Cameron's broken Accelerometer

Things were not going well for Cameron ever since the bomb blew up and she tried to kill John. The joint and skin damage done to her was repairing. Cameron also noted that her mission folders were empty. She had no active missions. Knowing John had saved her and not destroyed her like he should have, she chose to keep protecting him. John was now distant to her, which was understandable. She found she wanted to try to make up for betraying him like that, but she had no data on how to do that.

When she went in the shower to clean her body, something happened.

Unknown to Cameron, water leaked into her head from the cut in the back of her skull caused by a chunk of metal when the bomb went off. That small amount of water leached onto some wires and for a while, didn't move. In between wires in a tightly closed space, it didn't evaporate. When the water moved, things happened.

One drop hit the connector to her memory, and for a while she thought she really was Allison Young. Nanites detected it and removed the water. Cameron's memory of who and what she was returned.

John then began seeing Riley. Upon sight of the busty blond, Cameron's HUD targeted her for immediate termination. She forced the command back down, she knew that would make John angry at her and push him farther away. A glitch also made it's appearance. Her left hand would flex by itself. When Cameron first met Riley, it was a slight twitch. The more Riley came around, the worse it got.

Cameron took the data and realized there was something wrong with her. The biggest concern was she might go bad and try to kill John again. She didn't want that. Thankfully, John was receptive to the detonator she gave him to explode the charge she put inside the her CUP cover to destroy her chip. If she if tried to hurt John, she wanted him to protect himself.

One of the domestic chores Cameron had was doing the laundry. Collecting the clothes from the upstairs hampers, Cameron came down the steps as normal. That was the time the remaining water stuck in her wiring wicked down into wiring for her balance control and shorted out her accelerometers that helped her keep her balance.

.

John was in his room when he heard the booming tumble as someone fell down the stairs.

"Mom!" he cried, mentally seeing her take a painful fall down the stairs. He jumped up and ran to the top of the stairs to see clothes all over and Cameron at the bottom, trying to get up. "Cameron?" he asked, confused. He ran down to her, tossed the clothes basket out of the way and helped her up.

Cameron wore a blank face, but this time it wasn't a Terminator Stare, but a look of confusion. "What happened?" he asked.

Cameron turned her confused gaze to him. "John, I am breaking down," she said flatly.

"What? You broke something?" he asked. Looking her over, Cameron looked all right.

"My balance system failed, John. I don't know why," she explained.

John glanced at a nearby chair. "Let's get you sat down," he said and led her over to a chair . As he led her over, he noticed Cameron was truly using him for support. He got her sat in place. She spread her legs out, feet flat on the floor to keep from falling off the chair.

"I am stable now," she said. "I will do a self scan."

"Yeah, OK." John agreed, He went over and picked up the scattered clothes and refilled the basket.

Cameron sat in place watching John. He left, taking the basket to the laundry room, then came back. Knowing the laundry had to be done, Cameron slid carefully out of the chair and onto her hands and knees.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" John asked, wide eyed.

"I am not stable on my feet, a four point stance will get me to the laundry room," she explained.

"You're going to crawl there?" John asked, and winced.

"That is my only option," Cameron explained.

John extended his hand. "No, don't do that, I'll help you, get up."

Cameron took John's hand and slowly rose, using the room as a distance standard. She got up and wavered to her feet. John was her fine control. His gentle pushes helped her stay upright. He put an arm around her for support. It made her much more stable. John walked her into the laundry room. He hovered over her as she used the washer to support a three point stance. Taking the clothes out, she made the colored and white clothes piles.

"You're still wobbly," John said and held hand on her shoulder.

"I have no balance," Cameron stated. "John if you will get behind me and hold me around my abdomen, I will be able to load the washer."

"Yeah, Ok," John agreed. He wrapped his arms around her middle.

With her lower body stable, Cameron was able to put in the first load and the soap. She turned the washer on and looked down. There was sensation coming from where John was holding onto her. It was similar to feeling the wind, yet different. It felt nice.

"Cam?" John asked from behind her.

"I am done now, John. I will need your assistance when this load is finished," she replied. She braced herself with her hands on the washer. "Thank you for your assistance," she said.

John slowly let go. "So, what? You're going to stand here until then?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I can take you back to the living room so we can sit down," John offered.

"You go sit down, John. I will call you when this load is done," she told him.

John moved around to the side to look at her. "What happened to your balance?" he asked.

"I don't know," Cameron said to the washer. Moving her head to look at him, she added, "John, I may not be able to protect you any longer if I can't walk or even stand up. I may be useless to you."

John studied her with a worried look and asked, "You're not breaking down, are you?"

"I don't know. I may still be suffering damage from when the Jeep exploded. John, if I try to hurt you, promise me you will terminate me."

John's face went slack. He swallowed and said, "Let's see if we can fix you before we talk about that. Was there any warning, or did your balance just fail?"

"It failed suddenly," she said. "Second step down, I began to fall forward. I got an HUD warning before I hit the steps."

"A little too late, huh?"

"Yes."

"Is balance part of your chip?" John asked.

"No. The balance system is in my head, hardwired. It is two small units connected to a processor that feeds my chip," Cameron told him.

"Maybe you have a loose wire in your head?" John guessed.

"That is a possibility," Cameron agreed.

"Is there a way to get into your head to find out for sure? An access plate?" John asked.

Cameron stared at him briefly. "I have no data on one. An access plate would be a weak spot in my skull."

"Yeah," John agreed absently as he thought. "How about a shock, Is it possible the shock of the bomb blast or something like that loosened a wire?"

"My terminals are hardwired. If that is the cause, then the wire is broken," Cameron explained.

"We have to get in your head and find out," John stated.

"John, that may not be possible."

"May not be," he said, stressing 'may'. "We have to try."

"To find any access into my skull, you will need to remove all the flesh on my head," Cameron stated.

John took on a horrified look. "There has to be another way," he said weakly. "How about if I feel around for it? That will at least narrow down where it might be."

Cameron stayed still as John probed her head. She felt his fingers rubbing her scalp. Again, it felt nice that he was touching her. "Take your time, " she said.

John did. He probed the most likely spots he could think of, first. The sides of her head around her ears, low on the back of her head and where her head met her neck.

The washer buzzed.

"John, hold me, I need to transfer clothes."

