So, I got this idea from a fan to write a compilation 'story' of deleted scenes from my full stories, Irony thy Name is Cameron and That Which We Call Fate. Some will be written by me, others by fans. No, I'm not at all done with Fate, this is just something extra I've been working on.

This is a "deleted scene" from chapter 9 of my story That Which We Call Fate. It wasn't originally written, but about 6 months ago I found a YouTube video of someone playing the TSCC theme song on piano and got this idea.

Unfortunately, since I've started writing this, the user deleted his account and bye-bye cool video and song. I still like it though, and I spent a lot of time writing it. Originally you were supposed to have been able to listen while you read, and the story flowed with the song. I still would suggest you go and listen to the theme song again, and then read this with it fresh in your mind. I love the theme song; I think it's one of the most moving theme songs I've ever heard. Anyway, I think this little scene expresses that. At least, that's what I tried to do.

A few hours after proposing…

John rolled over in bed and reached for Cameron beside him. When his arm found nothing but air, he opened his eyes and searched the darkness. He couldn't see a damn thing.

He sat up and turned the bedside lamp on, squinting at the sudden brightness. He looked again and confirmed her conspicuous absence.

Where the hell did she go?

He crawled out of the comfortable bed and checked the balcony. She wasn't there either. He walked back into the bedroom and stood there, searching the room for some sort of clue.

Ah, there it was. His clothes were missing. That could only mean that somewhere in the hotel, a terminator was walking around wearing his jeans and shirt.

At least she left my underwear. John sighed and opened his duffel bag, digging out a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. He quickly got dressed, and skipping shoes, left the room barefoot. In his head he heard his mother ranting about Athlete's Foot and other such nastiness, but he didn't care. At this price, he was sure they at least vacuumed regularly.

He stood in the quiet, empty hallway, running his hand through his bed hair. Where the hell would she have gone? It wasn't really like Cameron to leave him alone in a strange place, and he was even more surprised considering... well, earlier that evening.

He smiled, feeling a bit of giddy happiness at the memory of her saying "yes". He wore his grin as he shuffled to the elevator and pressed the down button. He decided he'd check the lobby first. There was no need for her to be in the twenty-four hour gym, of course, and everything else in the hotel was closed at three in the morning. If she wasn't there, he could at least ask the receptionist if she'd seen her skulking around anywhere. Knowing Cameron, she was probably outside patrolling the hotel perimeter. Some squirrel probably made some noise and she went to check to make sure it wasn't a T triple furry.

He took the elevator to the first floor and looked both ways as he stepped out. He took a left and began walking down the short hallway to the main lobby.

As he neared the lobby, he could hear soft piano music playing. He remembered seeing an old piano in the corner, and briefly wondered what lunatic was up at this hour playing the piano. Probably some poor drunk bastard whose wife was bound to leave him, or something overly dramatic like that.

He rounded the corner and quickly scanned the plush furniture in the lobby. They were empty, of course. Most guests were in their rooms fast asleep. That's where he wished he was at the moment, still wrapped in Cameron's arms. But, alas… his cyborg fiancé was apparently restless.

"Can I help you?"

He turned to the smiling, tired looking receptionist.

"Um, no thanks. I'm just…" His eyes drifted over to the piano and froze.

Cameron sat on the wooden bench, her foot on the pedal as her fingers played across the keys.

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up with what he was seeing. Cameron… playing the piano…

He stood there mesmerized, listening to the notes floating through the air. The music was light, yet somehow somber at the same time.

She didn't look up, but he knew that she was aware of him standing there, staring at her from across the room probably looking like a total idiot.

He slowly walked towards her, watching her from behind as her whole body moved with the music. Cameron continued to play as if she hadn't noticed his approach at all.

He reached her side and sat slowly down on the bench to her left, careful not to bump her or the piano. He watched her hands dance gracefully over the keys as the tempo increased.

His eyes tracked to her face and paused there, memorizing the faint blush of her cheeks, the open and innocent look in her brown eyes, and her glossed lips that curved slightly upwards as she felt his eyes on her.

