Warning: This is a sequel. You're on your own if you don't read the first.

Disclaimer: I do not own T:SCC. And since the chance of the producers reading this is low, neither do you.

The Law of Consistency

Chapter One

Life's Too Good

Had John known what he was going to learn today in school, he likely would have stayed in bed. The way his morning started off, he likely would have stayed in bed anyway; Cameron had detected him shivering during the night and cuddled with him to keep him warm. The only issue between both was that John didn't know how his day would go, and the sound of his mother coming down the hall caused Cameron to stand up and leave him. Without warmth, or Cameron to cuddle with, he had no choice.

Groaning, he made his getting up very audible by muttering how he didn't want to get up and by stomping on the ground. Cameron watched him interestedly. John knew what he was doing. His mother's feet stopped, and headed the other way towards Derek. That would be interesting. But that also meant getting up.

"Why do humans not want to wake up?" Cameron asked. John, in the middle of grabbing fresh clothes to change into, looked up at her and tried to decipher her latest riddle.

"Well, that's how we get out energy back," John answered. "So sleeping in is sort of like supercharging a battery."

"But if that is true, then why do humans seem more tired and groggy when they are woken up?" Cameron asked. John sighed in thought; this was rather difficult. Why were people tired after naps? Furthermore, when had Cameron been around groggy sleepers…?

"Hey, are you calling me groggy in the morning?" John asked. Cameron didn't crack a smile.

"Making an observation," she replied slowly. Her processes had warned her John might be upset by her comment. He was still unpredictable. And she hadn't told him yet about her emotion simulator drive. It still did autonomously start, but it hadn't caused any problems yet. And she was worried he might tell the others…Cameron readjusted some of her processes to focus on John's reaction.

"Observe and learn then," John said, gathering a pair of clean socks off the floor. He kissed her softly, and Cameron put her arms around him. WARNING AUTONO101010000100101MOUS EMOTION SIMULATOR………warm emotion; cannot identify; matches earlier warmth………suggested action………Cameron pressed John closer to herself, taking in him. She relished the touch of his lips…then John grunted.

Immediately she stopped. It hadn't been due to anyone coming. John moved his jaw. She had been too hard. Cameron was frustrated that when kissing him her processes froze and she couldn't keep herself restrained. What if she ended up hurting him?

"Relax," John said, brushing her cheek. He looked her in the eye. "We've got an entire war for humanity's survival to get it right." Cameron nodded numbly. Her emotion simulator automatically created self-disappointment, for being unable to do something. John stroked her cheek, trying to see the matter. But they heard footsteps, and John moved quickly, trying not to be caught.

Cameron had swiftly moved farther into John's room. Sarah came down the hall again. "Have you gotten dressed yet?" she asked Cameron, suspicious of her in there while John ran into the shower.

"No," Cameron replied. Her databases had heard of mother's intuition. Did Sarah know?

"Come with me," Sarah said. "I need some help." Cameron followed Sarah slowly out of John's room and to the couch where Derek was stubbornly still asleep. Cameron examined him. He appeared groggier than John. Perhaps it was a male thing. "Can you flip him off?" Sarah asked, turning towards Cameron and gesturing towards Derek. Cameron did so and gave him the finger. Derek looked up to see the gesture. He gave her one in return and closed his eyes again.

"What was that?" Sarah asked.

"You asked me to flip him off," Cameron replied. Derek snorted.

"I meant flip him off the couch," Sarah explained, making sure to word it properly. She knew Derek would stay as far away as possible from Cameron, so it had to be John. Why on earth would John teach her that? However, once the instructions were properly understood, Cameron lifted the back of the couch into the air.

Derek rolled of the couch, shouting and scrambling to his feet like he was drunk. It took him 2.37 seconds for his senses to orient. Sarah thanked Cameron and went to make breakfast. Derek looked from Sarah to Cameron, back, and started grumbling about women and machines. Cameron ignored his comments, firmly keeping her emotion simulator under control, and went to get dressed.

She was dressed in less time than it took John to finish his shower. Despite having to do all the things girls do so that she would blend in, Cameron was done in a few moments. She was waiting outside the door calmly for him when the sound of rushing water stopped. He showered faster than Sarah and Derek, perhaps because he always seemed more anxious.

John jumped when he came out of the shower, wearing his towel. "Is something wrong?" Cameron asked, checking for threats. She relaxed when she found none. Meanwhile, a few processes took note of John's health. He appeared tired, but he was always tired. It was rare when John slept well.

"No; you just scared me," John answered. Analyzing……..expressions in John's face did not match fear………comparing to vocabulary match………humans often confuse fear with surprise………do not correct; this is considered a common phase. "Next time, don't stand so close to the door." There was something else John wanted to add, but he didn't. Cameron would have to estimate as to what it might have been. Three of her processes began compiling past phrases and ideas.

John shut the door to his room, with Cameron on the other side. It had taken him a long time to explain that, despite the fact they loved each other, that seeing each other naked wasn't normal or good behavior. She hadn't understood the human idea of waiting until marriage (there were days when John himself didn't, either). He had, though, convinced her that it would be bad if they were walked in on. She had been able to grasp that, since the consequences would be her death.

