Who: John Connor, Sarah Connor and Cameron Phillips What: Early morning rambles When: After this dream Where: The Connor Home Ratings/Warnings: R? Status: Ongoing
John woke fast, sitting straight up in bed he ran his hand through his hair before realising he had tears running down his cheeks. He glanced at the clock next to the bed and realised it was only 4am.
Wiping his face he got out of bed and as quietly as he could made his way to the kitchen, he got a glass of water and sat down at the table. His mind was spinning through every part of the dream, images bombarding him and he covered his face with his hands before trying to clear his mind.
Cameron was shifting in bed, tossing and turning, lost in her own dreams. It was odd that something as simple as a chess tournament could determine the fate of the world.
It was not odd that John would have retrieved Charley. It was dangerous. But it was John.
Sleep was simply not an option for Sarah. The one dream had been bad enough, and she wasn't proud of her reaction to it. But it hung over her head - the entire idea of the dreams hung over her head, like a battle that you knew was coming but hadn't started yet.
Which made sense. A war had been exactly what he'd described to her, in her dream. But she was trying to put that behind her. And the best way to do that was to brew herself more coffee and get started on breakfast.
Perhaps this morning, the familiar smell of pancakes was a comfort instead of something to be groaned about.
John was so lost in his own thoughts, haunted by the images he had seen and the things his mother had almost done. Being that important to the future of mankind was kind of worrying and a hell of a lot of pressure - and here John thought just getting through school was bad enough.
He didn’t register Sarah entering the kitchen his hands still covering his face and his mind still focused on putting the dream into some semblance of order.
Cameron lay in bed several minutes while she drifted back to wakefulness. She hoped that John didn't dream. It had been hard enough talking Sarah from moving them again without him dreaming to add to the mix.
It wasn't entirely a selfless worry about John, either. Cameron didn't want him to dream because it might lend weight to her own.
Eventually she slipped out of bed, and walked downstairs. So distracted was she that she'd forgotten to pull anything on, and so walked into the kitchen wearing just a pair of blue panties with yellow daisies on them.
Sarah had barely even noticed that John was sitting at the table, in the state she herself was in when she'd entered the kitchen. Pancake mix was created without much thought put into it, and when she didn't try to get too creative even the Keurig worked right.
It wasn't until she'd had a few sips of coffee that she registered the human world around her. She'd been about to ask John if he was feeling alright, and walked over over to feel his forehead. But then there was Cameron, walking around the kitchen half naked.
With her hand still checking John's forehead, she gave Cameron a long-suffering look, "Girlie, you might want to put those back in the holster."
John started at the feel of a hand on his forehead but relaxed quickly when he opened his eyes and realised it was his mom. He let out a sigh, allowing himself to take comfort from her – which he normally wouldn’t do quite so openly. At her words he glanced at Cameron then wished he hadn’t. “Seriously Cam” he said, his eyes closed again as he leant against Sarah, “Not exactly how I thought I’d be starting the day”
A momentary expression of annoyance crossed Cameron's face, but since Sarah was there she kept her hurt locked away, "I forgot."
She folded her arms over her chest and then walked out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to dress. Tank top, jeans, nothing fancy. It was just breakfast. Pancakes, and it looked like comfort pancakes. She hurried back downstairs, worried for John.
While Cameron was busy getting herself clothed, Sarah wrapped her arms around John's shoulders and squeezed a bit, "You alright? You don't look alright."
She didn't ask, but she suspected he might have had one of the dreams. It was something that she knew would throw him off, and a major reason she'd wanted to leave before he'd had one. But she didn't, because he had the right not to say anything. Maybe it was better if no one talked about it.
Had John’s eyes been open he would have seen the look cross Cameron’s face and felt bad about it. He hadn’t meant it to hurt her, but the dream had shaken him and he hadn’t really thought before he’d spoken.
“I’ll be fine, didn’t sleep very well that’s all” he told her trying for casual, “Maybe I’m coming down with something”
There was no point in worrying her; he didn’t want to risk her insisting they move just because of a dream. Had they not all gotten up so early they’d never have known so he made a mental note to stay in his room next time. If there was a next time, which he had a feeling there would be.