John did. Cameron again got the nice feeling of John holding her. She got the wet clothes out and was able to reach over and put them on top of the dryer. She then started the second load. Reaching for the dryer door she bent too far. "Cam!" John cried as she tipped. He slapped one hand onto her chest. Cameron quickly slid her foot over to help support herself. She also felt John's hand planted square on her right breast, holding her tight.

She really liked that. For some reason, not only did she feel contact there, but though much of her body. John's touch caused electric like tingles through her. She wanted to stay in place to feel the sensation. John was grunting to hold her up. She brought herself upright and slide-stepped to the dryer.

"Thank you, John," she said.

"No problemo," he told her. He then realized where he was holding her and quickly jerked his hand away to return to his grip around her belly. "Sorry," he said meekly.

"No problemo," she replied. Actually, she would rather him hold her there, but she did need him to stabilize her.

Once the dryer was running, John returned to examining Cameron's head for a possible access plate. Cameron had her tactile sensors turned all the way up to get as much sensation as possible. Yes, John, probe all you want. She felt an unwelcome pinch where John was probing the back center of her head.

"What's this?" he asked and rubbed a finger on the spot.

Cameron quickly dull her senses. "My skull should be smooth there," she stated.

"It's not," John commented as he felt up and down. "You've got a dent or something here. About three inches long."

"I have no data on how that happened," Cameron said.

"All right, I think I understand," John said. "When you were after me on my birthday, do you remember anything of what you did?"

"No, I was off line from the time the Jeep blew up until you and Sarah had me pinned between those trucks," Cameron told him.

"So if the bomb did this, you won't remember it."

"Correct."

"This damage may be the reason you went after me," John realized aloud. "That also means the impact here is causing your other problems." He paused, then added, "That means you chip is fine, but there may be more damage inside your head. Maybe this dent is pressing on something inside."

"Yes, that is possible," Cameron agreed. "When the laundry is done, peel my scalp off and get a closer look."

John winced, but said, "I think I have to. I want my Cameron fully functional."

Cameron took special note of the way John said that. Not just he wanted Cameron functional, but his Cameron functional. Even if John had not been paying any good attention to her, he considered her as his. "I want to be functional for my John," she replied.

"Once we get the second load in the dryer, I need to take a closer look at that dent," John aid firmly.

"The clothes will need to be folded and put away," she reminded him.

"The clothes can wait," John said firmly, "This can't."

Cameron smiled. She was important to John.

After the second load was in the dryer, John helped Cameron to the stairs to take her to his room. Crossing the living room supporting Cameron with an arm around her, and one of her arms over his shoulder John noted Sarah took that time to come home.

Sarah opened the door, saw them and stopped short. "John, what are you doing with Tin Miss?" she asked in a hard tone.

"She's hurt, Mom. She has trouble walking. I'm taking her up to my room to try and fix her," John explained. Looking ahead, he grumbled, "The stairs are going to be fun."

"John, if you can't hold me up, let go. I don't want you to fall down too," Cameron stated.

"What happened to Tin Miss?' Sarah asked, unhappily eyeing the way they had an arm around each other.

"My accelerometers stopped working. I can't balance," Cameron explained.

"I found a dent in the back of Cameron's skull, I'm going to peel her skin back to get a better look at it," John added as they walked by.

"John," Sarah said firmly, making them stop. "If you can't fix it, Tin Miss is not going to be of any use to us any more. We'll have to pull her chip and burn her."

"I'll fix it," John stated.

Cameron felt John stiffen up at Sarah's words. His pulse rate also climbed. John did not like what she said.

One hand on the handrail, and John on her other side, Cameron got up the stairs and into his room. Sarah following them. John had Cameron lie face down on the bed and got a knife. He paused and brushed he hair to the sides, then made a slice down the part with Sarah watching. He'd missed cutting right on the dent. He carefully pulled back her scalp to expose a cut in her skull.

"Cam, you don't have a dent, you've got a hole in your head," he said absently.

"You can get in and see what's wrong inside," Cameron said into the pillow.

"It's only about a quarter of an inch wide, but yeah I can see into it," John told her. He patted her back and said, "Stay still, I have to go buy a couple things to get a good look in there."

"What do you need?" Sarah asked.

"A bright pen light and an optical scope, a thin one so I can get it inside her head for a better look," John explained. "Once I know what's wrong, I might need some other things too."

Sarah nodded. "I'll go get them, Stay in the house," she told him and left.

Cameron turned her head to the side to look at John. "John, Sarah is right. If I cannot protect you, I have no use."

He scowled at her. "Don't say that. Don't even think it! We'll get through this, OK?"

"John? I am concerned."

"You're afraid?" he asked.

Cameron paused a moment then said, "Yes, I am afraid I may have to go away."

John knelt by the bed to look her in the eyes and said, "Not. Happening." On an impulse, he rubbed her back again as he said, "You are too important to me to let Mom burn you up, understand? I'll figure this out. I'm going to open up the cut I made to get a better look at the damage."

"Thank you for explaining," is what Cameron said. What she understood was John was going to do his best for her. She wanted him to touch her softly all over. Maybe grab her boobs again and play with them for a while.

John cleared the split in her skull, folding a good portion of her scalp to one side. He found a regular flashlight to look into the split, but saw only a bundle of wires, no detail.

There was a knock at the front door.

"Ugh," John grumbled and went to answer it. Going down, John saw Riley's beaming smile on the other side. He opened the door, she strode in to give him a hug and a kiss. "Hi John, let's hang out."

John scrubbed his head. "Riley, I'm kind of busy right now."

"That's fine, can I help?" she beamed.

"Not really, and I do need to concentrate." he told her.

"You're doing school work, today?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

John wasn't about to explain what he was doing. "I'm working on a project. I have to get it right, so I can't afford any distractions," he told her.

"Oh," she said, looking disappointed. "Maybe later then?"

John nodded and agreed to meet her for a casual dinner, then accepted his kiss goodbye and shut the door behind her. When he went back upstairs, he didn't see Riley watching him through the window.

.

Sarah got an optic scope that had a long thin probe, and the brightest small light the store had. The probe did slip into the hole in Cameron's skull. With the probe and the light, John was able to see. He voiced what he found.

"OK, there is some wiring that looks like it was scraped, straight in… I can see a little bit of bare copper showing … nothing looks disconnected so far … hold on, it looks like there's a bit of water inside this bundle ."

