutely correct." Hanna said. "Some things do get done just by thinking about them."

Sheila didn't want to dwell on old news.

"It's time to make some new ones then." Sheila said.

Earlier:

Cameron and the group were in the rear theater to watch the performance by the Rockabilly Trio.

There was some dancing to the tunes on the small dance floor. None of the group ventured out into the brightly lit area. It was one thing for the males in their group to fumble through a few dances in the darkness of the sky lounge. It was another thing for them to do it in the bright lights of the rear theater. The majority of the songs played were done in a very high energy style. It was clear some of the people who danced were acclimated to the type of music and dancing associated with it.

They all played it low key and just watched the performance and enjoyed the music. They were a little disappointed when it stopped but they understood the musicians needed a slight break.

Cameron wanted everyone to know they didn't need to sit there if they wanted to go to some other spot on the ship during the break. It was supposed to only be for fifteen minutes, but it could be longer.

"You can all do whatever you want right now." Cameron said. "You can look around on the Promenade deck or go outside to the open deck. Everything is right near where we're at. You can do any of those things in just a minute or two."

The three couples talked everything over amongst themselves and decided what they would do.

Cameron kept an eye on Sheila, Ally, and Hanna. She didn't want them to get carried away during the intermission. Currently they talked among themselves as they looked at the instruments the musicians set down when they left for their break.

Derek and Riley headed for the shops during the break.

Riley wanted to look at what was in the shops. She decided to bring Derek with her.

Derek looked in back of them. Holly tagged along at a discreet distance.

"I see we have a shadow." Derek said.

Riley looked back and spotted Holly. A wave of excitement flooded over her. It reminded her of past times and what 'could have been'. She was so close to 'taking' Holly before. She never sealed the deal. She would be with Holly now instead of Derek if it would have happened. Then again she wouldn't have Precious. She wasn't willing to trade Precious for anything.

She was very pleased Samantha sent her an update every hour about Precious. She felt bad about calling Vanna all the time previously. It made her wonder why Samantha hadn't sent the information earlier. It didn't really matter at this point. She could still get an hourly update and not need to bother anyone. She took another quick look at Holly behind them. It was Holly's dress which reminded her of her earlier ambitions.

"It's just Holly." Riley said. "She looks just like she did when I first tried to hit on her before. She was dressed exactly the same way. Just look at her. I think most females would die, just to look like her. It's hard to believe she is what she is."

Derek thought Holly was a knockout. He couldn't agree with Riley more. He tried to moderate his response some.

"I think she's beautiful." Derek said. "How can anyone not look at her?"

Riley watched Derek earlier. She watched him check out all of the Metal girls. She noticed he concentrated on Gail and Holly the most. She knew what Derek liked. The low cut dresses they all wore only seem to heighten their assets.

She was a little self conscious about herself. She looked down at her low cut dress. She was 'larger' than the other females in the Resistance except for Gail and Holly. There was a big difference in the way they looked. She just didn't have the same shape and proportion the Metal girls did. To her, they looked much more appealing than she did. She was aware where Derek's eyes went on every female. She didn't think she could complain too much since hers did as well. She just tried to be a little more discreet about it. She wanted to give Derek a little jab.

"You just like her knockers." Riley said.

Derek felt a little defensive. He knew it was a true statement. He liked more than one thing about all of them. He didn't want to limit his response to one area

"I like her face as well. She is very beautiful." Derek said. "I like everything about her, not just one part. She's really nice too. I always need to remind myself she's a Terminator. She is very pleasant to be around as a person. I've worked with her a few times and can't believe how nice she is."

Derek also liked how modest and almost shy Holly seemed at times compared to the other female Terminators. He knew she was actually created as a Restorator in his future. She was about as opposite from Sheila as could be. He was told before he couldn't really blame Sheila for the way she acted because a lot of it dealt with the 'Neural Interface' she shared with Jesse. He could personally attest to some of Jesse's questionable behavior from his long term association with her. Sheila seemed to carry it a couple steps further.

Riley really wished she could have been with Holly before. It made her 'hungry' for a female right now. It was one thing she often missed.

"She's as nice as she is beautiful. It was what I liked too." Riley said. "She'll always be beautiful like she is. Nothing can ever spoil her beauty. I hope she's never damaged."

