Disclaimer & Notices

Please see Chapter 1 for disclaimers and notices.

Started: December 13, 2010

Ended: December 14, 2010

Series: One Shot, #7

A Dane Christmas!

by Red Hope

Chapter 2 – December Twenty-Fifth

Sarah stirred slowly, but she was in no rush to get up until the wonderful smell of food caught her nose. She couldn't help her silly smile despite the space next to her was empty. She sat up and glanced at the clock, which read just a quarter of nine in the morning. She sleepily fussed with her messy hair, but got out of bed and went to the half bath attached to the master bedroom.

It took a good ten minutes for Sarah to wash her face, brush her teeth, and check over her newest wounds thanks to their most recent mission. Briefly Donald Quinn's face passed through her mind, but she was glad to be rid of him since yesterday afternoon. She had to admit that Cameron's plans were improving each time. This time went a lot smoother than the first few attempts Cameron made to devise a solid plan. However, Sarah was flexible with the job and learned when to take charge if their mission was going awry.

Sarah put the hand towel back on the drying rack then headed out of the bathroom. She grabbed a fleece top from her dresser and wiggled it on during her stroll into the hallway. She was still getting a little use to their new house after moving thanks to FBI Agent Auldridge. She couldn't stand him, and she hoped she never ran into him anytime soon.

Sarah put away her hot thoughts because today was Christmas Day with her lover. She entered the foray of their house and glanced at the Christmas tree in the living room. She shook her head at Cameron's perfect tree. She hadn't quite pieced together why Cameron was so Christmasy this year, but it made it hard for Sarah to be a Scrooge like she had been in past years.

In the kitchen, Sarah found her lover cooking their breakfast. It was all Sarah's favorites. She went directly to the coffee pot, which was filled with her favorite brew. She pulled out the pot and filled up the waiting mug.

Cameron was focused on her task to get the sunny side up eggs right. She knew there was a trick to it, and she'd only recently learned the trick. She hadn't quite perfected it yet.

Sarah softly grinned at her serious lover and went over to her. She slipped her left arm around Cameron's trim waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas." She kissed Cameron's temple.

Cameron revealed a thin smile, and her eyes softened at Sarah. "Merry Christmas, Sarah." She gave her lover a quick kiss then focused back on her egg duty.

Sarah chuckled and went to the kitchen table that was already setup for a meal. She sat in her usual seat then tasted her hot coffee. She was surprised to discover the coffee had a nice cinnamon flavor and then a hint of nutmeg behind it. She softly hummed then set the mug down. She had to admit, today would probably be a good day. It'd be a quiet day.

"Have you seen Elizabeth this morning?" Sarah inquired.

The terminator was grabbing plates from one of the cupboards. She put the two designer plates on the counter. "I have not. She is mostly likely busy with her father."

"Hmmmm." Sarah sipped on her coffee. She and Cameron hadn't seen their neighbor, Elizabeth, for a few days. It was unusual because they typically saw the girl once a day after school. "She must be busy with her dad and the holidays."

Cameron silently conceded with the human. "White or wheat?"

"Wheat," Sarah replied. She leaned back in her chair and curled her hands around the hot mug. She bowed her head and wondered what John was doing for Christmas, but he was in the future. She wished he was here, but she was learning to accept he was gone. She blinked back a sting behind her eyes. She cleared her throat and sipped on her coffee.

Cameron busied with putting the eggs onto the plates followed by bacon and toast. Since she and Sarah had moved to the house, she'd started cooking meals and also ate with Sarah. She noticed that it somehow brought them together. She learned that humans found dining a bonding activity.

"I think we handled Quinn pretty good," Sarah decided aloud. She straightened up when her lover arrived with the plates.

"It was my plan," Cameron proudly stated. She turned on her heels and went back for a glass of orange juice. She also still wore her pajamas, which were flannel pants with reindeer all over and a white camisole. However, that wasn't what she wore in bed last night after celebrating Christmas Eve with Sarah on the living room's sofa under the tree's soft glow.

Sarah smirked into her mug. She was growing to love Cameron's arrogant manner, mostly. There were points that it still infuriated her. But she liked that Cameron had confidence because it was something John rarely displayed.

Cameron had a glass of juice and came back to the table. "Do you want jam too?"