Sarah squinted at him a bit, "You normally sleep alright... Did you have a bad dream?"
She felt his forehead again, just to be sure, and shook her head. He didn't feel warm, he mainly felt kind of clammy. "You're not warm, though. Maybe some food will make you feel better."
There. She'd done her part and asked him the question she'd been so worried about asking him. She pulled away and went to start heating the pans up so she could make them some breakfast, "Maybe you should stay home today."
"We should take him to Planned Parenthood too," Cameron said, as she made her second entrance. She knew very well John wasn't a girl, but she thought the looks on their faces would be worth it.
"He could get a check up. We could put him on the pill. He does have a girlfriend."
“Strange more than bad I guess” he said with a shrug, stretching the truth a little but not lying outright. He tended to avoid subjects rather than lying about them, especially to his mom.
“Pancakes will help I’m sure” he added with a smile, “And staying at home” He wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it meant skipping school. Maybe he could text Glimmer and see if she felt like skipping for the day with him.
John turned to glare at Cameron as she suggested Planned Parenthood, though he was kind of grateful she was turning the conversation away from dreams. He’d probably end up confiding in Cam but he really didn’t want to put any thoughts in Sarah’s head that would give her ammunition to start thinking about moving away.
“She’s not my girlfriend” John protested though admittedly it was kind of half-heartedly, “And even if she was she’s the one who would need to worry about the pill.”
Cam blinked, wondering if John were sexually active and unsure as to how that made her feel. Or why she didn't trust blondes
Or why she thought in terms of 'sexually active' instead of something less robotic sounding. She walked over to help get breakfast made, to get her mind off all that.
Little did John know, Sarah already had enough ammunition. And if she found out he'd confided in someone that wasn't her, it would probably hurt. But she didn't, at least for the moment, and that was probably for the best.
She swatted Cameron with her spatula when she came over to help with breakfast, and shook her head in general at the conversation, "So this girl you've been seeing is getting kind of serious? I heard you brought her home the other night. And while I ... really don't know why it is you say these things sometimes, Cameron, I think that getting a physical at least isn't a bad idea. I'd like to know you're all healthy."
John was a sixteen going-on-seventeen year old boy with all the hormones and urges that came with that, so of course he wasn’t completely inexperienced but it was definitely not something he was wanting to share with his mother or sister.
“She’s just a friend mom” John told her, and it was true, at least for now anyway. “I brought home a friend from school that’s all”
John groaned before shooting a ‘what the hell’ look at Cameron, why of all the things she could have said was that what Sarah had to pick up on. “There is no way we’re making that a family outing” John replied firmly.
Chased away from the pancakes, Cameron walked to the fridge to get some orange juice. She brought the carton over and sat down across from John. She gave him a sheepish, and slightly teasing smile, "I like the looks on your faces."
Okay, so she was a little weird, but she had a difficult time expressing herself in words a lot of the time.
"It doesn't have to be a family outing. But you do need one, and we have insurance now." Sarah's tone was firm, and it was clear that this was one of those things she wasn't going to budge on. She flipped a few pancakes onto a plate for them, and brought them over to the table.
"Especially if you're coming down with something."
John was rarely ill, but when he got sick it tended to be one of those kinds of sick that was horrendously terrifying for a few days. Sarah figured it was just best to plan ahead and be on the safe side. It was among the reasons she was going to let him stay home today, "I want to meet this friend of yours, sometime."
John snagged the orange juice when Cameron sat down and poured them both a glass giving her a roll of his eyes along with a grin. She was a little weird but he liked that, it definitely made things more interesting. And neither he nor Sarah could really claim to be ‘normal’ so they all fit together well.
“Okay fine, we’ll get checked out” John told her, feeling kind of bad for making her think he was getting ill but it was better than the alternative, he reminded himself. “Sometime, sure” he agreed, not tying himself down to a when.
He looked back at Cameron, “Do you have classes today?” he asked her, hoping she wouldn’t, if she was home with him he wouldn’t need to call Glimmer which meant they could hang out together and have a lazy day. They hadn’t done that for a while.