Nobody had a clue how badly Holly was damaged at one point. Cameron, or at least 'a version' of her, was able to rectify the problem with 'temporal management'. The damage which occurred to Holly actually never happened to her. She was removed from the danger zone before the events occurred. A 'temporal loop' was created which Holly wasn't a part of.

Riley looked at some clothes in one shop and then some jewelry in another. A few things were very shiny. She liked shiny things. It was more curiosity than anything else. She held a few items before handing them back to the clerk. She could see the beauty in them but she couldn't see the practicality in them. She was pleased with the jewelry Cameron provided for her to wear. It was something she would never do on her own.

Derek looked around at all the high priced jewelry. He was surprised at how much was available on the ship.

"There are a lot of diamonds in here." Derek said. "This place is really fancy with a lot of 'high end' items."

Riley looked at the astronomical prices. It made her think about her past, the future.

"They seem to have a lot of value here in the past. I mean where we are now, the present." Riley said. "I think it's safe to say their value will rapidly depreciate after Judgment Day."

Derek understood exactly what Riley meant. He watched how the value of things changed in the future. He was old enough to watch items of traditional value become absolutely worthless in a Skynet future.

"Money or precious stones didn't have much value after J-Day." Derek said.

They both knew the commodities which were valuable in the future were food, firearms, ammunition, and females, in the same order. They may fluctuate between individuals in order, but not by much.

Riley didn't want to think about the 'items of value' from the future. She needed to use parts of her body to trade for food on more than one occasion. It wasn't something she wanted to do. It wasn't something she was proud of. She needed to survive. She faced abuse previously so it really wasn't a big deal. There wasn't a gun or knife involved and she wasn't slapped around or beaten. Things were usually over in a few minutes. She was glad when she received enough food if it took her longer to actually eat the food than the act to earn it took. It wasn't always the case.

She looked around where they were at now and thought about the other places she was on the ship earlier. It was just hard to imagine all those things happened in a Skynet future. It only reminded her how people didn't know how good things were right now for all of them. She watched a few of the talk shows on TV and how people complained about their lives or what predicaments they got themselves into. It sounded like a total whine-a-thon to her. They just didn't know how bad it could get. She really doubted any of them would survive very long after J-Day.

They headed to the specialty restaurant which was their muster station. It was just down the central aisle way.

Derek was in his element.

There was a steak house type eatery just past it. It was near the Italian place.

Now there was a dilemma over which one to check out.

Earlier:

Cameron watched Derek and Riley walk down the interior of Promenade. She told Holly to follow Derek and Riley.

She wanted to surprise Riley and do something nice for her.

"See what Riley looks at and I'll have CamNet send it to her room." Cameron said.

Holly wondered why the extra step was necessary.

"Riley can purchase it directly with her card." Holly said. "She can obtain anything."

Cameron didn't think so. She watched the people from the future. They obtained little more than they needed to exist. She was the one who needed to buy clothes for the girls, and give them to the girls as gifts. They were still worried about personal items becoming a liability. They all saw people die over their possessions. It was a waste and the people ended up with less than nothing. Some ended up in work camps. Others suffered a fate worse than death, they were captured by Scavengers.

"She won't get anything on her own." Cameron said. "None of them will buy anything. They're still haunted by the past, the future."

Holly nodded and followed Derek and Riley. She figured they would think she was just providing security for them. Her mission right now was a little more clandestine.

She thought it would be nice to pick something out for Riley and surprise her with it. She might even do it herself. Riley was always nice to her. So was Derek. She wondered if things would ever expand beyond where they were now with either of them. It was something she was open to at this point in her existence. She would need to be with John, before she could be with Derek. She could be with Riley at any time.

Earlier:

Sarah enjoyed the performance and the music provided by the Rockabilly Trio. It appeared to her Kyle did as well. The more open and brightly lit atmosphere kept her from doing too much during the performance. It was intermission time now.

Kyle and her went outside of the rear theater. They were in an intersection where the elevators were and a long aisle way. It went down the center of the Promenade deck. On either side of them were glass doors which led to the outside. She was aware it was an open deck. They would be exposed to the night air.

Sarah saw someone come in from outside.

"This deck opens to the water." Sarah said.

Cameron wanted to take advantage of where they were at right now.

"You can see the water up close outside, at least closer than from your balcony." Cameron said. "It's dark out but you can still see some from the moonlight. You can hear and see the water as it's moved away from the side of the ship's hull. The ship displaces a lot of water."