"Nah… the butter is good." Sarah took her cloth napkin off the table. "Although I think you flashing your eyes and nearly cutting her skin away to scare Quinn wasn't the best idea." She bit back her grin when her lover narrowed her eyes at her.

"He would have believed us then," Cameron argued.

Sarah shook her head and continued buttering her toast. "We have to be coooovert, girlie." She set her knife down then picked up her fork. "That means no blue eyes."

The terminator softly sighed and muttered, "Rules are meant to be broken."

"I heard that," Sarah replied. She clicked her tongue once at Cameron.

"I see." Cameron raised a challenging eyebrow at her lover. "You're allowed to break rules, but I am not."

"You got it." Sarah chuckled at her lover's displeased look. "Do as I say, Cameron… not as I do."

The terminator went quiet for a few minutes and ate her hot meal. She had to admit her egg came out well today. "You let me break rules."

"Oh?" Sarah prompted. She was curious now.

Cameron had a glint in her honey-brown eyes. "Last night…"

Sarah flushed, brighter than the poinsettia on the kitchen counter. "Yes… well…" She saved herself with a drink of her coffee.

The terminator rested her case and went back to her breakfast. She knew she won that battle.

Sarah struggled to quiet the memories from last night. She hoped none of the neighbors heard them despite there was some acreage between them all. Still her screams would have sent Santa running from the chimney last night. But, she recalled that it wasn't too terribly embarrassing since their cover had changed since John was gone. She and Cameron were now domestic partners living together and their new last name was Phillips instead of Baum. Sarah let her lover pick the new last name and didn't realize until later that Phillips was Cameron's last name. She always gave credit to Cameron for being sneaky.

After the filling breakfast, Cameron urged her lover to the living room where the Christmas tree waited for them. Sarah delayed it by getting another cup of coffee then she fussed on her way to the living room. Once in there, Sarah took up residence on the sofa chair with her legs drawn up. She shook her head when Cameron tossed her a gift from under the tree.

"Cameron," Sarah drew out in an aspirated tone.

"Open it," the terminator ordered. She stood up next to the sofa chair.

Sarah groused a few times but opened it. She laughed and happily declared, "A Tom-Tom." She then curiously peered up at her lover. "When the Hell did you get this?"

"Over a month ago," Cameron informed.

"Huh." Sarah grinned because she should have known that the terminator paid attention to her complaining about the GPS long ago. She then slid out of the seat and picked up a gift for the terminator. She handed it over then sat down but with a grin.

Cameron suspiciously eyed the box, but slowly opened it.

"That's not a truck," Sarah warned her lover. "We can do that tomorrow."

The terminator had a faint grin. She opened the gift and suddenly her usual small smile became a bit bigger on Christmas. "Sarah…" She stared at the huge box of gourmet chocolates.

Sarah set the coffee mug back on the side table and hopped out of her seat. "Ever hear of Moonstruck Chocolates?" After her lover's headshake, she added, "They're suppose to be very good." After her lover started eating with her, Sarah discovered that Cameron loved chocolate. She stood beside her lover and pointed out the candy cane truffle. "That one looks really good."

Cameron was dazzled by all the different truffles in the box. She counted fifty pieces, and she was glad her body didn't react to chocolates like most humans' bodies. But one thing was sure, she thoroughly enjoyed the taste of chocolate and was making a study of all the chocolate candies in the world. She forced herself to set the box down beside Sarah's mug.

"I have one other gift for you." Cameron caught her lover's suspicious eye so she said, "Wait here." She left the living room and headed into the hallway.

Sarah shook her head and wondered what the terminator was up to. She grabbed her coffee and sipped on it. She heard the guest bedroom open earlier and now it closed again. She set her mug down then heard the terminator's feet padding against the wood floor. Sarah slowly felt her jaw slacken as Cameron approached her with arms completely full.

"Oh… my god," Sarah whispered in shock. She looked from Cameron's arms to her face. "Cameron…" She wasn't sure what to say.

Cameron neared her lover and hefted her precious cargo. She gave a soft smile at her lover and held out her arms.

Sarah opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she looked down and met the most adorable set of black eyes that peered up at her. Sarah's heart melted instantly without her say so. She started to smile and especially at the red bow around the black puppy's neck. She finally reached out and took the puppy.