"Water may be shorting out where the bare wire is," Cameron offered.

"Yeah, I'm thinking that too," John said. "OK, so we dry your head out, put some sealer on those wires and patch up this split in your skull, and that should do it."

John found saying and doing were two different things. He had to rig his mother's hair drier with a funnel taped to the end to get it to blow into the split. Even then, it took a while before Cameron told him the malfunction was gone. He let the hair dryer (that was starting to smell) blow in for another couple minutes before he asked her to get up and try to stand.

Cameron got up and stood, then turned and twisted, then walked to the door and back. "John, I am fully functional now. You repaired me."

"Not yet," John said. "I want to seal up those wires first, then fill in that hole, or else this may happen again," he explained.

"You are correct , John," Cameron agreed and retook her place, face down on his bed.

Now knowing where the problem was, John got some q-tips and used silicone sealant made to use for sealing windows to carefully dab bits of it onto the wires. One he was satisfied there was no more exposed wiring, he thought about the hole itself. Something as soft as silicone would not suffice. If anything, he needed to weld her head shut to make a good repair. With her electronics, he didn't think that was the best idea either. The heat and current needed just might fry something else and do worse damage to her.

"I don't know what to do to seal up this hole," he said as he tried to think of something. Maybe make her wear a crash helmet?

"It's fine, John," Cameron said, "I know that hole is there, I can guard against anything passing through it."

"I'm not fine with it," John stated. "It's a vulnerable weak spot. I'd like to put something over it. If you get shot in the back of the head, I won't be able to fix you."

"I will search for a proper repair. For now, you fixed me. Thank you, John," Cameron said. She put her scalp back in place and asked, "Please staple me shut."

"Not staples," John said. He could just see staple points pushing in to the hole and damaging a wire. "I'll get some thread and a needle and sew you shut."

By the time John sewed Cameron's scalp back together, it was dinner time. He was reminded Riley had been waiting for him when she called and politely asked if he had lost track of time. He told his mother he was going out with Riley, and fled out the door.

Sarah watched him go and grumbled, "He needs to stop seeing her."

Cameron agreed, Riley was a threat.

.

Riley was snippy-nice to John when he met her out in front of a fast food place. They went in and got burgers, fries and sodas, then sat and had a useless conversation about school as they ate. John didn't care about school, he was wondering how to fix the hole in Cameron's head.

Riley picked up on his disinterest and asked, "How's your project coming along?"

"Mostly done," he said as he played with his straw, twirling it in circles in his cup. "There's something I still have to figure out. it's not going to be easy."

"I'm sure you'll find the answer," she assure him.

He offered her a smile, "I'm hoping so." The one thing about Riley he liked was that with her, he could b a normal person. When he was with her, there was no Skynet, no terminators or Judgment day. It was just him with a real girl. He was just a teenage boy, not any savior general who had his own terminator.

"Maybe you can show it to me when it's finished?" Riley asked.

John smirked at that. Yeah, show her Cameron's bare, bloody metal skull with a metal patch on it. He was sure that would go over well. "If I can …get it right," he offered.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing it," she said brightly.

It was getting dark, so after they ate, they headed out. John walked Riley home. Going home himself, his thoughts drifted to Cameron and that hole in the back of her head. These thoughts drifted to how it happened, and the terrifying day Cameron chased after him to kill him. She had been off line from the time the Jeep exploded and drove something, most likely metal from the jeep, into her head, up until she was slammed in between those trucks.

John stopped short in his walk. Cameron had been back on line when he was taking her chip out.

I love you and you love me!

He still saw her agonized face, her pleading look and her frantic cry as she begged for him to not make her go away. She'd told him she was fixed. Neither he nor his mother believed it.

Was what she said true, or was she just trying to stay alive? That question haunted him all the way home. Especially now that he knew why she'd gone off line. Something had shorted her out, getting rammed between the trucks made her reboot. Did he love Cameron? Before that day, he was comfortable around her. She was pretty and until that day, she was the closest thing he had to a best friend. He knew she was important to him, and not just for the protection she provided. John walked on, pondering theses things.

.

Getting home, John found his mother watching TV. He told her he was going to bed. He went up to his room and laid down in his clothes and stared at the ceiling, hands behind his head. Angry at himself, he wondered why, when he had Riley, a real human girl, that he felt so much for Cameron. He did like holding her when she wasn't able to stand by herself. It felt good to have his arm around her. To help her. He hated to see her damaged.

Before Riley he even had erotic dreams about Cameron. He also realized he'd never had those thoughts about Riley. Riley was an escape mechanism. Someone who he used just to get away from what was coming. Cameron was the one who would be there when it came, doing her best to protect him.

Someone knocked on his door

"Come in," he said.

Cameron opened the door. "Are you busy?" she asked.

"No," John said blankly.

Cameron came in. He noticed right away she wasn't wearing her jacket. In fact her light pink shirt was kind of translucent, showing her purple bra underneath. "Did you change?" he asked.

"It's hot out," she replied and walked over to the bed.

"Since when do you feel heat?"

Cameron got on the bed beside him on her back as she said, "I can feel heat."

John moved over for her. With a smirk, he asked, "Are you hoping Riley is going to see us in bed together and be totally scared for life?"

"No," she said, then looked at him. "You bring danger into Riley's life."

John looked at her and let out a huff. "I know that," he said. "I'm not stupid."

"But sometimes you do stupid things," she said. "It would help me to understand why."

John's voice took on a sarcastic tone as he said, "Humans do stupid things, so don't worry about it. Be happy you're a machine."

"I'm not happy I'm a machine. I do understand more than you think," she told him

John eyed her and said, "You should be happy, all you have to do is run your programs and do your missions. It's much simpler for you."

"How so?"

John returned his gaze to the ceiling and said, "You just …. do. You don't have to worry about things like emotions, you don't get frustrated or angry. You don't have to deal with making …. choices."

"You're wrong," Cameron stated, which made John turn back to look at her. "I do have to make choices. I do get angry and frustrated when I cannot see a clear choice."

"What makes you angry?" John asked, out of curiosity.

Gazing at him, Cameron said, "Riley, for one. You do sometimes. So does Sarah and Derek. Just because I don't show it so others can see, doesn't mean it's not there."

"You get angry at me?" he asked.