Sarah watched Derek and Riley go down the center of the Promenade deck where the shops and smaller specialty restaurants were located.

Kyle thought Sarah wanted to go outside. He knew she didn't want to look in any of the stores or shops along the Promenade.

"We can take a look outside if you'd like." Kyle said.

Sarah took one more look down the center of the Promenade.

"I think outside would work better for me." Sarah said.

Sarah and Kyle headed outside.

Kyle held the door for Sarah.

"Thank you, sir." Sarah said.

Kyle wanted to make Sarah feel special.

"You're welcome, Miss." Kyle said.

Sarah smiled. She was able to suppress a laugh.

"I think I'm a few years past the 'Miss' title." Sarah said.

Kyle moved up behind Sarah after she passed outside.

"Not to me." Kyle said.

Sarah didn't believe it was true but she appreciated hearing it. It made her feel good inside. She turned and gave Kyle a kiss.

"I can tell someone wants to get lucky tonight." Sarah said.

She took Kyle's hand and they walked up to the railing.

It was dark and serene as they gazed out over the ocean. The sound of the waves could be heard as the ship sliced through the water.

There was a bit of a cool breeze. The superstructure and lifeboats overhead blocked most of it.

Kyle put his arm around Sarah and drew her in closer to warm her.

Sarah wanted to stretch her legs a little bit. There were two directions they could go. They could simply walk around the rear of the ship which housed the small theater and come back in on the other side, or they could walk down the length of the ship and take the long way around the front. She didn't want to go too far.

"We can walk around the back of the ship and come back in on the other side." Sarah said.

The outside walkway on the Promenade deck was continuous around the ship. The path they would take went around the back of the small theater. It was the short way. They headed towards the stern.

Cameron motioned for Gail to follow Kyle and Sarah.

Gail nodded and headed out after them.

She stopped just inside the door and didn't go out. Kyle and Sarah were at the railing as they looked out over the water. She wanted them to have a little privacy.

Gail waited until they headed aft on the deck and then headed out the door to tag along.

She made sure she kept a discrete distance. There were no threats apparent. She kept a lookout for the older couple and the disrespectful individual from the buffet area. She took another look around her. There weren't too many people out on the open deck right now. She glanced over the short railing at the water below. The smile quickly faded from her face as she remembered she was on protection duty for Sarah and Kyle. She would need to deal with anything personal later on.

John watched the other couples head in different directions. It seemed to him everyone was having a good time so far. It was what he wanted for them. It was what he wanted to share with them. He watched Cameron send Gail and Holly to tag along with the other couples. He didn't want to say anything negative about it. He did want to address the issue.

"They really don't need to be on duty." John said.

Cameron told it like it was. Gail and Holly were originally on the ship to provide additional security for him. She was with him now. Gail and Holly still wanted to carry out their mission. Now the other two couples were on the ship. They could still carry out their mission, even if it was modified. It was a 'Terminator thing'.

"John, it's their mission." Cameron said. "They feel compelled and obligated to carry it out. It's what they want to do."

John thought about giving them an 'order' to have fun instead. How does one 'order' someone to have fun? If Savannah was there, he would have her to 'ask' them to do other things. Even better, Savannah would do it with them and show them some fun things.

They were just outside the entrance to the rear theater. John looked back inside of it.

"Where did Sheila, Ally, and Hanna go?" John asked. "They were there just a minute ago."

Cameron seemed unconcerned as she answered John without looking directly at him. She kept an eye on the trio to see what they did. It was much as she anticipated. She was just a little surprised where they ended up at.

"They're having sex on the stage behind the curtain." Cameron said.

John laughed. He didn't realize Cameron was being literal.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She thought John would be disturbed by the revelation, not amused. She almost suggested he peek in and observe them. She thought it might benefit her plans for later on.

John looked at where Kyle and Sarah went. He was ready for a little fresh air.

"Can we walk around the entire deck outside?" John asked.

Cameron knew they could traverse the entire circumference of the ship from the Promenade deck outside.

"Yes." Cameron said.

John wondered about the time.

"Can we make it back here before the band plays again?" John asked.

Cameron calculated if they walked briskly, they could make two circuits. She wondered if John wanted to get some exercise in based upon his excessive calorie count from earlier.