"Cameron… I don't know…" Sarah couldn't finish her words and wasn't sure how she felt about a puppy. She looked between her lover and the beautiful puppy. She shook her head and sadly whispered, "We don't exactly live a life conducive to a dog." She missed having a dog in her life since her days at college.

The terminator canted her head and informed, "We have the perfect lifestyle." She looked at the puppy then back up at her lover. "She can warn us of terminators and protect us from attackers."

Sarah grinned at the terminator's logic.

"And you love dogs," Cameron softly added. It was an old conversation she had with John before her jumped into the future.

Sarah was petting the puppy and then curiously inquired, "What breed?" She suspected what the puppy was, but she wanted to hear it from Cameron.

"She is a Great Dane."

Sarah let out a breath and nodded once. "Big… big dog." But she absolutely loved Great Danes. She'd wanted one since she was a child, but her mother never got her one. She couldn't believe she was finally holding a Great Dane. Every good reason in her head told her not to keep a dog.

Cameron could sense a slight struggle in her lover. "Elizabeth will help us with her."

Sarah quickly looked up at her lover. "Elizabeth knows about… her?" She signaled the puppy by lifting her.

"Yes, she helped me pick her out of the litter."

Sarah goggled and asked, "You got her from a breeder?"

"Of course." Cameron looked from the Great Dane to the human. "I did not want any imperfections."

"Naturally." Sarah chuckled. She then knelt down and put the puppy on the rug. "She's beautiful, Cameron."

The terminator knelt down and started petting the puppy.

Sarah curiously watched how her lover, a terminator, was able to pet the dog without any problem. She held back that thought then asked, "What's her name?"

Cameron shook her head and looked at Sarah. "You must pick it."

Sarah let out a breath and ran her fingers through her wavy hair. "Well…" She then suspiciously studied her lover and prompted, "Any suggestions?"

"I was thinking Samantha… or Sammy," Cameron offered.

Sarah grinned from ear to ear at how Cameron had a few ideas already. She bit her bottom lip then teased, "What about our names?" She found a dubious look from her lover. "We can call her Camerah."

"I rather call her Weaver before calling her Camerah."

Sarah laughed at her lover's dislike of the merged names. She knew how much her lover disliked the T-1001 that'd caused so much havoc. She stared down at the puppy and kept thinking about a dozen different names, but she whispered, "Sammy?"

The Great Dane sat up and shook herself then wagged her tail at Sarah.

Sarah realized that the dog seemed to like the name. She looked at her lover and checked, "Have you been calling her Sammy all this time?"

"No." Cameron had a serious look.

Sarah tried gauging if Cameron was pulling her leg again, but she just couldn't tell. She silently cursed and gazed down at the puppy. "Sammy?"

The Great Dane bounced on her feet then flopped onto her side.

"It looks like it's Sammy then," Sarah decided aloud. Then another thought occurred to her. "We're going to need all sorts of stuff, Cameron."

"It's all taken care of," the terminator informed. She lifted her left hand and ticked off each fingertip as she went down the list, "Dog crate, food, collar, leash, some toys, treats, and puppy pads." She saw Sarah's amused look. "Elizabeth helped with that too."

"Are you sure you two didn't get this dog for yourselves?" Sarah teased.

The terminator was rather serious and replied, "I do not like dogs." She'd been attacked a few times thanks to dogs' keen sense about her endoskeleton.

Sarah knew it was the truth, and she gazed back down at the dog. "Then why get her?"

Cameron looked back up at her lover. "Because you've always wanted a Great Dane."

Sarah couldn't help the bittersweet smile and the sting in her eyes. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed her lover. She then mentioned, "She seems to be fine with you."

"She is a puppy," Cameron explained. "She will grow up with a terminator around her."

"That could… work against us," Sarah argued.

Cameron shook her head and promised, "It will not." She canted her head. "Sammy will be trained properly."

Sarah was sure about that too. She started petting Sammy again and couldn't help her silly grin. She actually felt like a kid now that she had her dog she'd wanted for so long. She never expected this one, at all. But she sharply came out of her excitement once she recalled she had one last gift for Cameron.

"Now your turn to wait here." Sarah climbed to her feet and hurried after her other gift she had tucked away.