"I do. John, I am more than you think I am. Not all of my actions are programmed, I do have to make decisions. Since the Jeep blew up, I have to decide my actions every day."

"You don't follow your mission?" he asked.

"I no longer have a programmed mission."

John pulled up to lean on an elbow and look at her and asked, "What do you mean you don't have a mission?"

"The files are there, but I have no mission that is active," Cameron said.

John was surprised to hear that. "Then why do you stay here?"

"I want to. I want to stay and protect you. You brought me back, John. You shouldn't have, but you did."

Her words got John thinking about that day again. He asked the question that had plagued him on the way home. "When you were in between the trucks, did you mean what you said, or were you just staying to stay alive?"

Cameron rose up to take the same pose as him. "I was trying to stay with you. I also did not lie. That was selfish of me."

In a near whisper, John asked, "Do you love me?"

"Yes," Cameron said firmly. "Ever since I saw Riley, I have to keep ignoring the order to terminate her. She is not good for you, John. She is a threat, I don't want threats around you."

John though about that then said, "You're jealous of Riley."

"I am. You are spending more time with her," Cameron said. Then looking at him intently, she added, "There is something not right about Riley. I cannot find the data to know why, I just know she is not right for you."

"You are jealous," John said, realizing what she was saying. "Why do you think there is something wrong with Riley?"

"Riley lies to you John, and not to protect you," Cameron said firmly. "When humans feel love, their heart rate changes, so do the pupils in their eyes. Skin becomes warmer. I've seen yours do it when we are together. Riley does not. Her heart rate does not change, she shows no indications of affection. She is trying to trick you."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. It does make me want to find out."

John gazed at Cameron, taking in what she was telling him. Cameron loved him, she was jealous of Riley. She was staying because she wanted to, not because it was her mission. She also suspected Riley was up to something. If she was jealous, that would explain why she wanted him to stop seeing Riley.

"John, Riley is faking her affection. I don't show affection like humans do, but I am not faking it," Cameron stated. "I love you and I want to stay with you."

John let out a huff and dropped his eyes. "This is a lot to take in. Cam, you are important to me. I can't truly say I love you."

"That's fine, I know you do, you have shown it," she replied. "What do we do about Riley?"

John flopped back down. "Do?" he asked. "Suppose you're right, Riley is coming onto me for some reason other than liking to be with me. How can we prove it?"

"Has Riley ever become angry with you?" Cameron asked.

John let out a snort and said, "No, not that …" He paused mid sentence and thought about that. It had been hours Riley had waited for him today. Why didn't she get mad and go home? Or yell at him for being so late. Any other girl would have. He turned back to look at Cameron who was watching him. On impulse he put an arm around Cameron and pulled her close. She nestled her head onto his shoulder and snuggled up next to him.

"I like it when you hold me," Cameron said softly.

"I like to hold you," John replied before he knew he meant to. Forcing himself onto the possibility that Riley had some agenda, he said, "If Riley is seeing me for some hidden reason, I want to know what it is. I hate to ask you to spy on her but…"

"It is the only logical thing to do," Cameron finished.

"Right," John admitted.

"After your date with Riley tomorrow, I will follow her," Cameron said.

"I'm having a date with Riley tomorrow?" John asked, eyeing her.

Cameron looked up and him and said, "Yes, so I can follow her."

John rubbed his forehead. "It's been a long day," he said with a sigh.

Cameron sat up and asked, "Do you want me to sleep with you?"

John frowned and asked, "And have mom see that? You do know she'd freak out and go mental on both of us."

"Goodnight, John. Make sure you tell me when your date is," Cameron said, and left.

John did get dressed for bed and slipped under the covers. That night he had pleasant dreams of Cameron. He didn't remember much from the dream, only the pleasant feeling of him and Cameron wrapped tight in each other's arms.

.

In the morning, Cameron finished her last patrol and met Sarah coming down the stairs.

"You an walk now. Good, we won't have to get rid of you," Sarah said and went into the kitchen.

Cameron ignored her and went up to put the laundry away. She went to John's room first.

She knocked, he bade her entry. "I have your clean clothes," she said and walked over to his dresser to put them away.

John sat on the bed watching her for a moment, then said, "You think I should see Riley today?" he asked. "I mean, don't you want me to stop seeing her?"

"I do, but first we need to find out why she is seeing you," Cameron said as she put the clothes away. Once she was done, she turned and added, "I do not like seeing you with Riley, but it is necessary."

"You're jealous," he said, grinning at her.

"I am," she replied and cracked a grin.

.

Cameron informed Sarah she had a lead she needed to check up on then walked to the house Riley was staying at. Finding a place to watch and listen unobserved, she monitored Riley's home environment. There were other kids present, loud and complaining about who got to use the TV and game system.

Riley's voice exploded, yelling at the kids about their crying over not being able to play a game. She screamed on about bleached skulls, hiding in sewers, eating rats and fearing for her life every day. Riley then burst out of the house to sit on the front steps, fists clenched. The father came out to sooth her.

Cameron tipped her head slightly. What Riley described was the life of a tunnel rat. A life Riley would not know about unless she was from the future. She watched Riley yell at the father then run away down the street. Once the man was back inside, she followed the blond tunnel rat.

Not long after Riley slowed and talked on her phone, Cameron's phone rang. She heard the code and responded.

"Cameron, where are you?" John asked.

"Following Riley. John, she's a tunnel rat."

"A what?"

"Riley is from the future," Cameron told him. She then told him the things Riley yelled about and added, "… only a tunnel rat from the future would have experience with those things. She is not resistance, John. If she was, she would have told you. She may be a gray, a human who works for Skynet."

There was a long pause, then John said, "Watch her. See if she meets anyone or calls anyone. When she meets me, don't hide too well, I want to know you're there in case I need you."

"Yes, John."

.

John had made a noon date with Riley to walk and get some lunch. He ached to meet Riley then demand the truth. If Cameron was right, that might turn out bad. He didn't want to force Riley into a confession until he had Cameron beside him.

Sarah had to go someplace with Derek. John watched them go then made sure his 9mm was loaded and ready. Riley had done very well being a distraction from what he had to face. Now, she was just another piece of the same damn puzzle he could not escape from. That pissed him off.

John held his anger when he went out to meet Riley. Meeting her at a convenience store, he did his best to smile and be decent. Now he knew she wasn't who she said, he watched her closely. Cameron was right. Her smiles never made it to her eyes and she was overly happy about nothing.