He couldn't resist reaching up and gently tucking her hair behind her ear. A few stubborn tendrils escaped and fell forward, caressing her cheek

John swallowed and looked back at the keys, letting the music flow over him like a blanket. He briefly wondered what the piece was called; there was no sheet music in front of her. The song was somehow familiar, though he had never heard it before in his life. It seemed to speak to him on a deep inner level, and it gave him chills.

The ring on her left hand glinted in the light of the small lamp that sat atop the piano. He stared at it, watching the light refract into an array of colors.

It was funny how things worked out sometimes. If he'd been told a year ago that he'd be engaged to his cyborg protector, he'd have shot the person who dared to say it.

No, maybe not.

John scooted closer to her on the bench and gently placed his hand on her lower back. Nah… if he was honest with himself, he knew he had fallen in love with her the moment she first smiled at him at that stupid high school in that stupid hick town.

Maybe not completely in love with her, but… his infatuation was enough that had he been truly honest with himself, he probably, deep down, would have believed it.

Cameron's fingers slowed to a stop, and the room was suddenly drowned in silence. She pulled her hands off the keys and folded them in her lap.

"You should be sleeping," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the piano.

John took that as an invitation to wrap his arm completely around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and reached for her hand, turning it slightly so the ring could catch the light again.

"Yeah well, my future wife snuck out in the middle of the night. I was too lonely to sleep…" He pulled her hair away from her face and kissed the side of her neck softly.

"I couldn't sleep," she deadpanned, causing John to pause in his nibbling and chuckle.

"Really now? Go figure…" That brought another faint smile to Cameron's face, though she still didn't meet his eyes.

John didn't fail to notice either. "So… I'd ask where and how you learned to play the piano, but, considering you can pretty much do anything, it's probably a dumb question."

Her smile turned into a smirk.

"However, I am curious," he continued. "Where did you learn the music? Not that I'm a classical music connoisseur or anything, but I don't think I've never heard that melody before…"

Cameron's smile faltered slightly, and he thought he noticed a faint blush tint her cheeks. She looked down at her hand in his. "I don't know," she said softly.

John raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember?" A machine didn't often just forget things.

She shook her head slightly. "No, I didn't learn it. I… made it up."

To say John was speechless was an understatement. It was as if his brain had suddenly crashed and was displaying a blue screen of death.

Cameron… had composed music?

He cleared his throat. "What… uh… what made you make it up? I mean…" he faltered. His brain was still trying to reboot.

"You didn't like it?" she accused.

"No… I mean, I loved it!" he quickly corrected. "I just meant… what was your inspiration?"

"Everything," she said matter-of-factly. "You. Us. Our life. It just…" she struggled to find words to describe it. "… felt right."

It was said that music is the language of the soul. But a machine, without a soul, without imagination, created music. How was that possible? Sure, she probably studied some sort of music theory late at night out of boredom, and he already knew she had a certain fondness for music. But… she was still a machine. Yes, he loved her. Yes, she often behaved in very humanlike ways, but… she wasn't human. He knew that, he understood that, he accepted that. He loved it. Her. In every way.

But he wasn't stupid. There was a limit to Cameron's humanity that no amount of development could ever overcome.

Or was there?

His silence finally made her hesitantly look up into his face. As their eyes met, John felt a tingle travel down his spine.

"You have a beautiful soul, Cameron Philips," he whispered, using her old name from that stupid high school in that stupid hick town. To him, it was her real name… for now.

Cameron's eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing. John leaned in and brushed his lips lightly over hers.

"Don't ever let anyone tell you different."

Was going to make it longer, but at that point, this would be a whole chapter in itself! Thought this was an appropriately mushy point to end at. By the way, it's important to note (for me at least) that the whole idea of this chapter was…

Cameron composed the TSCC theme song.

There will be more of these little scenes on the way; however, the following update (which will be very soon, and written by a fan, not me) will probably require this to go in the M section (and not for violence or language :D). So, if you don't normally frequent that section, but you want to keep up with this, you might want to put it on alert. I hope you enjoyed, and please, review :)