Sammy went around the terminator and whined when Sarah was gone. She peered up at the other human, who had a strange metallic scent to her. She'd grown use to it and easily distinguished this human from all the rest.

Cameron rubbed the dog's ear and promised, "She'll be right back."

Sammy wagged her tail across the carpet. She then licked Cameron's wrist.

Cameron decided the lick was a lot nicer than a bite. She then stood up once her lover returned with a small gift.

Sarah held the small, wrapped package out to her lover. "Good things come in small packages." Or at least she was praying it was true.

Cameron was definitely curious and undid the ribbon. She could tell Sarah had wrapped it. She put the ribbon and gift wrap on the coffee table then focused on the box's lid. She pulled off the lid only to find a smaller, felt box inside it. She recognized the next box as a jewelry box.

Sarah set the white gift box aside then watched as her lover opened the jewelry box. She felt her stomach starting to knot more. She'd been waiting for this days for a month, but she wasn't sure if she was totally prepared. She'd thought of so many speeches, but decided one just wasn't going to make the moment anymore special for Cameron.

Cameron kept an even expression as the lid revealed a beautiful diamond ring. She estimated the carats had to be two from first glance. She curiously peered up at her lover and recalled an old memory. "A diamond is a girl's best friend."

Sarah softly grinned then her grin went into a nervous smile. "It's an… engagement ring." She lifted her eyes from the beautiful ring to her lover, whose expression went from passive to stunned within seconds. Sarah had never seen that expression on her lover's face. Once Cameron's awed features shifted to her, and she had amazed brown eyes on her, she whispered, "Will you marry me, Cameron?"

Cameron couldn't process what was happening, and she actually felt her chip falter for a moment. She took a deep breath and finally processed Sarah's question.

Sarah thought she was going to pass out shortly if Cameron didn't answer her. She wished her heart would be quieter because she suspected Cameron heard it. She gently touched her lover's arm and found the touch seemed to break Cameron from her stunned spell.

"Yes," Cameron stated in monotone. She then blinked as if something was settled in her. She happily repeated, "Yes, Sarah." She actually felt a rise in heat through her endoskeleton. She wondered if it showed on her cheeks as a flush.

Sarah felt her knees turn into gel, but she carefully retrieved the ring. She took Cameron's left hand and gently slid the engagement ring into place. She was proud of herself for getting the size so perfectly.

Cameron admired the engagement ring and was amazed she was wearing one. And she was wearing one because she was really engaged and not just a mindless terminator posing for a mission.

Sarah let out a relieved breath and smiled up at her lover. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Cameron looked at her lover and returned the smile. "Yes… it is." She kept staring at her lover, who was now her fiancée. She turned to Sarah and shut the empty jewelry box in her right hand. She slipped her arms around her lover's waist and gave her a long, sweet kiss.

Sammy watched the two humans in the tender embrace. She softly rooed at them, which got their attention on her, briefly.

Cameron looked from the puppy to her fiancée. "An engagement ring was not on my Christmas list."

Sarah smirked and winked at her terminator. "But it was on your wish list."

Cameron softly hummed then leaned in for another kiss. She indeed had a merry Christmas this year despite they'd lost so much. Although everything had changed for them months ago, it seemed as if they were really finding their way, together.

After the tender kiss, Sarah affectionately brushed her hand over her lover's cheek. "I love you."

Cameron only heard those three words in more recent days. She'd never spoke them until Sarah spoke them for the first time. But long before that day, Cameron knew she would make any sacrifice for Sarah including a dog in the family. She wouldn't lose the precious gift that Sarah gave her.

"I love you too, " Cameron whispered back. She returned Sarah's tender smile.

Sarah rested her head on her lover's shoulder. She closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas, darlin'."

Cameron leaned her forehead against Sarah's temple. "Merry Christmas too, love."

Sammy had her head tilted up with her floppy ears fallen back. She softly barked at them and was happy when they both looked at her.

Sarah chuckled and offered, "Merry Christmas to you too, Sammy." She remained in her fiancée's arms and enjoyed a peaceful moment in her life. It was also one of her happiest in a very long time. She tightened her arms around her lover and decided there was no other place she was needed more than here. She was home for Christmas, finally.

The End