Coming to the park, John made a point about pausing to look at some flowering bushes. "They look pretty. Are there any like that where you're from?" he asked off hand.

Riley shook her head, looking sad briefly, then quickly brightened up. "Not like those. They are pretty," she offered.

John returned her smile. Those bushes grew everywhere. He found a bench that had a good view of the park, and sat to face Riley so he had a good view of the greenery where someone could hide. "You never told me much about where you came from," he said.

Holding his hand, Riley drew it towards her to touch the bottom of her large breast as she said, "It was a boring place. There's not much to tell. I grew up in a rural setting."

"Where at?"

"Up near Pasadena." She rolled her eyes dramatically and said, "It was the most boring place on Earth, I swear."

"What happened to your real parents?" John asked. In the background, he noted Cameron was standing half behind a tree.

"They died," she said, looking down. "It was a car accident. The police came to tell me, and take to a safe place so I wasn't alone. The whole thing was horrible." She leaned towards him.

John put an arm around her like a good boyfriend should. "Sorry to hear that," he told her. Holding her hand, he put her head on his chest. To Cameron, he mouthed, 'bullshit story.'

"John," Riley said in a weepy voice. "I need a good friend."

"We all do," he said simply. "And good friends trust each other, even if the news is bad."

Riley nodded and hugged him again.

"A good place to live is nice too," John said calmly, "You know, no place with skulls lying around."

"Yeah, right?" Riley said and leaned into him. A few seconds later, she lifted her head and looked at him. "Skulls lying around? What are you talking about?" she asked.

The way she asked it was like wondering to the cop why he pulled you over. "Out in the desert. Animal skulls are everywhere," John explained.

"They are," Riley agreed.

They weren't, but he wasn't going to mention that. "Riley, I have … some things going on later. That's why I wanted to see you early today. I'll try to get together with you in a few days."

"Like what?" she asked.

John shook his head. "Can't tell you," he said. "It's not my idea of fun, but you know, things happen."

"Well call me as soon as you can, OK?" she asked, brightly.

John nodded. Looking over at a few kids playing volley ball, he watched the game. He also looked around to see if anyone besides Cameron was watching them. "What do you say we go get a burger?" he asked.

"Great! Micky D's?"

"I was thinking White Castle," John said and got up. It was on the other side of the park. Riley rose with him, He steered her on their way, making sure she didn't see Cameron.

They went on with their day date. One thing John noticed was Riley always wore long sleeved shirts. He got silly and pulled her sleeves up to kiss down her arms, which made her giggle and play at pulling away. He saw there was no Skynet tattoo on her arms.

Riley had to do some shopping for girl things, so John parted from her a few blocks from home. He didn't see Cameron on the way. Then again, he knew she was trailing after Riley and didn't want to be seen.

.

Cameron had gotten ahead of Riley, or rather Riley turned in her direction. When Riley pulled out her phone, Cameron was close enough to hear the tones when she dialed, and listen to Riley's part of the conversation.

"Yeah, it's me. I just had a date with John …. Hanging out in the park and we went to lunch … Yes, it's fine. He asked about where I'm from and I gave him the story you told me to … Not for a few days. John said he's going to be busy …. No, I don't know what his project is … OK, see you there. Love you."

Cameron let Riley go on her way and bought a pre-paid phone. She dialed the same number.

"Hello?" a female voice said with an Australian accent.

Cameron knew that voice. Duplicating Derek's voice, she asked, "Where are you, Jesse?"

"I leave the apartment for ten minutes and you ask where I am?" Jesse asked.

"I was just wondering how it's going with Riley.'

"What do you know about Riley?" Jesse asked in a hard tone.

"Much more than I knew a few minutes ago," Cameron said, hung up the phone then crushed it and threw it in a trash barrel she was passing by. Not only was Riley tied to the ex-submarine commander from the future, but Derek knew she was here.

.

"Jesse Flores, in the future she is the Commander of the USS Jimmy Carter that was sunk while on a mission. Most of the crew did survive," Cameron explained to John in his room while they sat on his bed. "Riley called her right after she left you. We should tell Sarah about this."

"Not yet," John said. "Is Jesse Flores loyal to me?" he asked.

"She was. There was some dissent in the resistance because you reprogrammed me instead of destroying me," Cameron explained. "I do not know if Jesse was part of that, but since she is here and has not tried to make direct contact with you, it is 80 percent possible she is not here for your benefit."

"And she is in contact with Derek?" John asked.

"Yes, I spoke in Derek's voice. She scolded me for calling ten minutes after she left," Cameron said.

"Derek may be in on it too," John said in a musing tone. "Is there anyone I can trust?" he asked absently.

"Jesse asked how I knew of Riley, so she has not told Derek yet," she said.

John thought for a moment then said, "We'll give Derek the benefit of the doubt, for now. We don't tell mom until we know for sure why Riley is here. Once we do know, I want to be sure Derek is there so he knows everything too."

"John? Do you like kissing Riley?' Cameron asked as she eyed him.

John shrugged and said, "Truthfully? I think it's more like I was glad to kiss someone," he told her.

Cameron stood up and held out her hand to him. "Then kiss me instead. I do want to share affection with you."

John chuckled and held her hand as he got up. 'Since when did you become so bold?" he asked.

"Since I thought I was loosing you to that busty blond bimbo," Cameron replied.

John laughed. Cupping her cheek and in a serious tone, said, "Not happening."

They came together in a kiss. At first it was exploratory. As the kiss went on, their arms wrapped around each other and the kiss became deep. It was so good, John felt one of his feet itch to rise up off the floor. It was far better than any kiss he'd gotten from Riley.

Parting lips, John cast a broad smile at Cameron. "You are a good kisser," he said.

"Any time you want. I like kissing you too, John," Cameron said, reflecting his smile.

John petted her sides as he gazed at her. "You convinced me to kiss you instead. Happy?"

"Yes, I am."

.

Three days later, Riley did stop by to see John. Not long after she arrived, a woman from child services arrived. Riley was run off to hide in the shed until the woman left. Cameron stayed inside out of sight until she understood that there was a possible complaint against Riley's foster parents. She turned and went to the shed.

Cameron went into the shed to find Riley jump as she entered. "The woman who came is from child services and is asking about you. Are you a complainer?" Cameron asked in a heavy tone.