He got rid of his towel and changed into his clothes for the day. It didn't consist of anything special; he still wore jeans, a shirt and his shoes. Neither did he spend any amount of time whatsoever messing with his hair. He left it how it was; if it wasn't good, then people could deal with it. The only time hair seemed to bother him was when Cameron's was out of place.

John congratulated himself on being, once more, unable to think of anything without thinking of Cameron again. It wasn't a bad thing, to be thinking of her. John was more concerned that it would distract him, or that somehow his thoughts would slip out on his tongue when Sarah or Derek was around. Then not only was Cameron doomed, John was pretty certain his own mother would castrate him for 'his own good.'

Opening the door, John saw Cameron immediately again, though this time she was not as much of a surprise. She had learned and kept herself at somewhat of a distance. Looking down the hall to see whether or not someone was there, John stepped forward and kissed her again. This time they were more successful. He wasn't certain why he was so much more frail, but when he was kissing her his brain stopping thinking about it so much anyway. Afterward he was too busy wishing for another one.

They broke off and embraced each other. John faintly became aware of Cameron sniffing. "What are you doing?" John asked, running hands through her hair.

"I like this shirt," Cameron stated. That surprised John; he didn't know Cameron had built a preference of shirts that she liked. Perplexed but unconcerned, John wasn't ready for what she said next, "It has a strong scent like you."

"Is that significant?" John asked.

"Is is significant what type of shampoo I use?" Cameron replied. John didn't know she made a conscious decision. Still in their embrace, John smelled her hair. He'd never smelled hair before, but she gave him a good idea of what hair should smell like.

"It smells wonderful."

"You do, too," Cameron answered. And if he smelled good, then his shirt obviously smelled good. John was enjoying the morning more and more. They let go of each other and headed towards the kitchen.

When they got there, Cameron forced herself to walk behind John, not next to him, so as to avoid suspicion. Sarah paid scant attention to them as they walked. Derek noticed Cameron before he noticed John. He flipped her off again when John had passed by. Cameron ignored it. John sat down as Sarah turned around and placed a large amount of pancakes on a plate.

As John and Derek raced to eat the most pancakes, Cameron divided up her processes. Half of them focused on threats inside and outside the house. Three were still trying to answer her personal question. A couple decided who had the higher probability of eating more pancakes. Derek would win if the rate held.

Breakfast went without any conversation or distractions. Derek did win the race, beating John by two pancakes. John rushed quicker afterward, throwing things inefficiently into his backpack. Cameron had her pack ready during the night; she never slept. They went out the door, Sarah warning John to be safe and Derek actually seeing them to the door.

When John wasn't looking, Cameron flipped off Derek.

They walked quietly for part of the way to school. John was staring at his feet, thinking of how different school was from the rest of his day. Without Cromartie to worry about, the most they did was hunt for possible Skynet leads. Amidst all the hunting, school was the one time he could act normal. And even there, he couldn't love Cameron; it would get around if people noticed he and Cameron, supposed to be his sister, were in love.

"I have been examining your recent medical condition," Cameron observed. She took a step closer but paid no attention to it. John wondered how many times the idea to step closer to him had gone through her CPU? "I believe you are still suffering from your exposure to high adrenaline levels."

"What do you mean? I feel fine," John replied.

"Your condition was close to a coma; you had a 70.342% chance of death," Cameron said. "You have recovered in strength, but you lack in energy still."

"I didn't think it was that bad," John muttered. He couldn't the first few days afterward, but no one had told him he'd nearly died. It's not the most pleasant news he'd learned about the experience, but still, if he came close to death, he wanted to know. It would be just like his mother to hold that from him. Derek likely didn't have a choice.

"Do you have a suggestion for what I should do, then?" John asked. Cameron slid her fingers along his neck.

"More rest," she answered. "Don't stress." Then she affectionately rubbed his shoulder. John loved it when she massaged his shoulders. It only made him more relaxed.

School loomed ahead. They became brother and sister, and headed, John unwillingly, for their class. John paused only for a second to say hello to Riley and afterward to Morris. Then John made a stop at his locker, trying to burn time. He tried, but as hard as he tried, Cameron was there to remind him that they needed to attend class.

English class was John's least favorite class. Not only did his teacher not like him, he thought it was a pointless class. He could speak and write English; why did he need then to study it? What good did it do to know a verb if he could already speak it? He had explained it to Cameron before; she had remained silent and not given him a response. Perhaps she thought humans needed to learn English better. John disagreed.

So he didn't pay attention, focusing on making to-do lists for Skynet leads and Judgment Day tasks. He even managed to get a ten-minute power nap. Much to his displeasure, Cameron had to wake him when the bell rang. He got to his feet and left, crumpling up his lists.

This is where he parted ways with Cameron for a period. She was uncomfortable with leaving him behind, and John gave her a brief smile to assure her that he'd be fine. She smiled back before going. As John wandered to physics class, he pictured Cameron's perfect smile in his mind. His physics professor walked into class and began lecturing, about to give John his latest nightmare without even knowing.