"Yes." Cameron said. "We can complete two full circuits around the deck and still be back before they start. We need to start now. We will need to move briskly."

John felt more like a slower pace. He wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of being on the ship at sea more than he wanted the exercise.

"We can just do one and make it more leisurely." John said. "We can enjoy the view and fresh night air."

John took Cameron's hand and led her toward the door to the outside. They chose the opposite side to start on from where Sarah and Kyle exited. They wanted to give them some personal space as well as have some of their own.

Cameron started to reach for the door handle.

"I've got it." John said.

He moved quickly to open and hold the door for Cameron.

Cameron smiled.

"Thank you." Cameron said.

John wanted to make Cameron feel special.

"Anything, for Mrs. Connor." John said.

"Anything?" Cameron asked.

"Anything." John said.

Cameron planned to hold John to his word. The term 'anything' covered a lot.

"I want you to remember it tonight." Cameron said. "We're both going to have a 'new experience'."

Right away John knew what he said was a mistake. He knew Cameron wanted to be in a different chassis for him each night. He did want it too, but didn't think it was fair to the other Metal girls. It sounded exciting and alluring to him. Cameron was her program. He could experience her being in five different chassis. He wasn't sure what would be different between her chassis and Ally's chassis. He actually looked forward to finding out. Then reality hit him. He thought of what Cameron was going to take from each of them.

"I want to hear it from the girls first. I want to make sure it's what they want." John said. "I don't think it is. I just don't think so. I wouldn't want my body to be used by someone else in such a way. I want to hear them say it to me first. I don't want them forced or coerced. I certainly don't want them threatened either."

Cameron was determined to have the new experience.

"They will all carry your seed, where it belongs, before the cruise is over." Cameron said. "It doesn't matter if they're 'machines' either."

John wasn't really sure what the last part of Cameron's statement meant.

They headed towards the bow on the open deck.

John realized he issued a 'challenge' to Cameron. It would only make her more determined to get her way. She did mention at one time they could be with him first before she took control of their chassis. It was actually the idea he would like to use. It would really allow him to be with someone different before he was with Cameron in a borrowed chassis.

Savannah stripped off Cam's clothes.

Cam took off Savannah's clothes.

They stood naked before each other.

Cam looked directly at Savannah.

"Thank you." Cam said.

Savannah smiled at her.

"I'm happy you're undamaged." Savannah said.

Cam wanted to confess her rash actions. She was very aware without Savannah's intervention things would have turned out a lot differently for her.

"I didn't think it was a big deal. It was." Cam said. "I need to repay you."

Savannah understood Cam felt much the same way she did when Gail jumped behind her and took the force of the blast and the damage. It would have killed her. It was from another encounter with the Fanatics in Las Vegas. She repaired Gail's sheath damage and shared her love with her.

She didn't want Cam to worry about it. She needed to refocus her train of thought. The need to worry about something which didn't happen served no purpose.

"You can wash my back." Savannah said. "It will be payment enough for me."

Cam figured she could start with Savannah's back but she intended to work her way around to the front.

Savannah led Cam towards the shower.

Cam stopped and looked in the mirror.

"I wouldn't look like this now." Cam said.

Savannah gently touched Cam's cheek. She didn't want her to get into a 'Terminator line of thought' about it.

"You do, so let's not worry about it." Savannah said. "Nothing bad happened. There's no need to think about it or 'what ifs'. You are how you always were and will be."

Savannah gave Cam a kiss.

Cam was a little slow to respond.

Savannah was worried about Cam. She reminded her a little bit of too much of Cameron right now. They shared the same base program so it was understandable. Cam and Cammy weren't as 'troubled' as Cameron was. Cameron firewalled most of her 'problems' from them. Cameron said she 'fixed' them.

Cam pressed Savannah's hand to her cheek.

"Thank you anyway." Cam said.

Savannah wanted to move forward and not dwell in the past.

"Let's have a good time like always." Savannah said.

A smile blossomed on Cam's face.

"OK, Savannah, just for you." Cam said.

Savannah led Cam into the shower.

Cam knew anytime with Savannah was a good time. She glanced back at the mirror one more time. She was very pleased she still looked the same.

Cammy worked to condition Summer. When she first found Summer, she was in an uneasy sleep with her head resting on her open book. Once the conditioning started she seemed to relax and maybe even smiled a little.