Riley took on a frightened look. "No," she said meekly.

"You brought unwanted attention to John," Cameron said. She felt her hand twitch, almost into a fist. "You are a threat to John," she stated.

Riley backed up, wearing a terrified face. It looked like she was about to cry.

"What do I do with you?"' Cameron asked as she tipped her head slightly to the side. "I can't let you go, and you can't stay here. What do I do with you?"

"You don't have to do anything with me," Riley whined as she backed against the wall.

"I do. You will run to Jesse, won't you? What do I do with you?" Cameron asked again.

Gaining some nerve, Riley tried her best to look firm with her teary eyes. "You do nothing with me! I am John's girlfriend. You are John's sister. You do nothing with me!"

"That is wrong, and you know it, don't you." Cameron stated. "You cannot go on as you have. Something must be done with you."

"You can't!" Riley snapped. "John will hate you if you do anything to me!"

The shed door opened. John came in and shut it behind him. "That woman is gone. Riley, I want you to tell me what you have to do with Jesse Flores."

Riley was about to dive to safety in John's arms. She paused on hearing that name. "Who?" she asked.

John walked up to stand beside Cameron. "Riley," he said evenly. "I think you know what Cameron here is. She is very good at getting people to spill all they know, and it's not a pleasant experience. You will tell me everything, or I walk out and let Cameron get the information from you."

Riley took on a shocked look. "John?" She asked in a squeak. "You … you can't do that. You love me!"

John shook his head. "Why are you here? Why are you playing up to me?" he asked.

"I'm not!" Riley cried.

"Shall I interrogate her?" Cameron asked and flashed her red eyes.

Tears leaked down Riley's cheeks. "John, you can't let this happen!" she cried.

"In case you didn't already know, I am John Connor," John said firmly. "You will tell me what I want to know, or I leave and Cameron will tell me what she finds out. I am giving you the chance to not leave here in containers that don't leak."

Riley crumpled in place shaking in fear. "I'll tell you," she whimpered. Looking up at him, she said, "I was suppose to get her away from you. John, that is just a machine. You would let a machine kill me?"

"No," John said evenly. "But you might wish you were dead. How does Jesse Flores fit into this?"

"She brought me back here. She … gave me a chance at a real life on the surface."

"She wanted you to split Cameron and me up," John concluded.

"Yes. That's all I know, honest," Riley said in a pleading voice.

John nodded. He tapped Cameron's elbow with his. She looked at him and backed off. John offered his hand to Riley. She took it and got up, still staying well back from Cameron. "I never wanted to hurt you, John," she said.

John spoke in a firm, even tone as he stared at her.. "Yes, you did hurt me. I was stupid enough to think you cared about me. All you wanted was to take Cameron away from me. What you will do, is give me the address where Jesse Flores lives. The next time you call her, you will tell her that her plans are going well, and you will do it with me present. If Jesse finds out you failed, she will most likely kill you if what I've learned about her is true. If she doesn't," John paused to look back at Cameron, "You still will not be safe."

Riley nodded and said, "OK, John. I'll do what you ask. I don't want to die."

John turned to Cameron. "Call Derek, tell him we need him here." He turned back to Riley and said, "We're all going in the house now. You are going to explain everything to my Mom and Derek. If you can be straight and tell the truth, nothing will happen to you. I will make sure you are protected."

They went back on the house, John parked Riley in a chair. "Cam, stay with her," he said.

Cameron chose to stand nearby, casting her blank terminator gaze down in Riley, which was making Riley very nervous. Cameron kept up her stare, hoping maybe Riley would do something embarrassing like urinate on herself.

John found Sarah in the basement, checking over weapons "Mom, we need to talk to you when Derek gets back. It's something important about Riley."

Sarah immediately cast him a worried look. "Did Tin Miss do something to her?" she asked.

"Not yet. I'll tell you the whole story, rather, Riley will when Derek gets here," he told her.

Sarah immediately called Derek and demanded he come back, "Right fucking now!"

Sarah went up to find Tin Miss standing guard over a meek Riley who was looking at her feet. "What is going on?" Sarah demanded.

In a monotone voice Cameron said, "Riley will explain once Derek arrives. He is involved also."

"I want to know now," Sarah growled at her.

Cameron turned her blank stare to Sarah. "John said wait until Derek arrives. Be patient."

By the window, John turned to say, "Mom, we want everyone here to hear it."

Sarah sat down. "All right," she conceded "Just tell me one thing, will we have to move?"

"I hope not," John said with a sigh. "That is something we will need to find out."

A silent tension filled the room. Derek came back and strode in. He eyed the scene.

"Derek, have a seat, we need to talk," John said firmly.

His uncle eyed him, then Sarah. "What's up?" he asked.

John turned and said in a demand, "Riley, tell everyone where you came from."

"The future," Riley said meekly.

"Who brought you?' John asked heavily.

"Jesse."

"Jesse WHO?" John snapped.

"Jesse Flores."

John glanced at Derek. "Why?" he asked.

Riley squirmed in place and said, "To get you to like me and get you away from the metal."

John now stared at Derek, who was staring at Riley. "Derek! What did you know about this?" John asked in a hard tone.

Derek shook his head. "Nothing," he said, still watching Riley.

"BULLSHIT!" John spat. "You're telling me you have been spending time with this Jesse, yet you have NO part in this plan?"

Derek eyed him angrily. "You've been following me around?" he asked in a challenge.

"You leave me no choice when I cannot trust you," John stated. "You say you're here to help, yet YOU are making these secret missions behind my back! Tell me, if Riley didn't succeed, what was Jesse's next step?"

"I didn't know anything about it!" Derek yelled.

"He doesn't," Cameron said in an even tone. "When I called Jesse using Derek's voice, she was surprised he knew about Riley."

Derek looked at Cameron and said, "Yeah, OK, that makes sense. I was wondering why she was angry at me."

Sarah took her turn to glare at Derek. "You lied! You told me you had an important contact you were visiting. What are you up to Derek? You better fucking tell me RIGHT NOW!" Sarah snapped as her eyes blazed.

"I'm not up to anything!" Derek cried. "Fine, I was off getting a little tang, I had no idea Riley here was had anything to do with Jesse."

