-Disclaimers? All the usual ones, I don't own 'em, make no money from 'em, just do this for fun and hopefully, your entertainment.

-Feedback? Constructive criticism is always welcomed and I love knowing what you think!

This is all very AU and totally out of context and out of canon, I just ran with it because…well, just because. So, if you see something that doesn't jive with the show, it just doesn't. Also, this fic is really pretty fluffy and romantic, there's anger and it may be considered a bit angsty if you squint, but if you hate the fluffy stuff, go no further.

And my knowledge of techno babble? Almost non-existent. So those of you in the know, please be forgiving.

Oh, and this story contains sex and language, thus the rating, so if you don't like this either, go ahead and stop now.

And please check out Sophia Tab's stories about these characters, I'm sure you love them just like I do!

Cameron knew when he entered the room. She always knew when he was close. There was something about his smell. No, she reciprocated, not smell. More like a certain energy. He ran hot, hotter than the rest. His breath came in short, clipped bursts when he was near her. Just in case, she realized, just in case she malfunctioned. But then, when he was confident she wouldn't turn on them, he'd adjust to calming, even breaths. He wasted nothing. He was all action, all definition. He knew and he followed through. He was the alpha; she fought the shiver that ran through her cortex at this knowledge. She could feel him looking at her so she tilted her head to one side and met his eyes.

He hated the metal. With every ounce of his being, he hated her. Only she wasn't a her, she was an it. But when she did that thing with her head. When she looked at him with those big brown eyes, her lips just slightly opened and so friggin' wet, he forgot. He saw her as a beautiful woman, so hot, so full of possibilities. A woman that caused him to struggle to keep his body from reacting. From taking her head in his hands and pushing his hardening cock into that mouth, through those soft, full lips. Shaking his head to clear the images, he thought back to the future. That sounded so strange, he thought to himself. Back to the time just before John sent Cameron back.

'Once I send her back and you follow, you'll be responsible for her Derek. She'll protect me with her life, but she's reprogrammed, she'll be learning and she'll be confused. I'm counting on you teach her. To take care of her.'

Derek looked over at her. Looked at what he had originally believed was a young woman, a lovely, ethereal angel. He fought the jealousy and anger that threatened to engulf his soul. Jealousy that John trusted her. Jealousy that John had her. Jealousy that John was probably fucking her. She was a machine, the enemy, and John decided she was the hope for the future. How screwed up was that? At least when he went back, maybe, just maybe he'd get a handle on how twisted John became and influence him to remember he was human.

Everyone assumed that their commander had taken the machine as his sex partner, but as his lieutenant, Derek keep the troops in order, reprimanded anyone who disrespected the man who had given his whole life for the cause. That John trusted her, trusted that piece of metal, with his life, his secrets, it caused a reaction that went deep. Even as he pushed down the betrayal that the thing he was secretly attracted to was really a fucking machine.

'John, you can't be serious! She a metal. What the hell are you thinking? You can't trust any of…'

His leader cut him off. 'She's different Derek, so different. And she's what's needed to keep me alive. So you need to be there for her.' He took his uncle by the shoulders. 'Can I count on you?'

Taking a deep breath, Derek nodded. 'Fine, but I'm telling you right now, the first sign that she's turning I'm gonna…'

'Derek, you'll need to do everything you can to keep her alive. If she can learn, if she can…' John Connor shook his head. 'I can't say anything else, you know that. Just keep your promise to me. For the greater good. If you can't do this assignment, Derek, or if you won't, I need to know now. I'll need to find someone can, who will.'

Derek shook his head, he wouldn't let John Connor down. 'Alright John, for the greater good. For you.'

The memories increased his heart rate, Derek could feel his chest beating hard and fast. So, he slowed down his breathing and past by the girl, the metal, pushing down his guilt. The guilt of not keeping his word to John. Derek shook his head and made a resolution. After Jesse, after Riley, after his lies, he'd try, this time he'd try to keep his promise.