After a few minutes, Cammy felt confident enough to carry Summer to her bed and tuck her in. She continued whispering the entire time. It was on the subject Summer studied in her book. She would know the material when she woke up.

Cammy heard Jan stir behind her. There wasn't normally someone in the room with Summer. She didn't want to be spotted. It was clear Jan was waking up. She couldn't make it out the door back into the hall, she spotted the pass door into Claire's room wasn't closed tight. It looked like the best escape route.

Jan sat up and looked around.

Cammy slid behind the pass door into Claire's room. It appeared Claire and Jesse were both asleep. If they weren't, she would have said she was there to join them and hope they didn't spot which door she actually entered from. She watched Jan through the crack in the door.

Jan got up and looked at Summer. She then headed into the bathroom and closed the door.

Cammy was about to go back into Summer's room to go out. She hadn't closed the door tightly from the hall into Summer's room so she could make a silent exit back into the hall.

There was some stirring noise behind her.

She looked over in the darkness and saw Jesse's head lift up and look around. Jesse couldn't see her in the darkness. She hoped Jesse didn't turn on the light next to the bed. Jesse looked over at Claire sleeping next to her and lay back down.

Cammy decided to move out of Claire's room and back into Summer's room.

The bathroom door opened in Summer's room and Jan came back out.

Cammy was almost caught again. She would rather be caught in Claire's room and say she 'came' to join them. She didn't want to need to explain why she was in Summer's room.

She moved back behind the pass door. She could hear Jan approach. Jan paused. She figured Jan checked on Summer again. The soft footsteps started and came closer.

Jan was on the other side of the door. She listened to see if anything was happening in Claire's room. It was quiet. The door opened a little more and she entered the room. She couldn't see anything in the darkness.

Cammy pressed herself against the wall.

Jan continued into the room and was just inches from Cammy.

It was clear if Jan touched her it would startle Jan and she would probably scream. Jan was close enough to her she could feel the heat radiating from her body. One more step and Jan would bump into her. She couldn't move without being spotted because Jan was so close to her.

There was some noise from inside Summer's room.

Jan stopped and moved to peer around the pass door back into Summer's room. It moved her away from Cammy.

Cammy moved further into Claire's room in case Jan came back.

Jan looked in Summer's room. In the faint light from the bathroom night light she could see Summer was still in her bed. She only turned to her side a little.

Cammy could see Jan try to make a decision as to what she should do next.

Jan slipped inside Summer's room and went back to bed.

Cammy moved back to the door and looked in. In a few minutes it sounded like Jan was asleep. She took one last look at Claire and Jesse and went back into Summer's room.

She checked both girls and they were asleep. She resumed Summer's conditioning. She didn't think there would be any interruptions for a while.

There were a few tense moments for her earlier on several occasions. She really would have liked to have seen Claire and Jesse share with each other. It could still happen before she left. She wanted to finish Summer's 'conditioning'.

Vanna was soundly asleep.

Precious stirred and let out a soft whimper from her crib.

Allison awoke.

She looked over at Precious and at Vanna.

Vanna was still asleep.

Allison saw Samantha was there and appeared to be in standby. She was aware Samantha would come back online if Precious cried for fifteen seconds.

She quickly got up and went to Precious and picked her up. The whimpering stopped. It didn't appear she needed to be changed.

Allison was still naked as she held Precious. She thought Precious wanted to nurse. She was about to wake Vanna up. Precious fell back to sleep so she carefully placed her back in her crib.

She checked Precious again to make sure she was asleep and covered. She looked at Samantha who was still in standby and then went back to bed.

She snuggled up to Vanna and went back to sleep.

Samantha watched everything unfold. She was just about to act when Allison got up. It actually surprised her a little Allison woke up before Vanna did. She figured it was because Vanna was so tired from her lack of sleep so far. She decided the next time she would act quicker herself so neither one of the girls was disturbed by Precious.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Fifteen Minutes

Time
Does it matter
It allows one's thought
To drift and scatter

Time
Eats away at the soul
It alters one's feeling
It leaves them far from whole

Time
Never slows or stops
What around one is real
What are only props

Time
Attacks one's mind
It opens it up from inside
What darkness will it find

Time
Is supposed to heal
Maybe it's just a saying
It doesn't seem real

Time
Will it ever end
Reality itself
One tries to bend

Time
What would one do
For fifteen minutes more
With one they once knew

Nobody