"You do now," John said heavily, glaring down on him. "I want to know everything about Jesse's plans. Is she here to fight Skynet, or just try to get Cameron away from me?"

"I don't know what she's doing," Derek told him.

"Then you better find out Reese!" Sarah growled.

"It's bad enough we got terminators and grays after us, "John added. "Do we have to worry about resistance members as well?"

"Separating me from John will make him more vulnerable," Cameron said. "There must be a reason Jesse wants that."

"Reese, if you are betraying John, I will kill you," Sarah stated.

"Get in line, Sarah," Cameron told her as she glared at Derek.

Getting pounded from three sides Derek said, "I am not a traitor. Yeah, I'm going to find out what Jesse is up to." He shot to his feet. "What about Blondie here?"

"We keep an eye in her and make Jesse think her plan is starting to fail," John said. "Not badly, just enough to make her reveal to you what she will do if Riley screws up."

"Jesse already thinks something is going wrong when she demanded to know what I knew about Riley," Derek said. "She didn't give me any details, but she probably realized that wasn't me who called her."

Riley whined and scrunched back in her seat.

"We catch her at home and confront her," Sarah stated.

Hands on his hips, Derek didn't look happy. "I'll do it," he said. "I'm not going to lie to her, but I will find out what she had planned."

"I'm coming too," John stated.

"No, John, she may be unstable," Cameron told him.

"Tin Miss is right," Sarah added. "We'll go. You and Cameron take Riley home."

Cameron stared down on Riley. "If you breathe a word about this to anyone, I will find you," she said in her flat, threatening tone.

"I just want out," Riley offered meekly.

Derek looked at Riley, who was desperately trying to hide in her chair. "Leave the kid alone and let her enjoy what she can before Judgment Day gets here. She's been though enough."

John had to agree. "Riley, go home. Forget about me, Jesse and everything."

Riley got up and all but fled out the door.

.

On the way home, Riley head her phone ring. She looked at the number. It was Jesse. She turned off the ringed and hurried home.

She didn't hurry fast enough. A block from her house, Jesse stepped out from behind a parked car and said, "Stop."

Riley did, stopping her bicycle, but didn't get off. Seeing Jesse's hard face, she tried to act calm. "I didn't think we were suppose to meet," she asked innocently.

"I didn't think you were stupid enough to get caught. What does Connor know?"

"Nothing," she offered.

"But the metal does, doesn't it?" Jesse asked. In a harder tone, she asked again, "Doesn't it?"

"I… don't know," Riley offered.

"I do! I called me right after you did, pretending to be someone else." Jesse stated. Looking at Riley, a grin crossed her face. "This may be better. The metal will see you as a threat and kill you. I tell Connor, he destroys the metal. Everyone's happy."

Riley stared at her in shock. Weakly she said, "What? Jesse? You'd let Cameron kill me?"

"It's for the greater good, love," Jesse told her then walked around the front of the car. "Think of it as a noble sacrifice. One only you can do." Jesse got in her car and left.

Riley got on her phone and called John.

"Hello?"

"John, it's Riley, I just saw Jesse. She wants Cameron to kill me so you will destroy her!"

"Makes sense. I'll get back to you," he said and hung up.

John then sat back on the couch and let out a sigh. He turned his head to look at Cameron. "Jesse wanted you to kill Riley."

"I heard," Cameron said in her flat tone. "Riley was bring used by Jesse. If Riley fails, there is a 95 percent chance that Jesse will try to get rid of me herself."

John thought about that. He knew Cameron had that split in her skull. If Jesse shot her from behind, then there was a very good chance Cameron might not survive it. "We have to do something about that split in your head," he told her.

.

Jesse got home late to find Derek sitting by the window. He eyed her and asked, "What is your plan with that girl, Riley?"

Jesse frowned at him. "Who told you?" she asked in return.

"The metal." Derek said, not moving. "Giving John a real girlfriend, I can understand that," he said with a shrug. His voice then became harder. "What I am having trouble with, is the fact you want the metal to kill Riley so John will destroy it."

"How did you find out?" Jesse asked as she walked towards him.

"When confronted with the metal, Riley got very verbal," Derek said, keeping his eyes on her. "You would let an innocent girl die just to see your plan through?"

"Acceptable losses," Jesse stated. "Derek, the metal is dangerous. It makes decisions for Connor. You should know how deceptive that metal can be! It has to be gotten rid of."

"Give me your gun."

Jesse spun to see Sarah behind her, pistol pointed at her. "Sarah Connor," Jesse stated.

"Gun, now," Sarah stated.

Jesse paused, then slowly reached for her pistol.

"Two fingers," Sarah commanded.

Jesse did, holding her gun out to Sarah, who snapped it up. "The metal being close to John doesn't bother you?" Jesse asked.

"It does," Sarah admitted as she tucked the pistol behind her back. "Yes, Cameron makes me nervous. She went bad once, it may happen again. I watch her like a hawk, looking for any abnormal behavior from it. Cameron also protects John, more than I am able to. When we face a terminator, Cameron is our ace in the hole, to take it on and keep it busy so John can get away, or destroy it. Right now, John needs Tin Miss to keep him safe."

"It will twist his mind, Sarah," Jesse said firmly. "In the future, no one sees Connor. All we see is the metal giving his orders!" Turning to Derek, she blasted out, "When was the last time you saw General Connor and not his metal bitch giving orders?"

"The last time was when John sent me back through the TDE," Derek stated. "He gave me an important job, help stop Sky Net from coming on line. That is why I am here, to support John Connor. Why did he send you?"

"He didn't," Jesse said evenly. "I came back to make things right in the resistance, meaning no metal to suck up to him and take over!"

"You went AWOL," Derek stated.

"I came back to save the resistance," Jesse stated in a hard tone.

"We are tying to stop Sky Net so there is no Judgment Day," Sarah stated. "Are you going to help or not?"

Jesse eyed her and asked, "If I don't?"

"Then we have no use for you," Sarah said evenly. "Cameron already sees you as a threat. I think you know what that means. John convinced Tin Miss to let us try to correct that problem."

"Jesse," Derek said to get her attention, "If we can stop Sky Net, then there will be no nuclear bombs or mass destruction. One thing is for sure, we can't stop it if we're here screwing around with you instead of going out looking for it."

"We need all the help we can get," Sarah told her. "If we can succeed, then Tin Miss won't be a problem, will she?"

