Ok, for this to make sense, you have to just ignore everything past Today is the Day Part 2. They never meet Weaver and Kaliba doesn't attack them.

Press Y to decrypt file...Y

Press Y to decrypt file...Y

Press Y to decrypt file...Y

Error scanning file, press R to retry...R

John Connor let out an audible groan. How long had he been at this? Five, maybe six hours? Just the latest in a long line of hard drives stolen from a long line of companies that Sarah thought were linked to Skynet.

3 dots my ass.

Things had been a little quiet recently. Riley was dead and Jesse had been dealt with. Sarah had become somewhat obsessed with finding Skynet, and Derek, well Derek hadn't been around much lately. This left John and Cameron alone together...a lot. He had noticed a lot of differences with her lately. He even managed to coax the story of who Allison was out of her. That night had shocked him to his core. It wasn't so much the story that shocked him, but it was the way she had broken down crying and held on to him as if for dear life while relating the story. She had spent that night on his bed in standby. Apparently her neural network needed some time to process the sheer amount of data produced by her sudden outpouring of emotion. He didn't get much sleep that night. He couldn't bear to leave her alone. He set up his computer chair near his bed, propped his feet up and watched over her until she 'woke up' a few hours later. So much had passed through his head in those hours. This wasn't a trick, she really is different.

File decryption complete. Please choose next file...

Screw that.

John closed his laptop and rested his elbows on his desk and laid his head in his hands. After rubbing his eyes for a few moments, he started to contemplate getting up and getting some coffee when a warm slender hand found its way to the back of his neck.

Once upon a time he would have yelped and sprang away as if the touch had burned. But not now. Now he took it for what it was.

It's just what moms do...

Wait...Mom's off on another Skynet hunt with Derek...that means...

"Cameron, what are you doing?"

What a stupid question to ask. Did you really need an answer? Here it comes in 3, 2, 1...

"You appear tired and stressed. I am checking your vitals for signs of illness and fatigue"

Of course she is.

For the second time in a minute John let out a groan of exhaustion and frustration. After giving his eyes one last rub he reached up behind his head and gently, almost tenderly, removed her hand from his neck. For reasons he didn't fully understand he brought her hand round in front of his eyes.

"Where did those come from?"

"Where did what come from?"

"Those nails"

"What nails?"

"Cameron..." John practically growled at her. Pretending not to know the answer to his questions was one of the more annoying personality traits she had recently picked up. His frustration was growing by the second. She however seemed not to catch the hint.

"Yes John?" she said in a sweet, innocent voice.

A third groan escaped his throat

"Where and when did you get these nails? Not that I know much about nail care, but these look as if they are professionally done."

"You've seen me paint my nails before. How is this any different?"

"Riiiight. You just thought this was just something you should do?" he held her hand up in the air slightly for emphasis.

"Yes"

A slightly uncomfortable silence fell between them. John was frantically trying to think of something to break the tension when she spoke up. Huh, must have been uncomfortable for her too.

"They are your Christmas present to me"

John almost fell off his chair as he swivelled around so fast to look at her.

"Wha...My...My what?

She tilted her head to the side in that annoyingly cute way of hers, looked down at him with those adorable big brown puppy dog eyes and said in a slow and clear voice, as if speaking to a small child:

"They. Are. Your. Christmas. Present. To. Me"

It took a moment for John to register what she had said. Then he remembered he had gotten her a gift voucher for a local boutique. He also remembered double checking that they didn't sell combat boots. He had no idea they offered beauty treatments. It was something of an afterthought to get her anything at all really...

"So what are you getting the Tin Miss?

"Hmm, what?"

"What are you getting Cameron for Christmas?"

"Erm, nothing, why?"

"No reason. It's just nice to know that I raised a son who doesn't give a crap about the people who protect him every day"

"What? It's not like she'll even know what Christmas is all about"

"Well neither do you, but I'm still getting you something"

"Ok, ok, I'll pick something up, jeez!!"

She had said it with a smirk on her face, but John knew there was a deeper meaning behind her words. He felt a sudden stab of guilt for not treating his mother better than she deserves. After all, she did give up everything for him.

When she gets back, you are so doing something nice for her.

A gentle squeeze of his hand and a subtle caress of her thumb across his knuckles brought him out of his trance he didn't realise he was in. He looked up to see Cameron still staring at him awaiting a response to her statement.

After awkwardly clearing his throat, John steeled himself and looked down at her hand, still curiously intertwined with his own.

"Erm, they're really nice Cam. When did you find the time to get them done?"

John thought he saw a look of hurt flash across her face before she quickly started extricating her hand from his. John's fingertips still clung on after it was gone. He looked at his now empty hand and back up to her beautiful face. It had returned to its blank 'scary robot' expression. She was upset and he knew it.

What have you done now jackass???

"Cameron, I..."

"I got them while you were out with Riley one day"

A cold shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the girl from the future. She didn't deserve what happened to her. He had long known that Cameron didn't like the girl. He always put it down to her being a security risk and a threat to her mission. Boy was she right. But now, after Cameron's recent emotional developments, he realised there was probably a little more to it than that.

"Cameron...Wait, that was almost 2 months ago"

She averted her gaze to the floor, as if she found the pattern of the carpet suddenly fascinating.

"Yes it was, thank you for noticing"

With that she turned and headed for the door without looking back. He felt like a total ass and cast his eyes down to the floor where she had been looking moments ago. On their way back up, his eyes couldn't help but linger on inappropriate places. Damn hormones. He watched her pert backside as she left the room in the cute purple pyjama bottoms she was wearing.

Hold on, when did she start wearing pyjamas? She really has changed.

"Cameron, wait"

To be continued......maybe!!