author's note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter two. Everyone seemed to like Riley getting locked in the closet (and I so enjoyed writing it) :)

LittleAlbatross: I'm glad you liked it. I was actually worried that it wouldn't come out as good as the first, but apparently it did. I guess it's true what they say about being your own worst critic.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Terminator.

There Rust and Let Me Die

"Where's Riley?" Ms. Darbus demanded. "I thought she was here already…"

"Did she get sick?" someone asked.

"Cameron!" Ms. Darbus shouted. John saw Cameron appear immediately, already decked out in Juliet's dress. "Riley's missing," Ms. Darbus said. "You're going to have to be Juliet."

John thought he saw a bit of pride in Cameron's smile. Crap, he thought. I bet she did something to Riley.

Before he could confront her about it, Jason Reynolds came up behind him and handed him Romeo's sword. "Break a leg," he said with a broad grin.

Cameron suddenly appeared out of nowhere, glaring at Jason. "Are you threatening John?"

Jason looked more confused than afraid. "No…"

Cameron continued staring at him and Jason swallowed nervously.

John sighed. "In theater, 'break a leg' means good luck," he explained.

Cameron cocked her head. "That's impractical. If you were to break your leg, you would not be able to perform. Therefore it would not be 'lucky'."

Before John could reply, Ms. Darbus ushered him out onto the stage.

When the time finally came for the big party where Romeo meets Juliet, John was feeling a little nervous. He hadn't thought about the fact that he was going to have to fake a kiss with Cameron. His mom and Derek were going to kill him.

As he recited Romeo's lines, he noticed where Cameron was standing.

She's positioned wrong! he thought frantically. This wasn't right. She was supposed to be standing in front of him, so he could stand with his back to the audience for the fake kiss. Maybe she hadn't gotten all the movements down, being the understudy after all, but…

It was still wrong. He couldn't do that fake kiss. In order for this to look right, he had to...truly...kiss...Cameron. He tried not to wince. Derek's gonna murder me…

He stepped forward and put his hand up against her face. They were in full view of the audience and in his peripheral vision he could see Derek and his mother sitting in the middle row of the auditorium.

But as he looked back at Cameron and all other thoughts left his mind. He closed his eyes and kissed her…felt her respond…and heard a cry of horror that sounded strangely like Derek.

His uncle had risen from his seat, face aghast with absolute revulsion. People around him were staring at him in astonishment and he forced a smile, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "It's just…I know how it ends and they're making a mistake," he said lamely. "Sorry…"

He took his seat next to Sarah, who seemed to be containing her shock better than he had. "She could be giving him the kiss of death!"

"Kiss of death?" Sarah repeated.

"Yeah, the goodnight kiss, or whatever it's called! Poison on the lips!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"If she wanted to kill him, she wouldn't have to kiss him to do it," Sarah explained.

Derek shuddered as he watched his nephew…who actually looked as if he had enjoyed it. Enjoyed sharing a kiss with that…that metal piece of scrap!

John was feeling a little lightheaded after the kiss and almost forgot his next lines. All he could think of was how glad he was that Riley had mysteriously disappeared ten minutes before showtime…

Cameron did incredible for the rest of the drama. She had everyone fooled…everyone except Sarah and Derek, of course. When the time came for the dramatic death scenes, John took a deep breath before running onto the stage, supposedly entering the tomb where Juliet was buried.

John approached Cameron's completely still form. Boy, she was good at this. It reminded him too much of the day he'd almost burned her. The day he'd taken a stand against his mother, against the wise thing to do. He didn't have to try hard to show his emotion.

He crouched by "Juliet's" final resting place and pulled out the vial of poison.

As he stared into her incredibly still face, he decided to improvise. Their script didn't call for another kiss, even though Shakespere intended there to be one. He remembered Cameron's words about being "believable." He drank the green water from the vial and pretended to choke.

"Thus with a kiss…" he whispered, leaning over and kissing Cameron's lips. He could have sworn he heard a sharp intake of breath in the audience, probably from Derek again. "…I die…" John let himself go limp and collapsed on the stage. He remained completely still, listening to the rest of the scene play out. He heard the Friar come down, heard Cameron wake up and ask for Romeo.

He heard the Friar retreating and felt Cameron kneel beside him. As she began her own final monologue, he heard the emotion. It was the same despair he'd heard in her voice when she was pinned between the two trucks, pleading for him to let her stay. He fought to keep a straight face. Romeo was supposed to be dead after all.

He suddenly felt her lips on his. She was improvising too, reciting her line about no poison being left for her on his lips. He felt her slip the retractable dagger from his belt and heard her say her final line.

"O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die!" He almost smiled. She was brilliant. He heard a gasp from some younger audience members as Cameron plunged the retractable dagger into her chest. She fell to the ground next to him and he heard a shout of victory in the unmistakable voice of his Terminator-phobic uncle.

Several audience members shushed him angrily. John relaxed as he and Cameron lay side by side on the platform as the Capulets and Montagues learned of their children's death and ended their feud.

Finally the audience stood and cheered and John stood up, holding out a hand to Cameron even though he knew she hadn't needed his assistance.

The applause was still continuing when John ended up backstage. Ms. Darbus was staring at him strangely.

"You were wonderful!" she exclaimed. "That was the most moving performance of Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen by students!"

"Uh, thanks," John said.

"You were so emotional," she continued. "Have you thought of a career in acting? The way you can project your emotions…superb!"

"Thanks," John said again, feeling a bit embarrassed. Jason, Romeo's understudy, came up and clapped John on the back.

"You did great, pal," he said. "Excellent performance. You looked like you were really in love with her!"

As Jason walked away, his words resonated with John. "I think I am…" he said in wonderment.

***********

"What was that?!" Derek shouted on the way home. "You…you…just…"

"It was just acting," John said with a scowl, staring out the window.

"You…kissed it! The Metal! Three times!"

"Reese," Sarah said sternly. "That's enough. He and Cameron did a great job in that play."

"Oh, he and Cameron did great," Derek grumbled to himself. "It's not a person…shouldn't have a name…"

John looked over at Cameron, smirking. "Just how did Riley end up trapped in the supply closet?"

"I locked her in," Cameron said simply.

John raised his eyebrows. He had suspected as much, but hadn't expected her to come out and admit it. "You did? Why?"

"Derek said he wanted to see a metal Juliet."

finis

author's note: Well, it's finished. I hope you guys like it. Based on how you all review, I may do a sequel. I kind of have an idea already. Anyways, let me know what you think! And check out some of my other stories, too. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Oh yeah, and enjoy episode 7 tonight!