"IT, you mean," Jesse retorted.

"Whatever."

Jesse shifted in place, eyeing Sarah. After a couple minutes she said, "Fine. I'll help you. If SkyNet comes on line though, then I will get rid of that metal bitch."

"Sarah pulled out Jesse's gun and tossed it back to her. "Good. There is a company called Kaliba. We are having a hard time finding out anything about it. John is searching the internet, we're searching the news and papers. Cameron is giving us information from the future when she can. I need you to scout out places we find for Grays and metal. If either are there, then that is a place we need to take down."

Sarah got up and went to the door. Looking back at Jesse and Derek, she said, "Derek, you coming or staying?" she asked.

"We have something to discuss," he replied as he cast his even stare at Jesse.

Sarah left.

.

While Sarah and Derek were confronting Jesse, John searched for a proper material to repair the back of Cameron's head. He knew he could not weld the crack shut, or put a metal plate over it. As he sat at the computer looking for something that would work, Cameron came up behind him and softly slid a hand across his shoulders.

"Find anything?" she asked.

John cracked an irritated grin and asked, "Why do you do that?"

"Two reasons. I can monitor your vital signs and ensure your health," she said simply.

"The other reason?" he prodded.

"I like touching you."

John snorted out a laugh. He pointed to the screen and asked, "This stuff is called metal putty. It says it bonds well to any surface. I was thinking I could fill that hole with it and at least then, no water could get in your head and mess up your balance again," he said.

Cameron pulled a chair over to his desk and sat beside him to look at the screen. "May I use the mouse?" she asked.

John handed it over. Cameron scrutinized the page and scrolled down to study the ingredients. "Yes, John that will seal up the split and not interfere with my functions. It will not be bullet proof, but will aid in protecting me. It will be better and make me less vulnerable to damage." She turned to him and said, "Thank you for thinking of me. Can we kiss now?"

John gazed at her. Mom wasn't home, and he really did want to kiss her. He put an arm around her and drew her close. They met lips slowly and kissed. The kiss became deeper, their arms went around each other. John had to breathe. He broke the kiss to gaze at her, panting to get his breath back.

Gazing at him softly, Cameron petted his cheek and said, "John, you can do more than kiss me."

"Cameron," he said in a whisper, the implications of what she said was running though his mind.

"I want you happy, John," Cameron said evenly. "When you feel good, I feel good also. I like the sensations you give me. when you held me up to do the laundry, I liked your arms around me. I cannot explain why, I just do. Compiling all our reactions together, I know I love you and you love me."

"Compiling our reactions?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes. John, I am not human," she said in a serious tone. "I will not show reactions like a human does, but that does not mean I don't like feeling you touch me and kiss me. I do like it, very much." Clasping his hand, he raised it to press into her breast. "I like this too."

John softly kneaded her breast in his hand. "That does feel very nice," he admitted, then grinned. "Mom would freak if she saw this."

"Yes, so we can't let her see," Cameron agreed. "I do want you to touch me more when she's not around. Whatever you want to do, John. Please, do it with me."

For some reason, John could not take his hand off her breast. "Cam? You really feel that, and like it?"

Cameron nodded. She then perked up and looked off at nothing. "Sarah is home," she stated. She gave John another quick kiss and got up.

John almost rose with her to stop her. He then thought about his mother. 'Damn it,' he thought. Clearing his throat to get his voice back, he called, "I'll order this stuff for you."

"Thank you, John," Cameron said from the doorway and left.

Damn, she had a nice ass. Nice legs, cute little breasts and she was pretty. John shook his head chuckling. He was falling for his metal protector. It seemed weird, but he didn't care what she was. He knew Cameron was devoted to him. That was what he needed the most.

.

Sarah told John about Jesse joining their group. He wasn't happy about it after what she tried to do, but they did need all the help they could get. That also got him thinking about Riley. Although he wasn't pleased with her either, Riley could do simple jobs to help them out. He called her.

"Hello? John?" Riley asked, sounding confused.

"I'll get straight to the point," John told her. "I'm out to stop Sky Net and prevent the world from being destroyed. Will you help us?"

Tentatively, Riley said, "I thought you'd never want to speak to me again."

"Forget that. This is important," John said firmly. "Jesse has agreed to help. Will you? I am going to need someone to do research, nothing dangerous."

"To save the would? Sure, what can I do?"

"Look through the papers, especially the legal section. Properties bought and sold, businesses staring up, things like that. What you're looking or is any news on Kaliba, and any the company that is involved with AI research. Even if it is only a few lines. Look at internet stations news also. We have to find out who is building Sky Net."

"Yeah, I can do that. If I find something, do I call you?"

"As soon as you find something. Remember, just research, don't go trying to find these places yourself. I got other people for that."

"OK, John. John? I am sorry for deceiving you," she offered.

"Water under the bridge, we got work to do," he told her, then hung up.

John noted Cameron watching him with a blank look. "I got Riley to search the news for us. Hey, she knows all about Sky Net, so hopefully she can help out. Before you ask, I'm not going out with her again," he said.

"That is wise, John," Cameron said. "I am going on patrol." Cameron offered him a smile. He returned it.

Sarah came in the living room as Cameron left. "What was that?" she asked.

"What was what?' John asked, confused.

"You smiling at Tin Miss," Sarah said, watching him.

John frowned at her. "She was pleased I'm not seeing Riley any more. I am using Riley to help research information. Cameron thought that was a good idea."

Sarah eyed him and sat down. "Just remember Tin Miss is a terminator," she said evenly.

John rolled his eyes. Letting out a sigh, he said, "I know, Mom. If you remember, I was digging around in the back of her skull. I did get to see all kids of wire, modules and connectors. I know what Cameron is."

"It just seems you are becoming to friendly with her," Sarah grumbled.

John didn't reply. "Pizza coming?" he asked.

"Less that 30 minutes," Sarah replied.

John watched TV and noticed there was a big electronics show in San Francisco coming up. "We should go," John said absently.

"I'll take Derek with me," Sarah said. "You need to go to school."

"Yay," John grumbled.

John sat and hoped Cameron was going to sit by him when she returned. Then again, his mother was right here. Thinking how upset she would be if she caught them hugging, or if he had an arm around Cameron, he could always use the excuse her accelerometer was acting up again. He smiled.

** OK, I'll do a couple more chapters...