Cameron felt her breath catch as Derek walked past her. She didn't know why but he affected her as no one else could. She ran diagnostic after diagnostic after the explosion, thinking she was still damaged, but she ran clean. The only glitch was that the new programs in her system had been activated sooner than anticipated after the explosion. But to Cameron it was just something she'd have to deal with anyway, it was just sooner. She recognized the feelings for what they were, and they scared her. What if they caused her to try and hurt John again? But future John Connor had reprogrammed her and she had to trust him.

"Is everything packed up?" Sarah asked the question of everyone.

Derek entered the room, a sandwich in his hand. "I need to get to the storage unit and pack up some supplies."

"Fine, take Cameron with you. John and I will catch up with you at the safe house." Sarah took a deep breath, waiting for an argument from either Cameron or Derek.

Cameron tilted her head in the direction of Sarah. "This seems unadvisable. Either Derek or I should go with John and meet you there. We can protect him…"

"I can protect him and what I say goes. And I'm telling you, John and I will meet the two of you!" Sarah slammed down the glass of whiskey she had been sipping.

Cameron looked over to John for his approval.

"It's fine, Cameron. We'll meet you there." He went to his mother. "Come on, you need your rest if we're gonna leave in the morning." The boy helped her up the stairs with a backwards grimace at his uncle.

Derek came to stand beside Cameron. "We'll leave early, packing shouldn't take too long and we can be at the safe house by noon."

She looked up at him, her breath hitching in her throat again. She nodded her affirmation and rose, going up to her room to finish packing.

Cameron stood in front of the full length mirror in her room. She had told Sarah that it wasn't needed. 'I do not need this, perhaps you should take it to your room…'

Sarah rolled her eyes. 'At least pretend to be a girl, okay? The mirror stays, try and make use of it. You can practice some natural facial expressions.'

So the mirror stayed and Cameron tried. For some unexplained reason, she wanted to please Sarah, so she spent hours each night while the household slept keeping guard and practicing facial expressions.

Looking at her body, Cameron noted that she had an attractive form. Tight, lithe, strong. She pulled her tee shirt over her head, her bra following it to the floor. Tilting her head one way and then another, she wondered what opinion Derek would have of her breasts. Would he think they were too small? Would he wish to touch them? She cupped them, were they too small? She shook her head, these sorts of thoughts had no merit in and of themselves, she needed to dismiss them.

Allison, the name returned to her. Allison. Everything she was, her basic processor's framework, somehow it all came back to her. To the girl that future John knew, trusted, took under his wing. Once Skynet had found out about her, once they had been able to capture her, she, Cameron, had been built. Built in the image of the young girl.

When Cameron had interrogated the girl, she could sense her fear, the anger, her total commitment to John Connor. When she finally killed the girl, after weeks of interrogation, she felt nothing. It was her mission, infiltrate the resistance and kill John Connor. But now, thinking back on Allison's tear stained face, she felt her own eyes fill with tears. The girl, no more than 18, she had a life. She had friends. She had a future, of a sort, in the nightmarish place the world had become. And the Cameron of today, this Cameron was feeling intense emotional distress.

Puzzled by her thoughts, Cameron did another diagnostic on her systems, her feelings, emotions, desires, so unnatural for her mission parameters. Her eyes shifted back and forth, results pouring in from her evaluation.

Remorse, regret, compassion, envy. The cyborg shook her head attempting to re-boot.

Derek paused by the metal's door, he'd forgotten to let her know exactly what time he wanted to leave in the morning. Pushing lightly at the door, he stopped, his breath catching in his chest. She stood before a mirror, naked from the waist up, a small pair of boxers slung low on her hips, so beautiful he had to fight the tightness in his gut.

As quietly as he could, backed off. Taking a deep gulp of air, he knocked. "Cameron?"

The cyborg shook her head, her tests complete, telling her all was within accepted parameters and grabbed for her robe.

Opening the door she found the object of her confusion standing in front of her.

"Yes?" Her voice as monotone as she could make it.

"We leave at 0530 hours. Be ready." Derek quickly turned and went down the staircase.

Okay, so hit the little blue button and let me know what you think ;D