Cameron drank her juice in silence, watching John's face as he spoke. She thought he might be up to something, but what it was she couldn't tell. But he seemed happier than he had in awhile and that alone made the idea of them staying worth it in her book. The terminator girl glanced over at Sarah to try to read her reaction and her face, while responding to John, "No classes today. Early tomorrow though."
The look on Sarah's face was one of growing suspicion, the kind a mother has when she gets this gut feeling her kids are up to something. She squinted a bit at Cameron, then checked John's forehead and shrugged a shoulder.
"Eat your pancakes before they get cold," Was all she said. Then she went back to flipping the few she'd had cooking. John probably wasn't coming down with something, and he'd been quick to embrace the subject change, too.
She filed that away to think about, later.
John smiled and nodded at Cameron as she confirmed she would be at home today, he knew she probably had suspicions but nothing concrete. He’d explain himself soon enough.
He didn’t grumble as Sarah checked his forehead again, the dream reactions had worn off by now and he probably felt and looked normal again but he knew she wouldn’t make him go to school now. He speared a couple of pancakes and dumped them on his plate, covering them in maple syrup before taking a bite.
Cameron cut into her pancakes, and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. John would explain even if she had to pin him down and tickle it out of him. Judging by the smirk on her face she was already considering that course of action. But for now, she let the boy off the hook.
"Sarah, how has work been going?"
"We're shorthanded. I'll probably have to work a few more double shifts soon." Sarah flipped another set of pancakes onto a plate and headed for the table, herself. She wasn't very hungry, but she knew she'd need the fuel later.
There was a momentary pause as she stole the maple syrup from John and drenched her own pancakes in it, then she set it down and shrugged a shoulder, "The holidays are coming up and the place is going to be busy again. I think they need at least another 3 waitresses and some extra bartenders. We'll see. At least it means more money for us."
She grinned at both of them like she really wasn't too bothered by the situation, then dug into her pancakes.
John was unnerved by the smirk on Cameron’s face, though he tried not to show it. It was always hard to guess what she was plotting; nine times out of ten he was wrong and the odd time he guessed correctly he almost wished he hadn’t.
“Not too many though right?” John said, slightly concerned. He didn’t want her working too much and making herself tired. Double shifts were hard work and she hardly ever turned them down, even if she had only done one the day before. He got that they needed the money but they needed her more.
"Working too much can be inefficient. Your productivity goes down," Cameron intoned, her tone flatter than usual. She shook her head and took another bite of pancakes to fight that detachment off. She needed to do something to feel again. Perhaps a netpost booty call...They still called them booty calls right?
If Cameron did that, Sarah would probably die.
After a few bites of pancake, Sarah shrugged her head to one side and raised her eyebrows, "I can't really tell them no. I'm the head waitress, and I'm new."
She wrinkled her brow a bit, like she was trying to decide if that statement was as accurate as she thought, then shook her head, "I really can't. But that's nothing for you two to worry about. I'll be around, we'll work it out."
If Cameron did that, John would have issues.
“Being head waitress should mean you get to tell other people to do the doubles” John pointed out but smiled at his mom, “Well we reserve the right to call in sick for you if we think you’re overdoing it, right?” he said looking at Cameron to back him up.
Cameron nodded her head, "Totally. Don't think we won't. We can't have you collapsing at work." She put down her fork and winked at John, before turning back to Sarah, "It sounds like they need to hire more people. Perhaps see if they're willing to advertise?"
"No one is calling out for me. When have I ever been sick, or collapsed at work?"
Generally speaking, Sarah's body obeyed her. She kept in shape and it allowed her the ability to do things like skip a few nights of sleep and still endure a 16 hour work shift. The last time she'd even had a cold had passed beyond memory.
Sarah eyed the two of them. When they ganged up against her like this, they were impossible. There were days where she swore they shared a brain. This was probably a battle she wasn't going to win, so she rolled her eyes and made a motion with her fork, "I'll see what I can do. Maybe if I offer to do the initial interview for them."
“First time for everything” John insisted, even if she’d never suffered any consequences before didn’t mean it wouldn’t ever happen and he didn’t particularly like the thought of his mom working all hours of the day.
John nodded, “Good idea mom” he told her cheekily before finishing his pancakes.
"That would give you more time with us," Cameron said, almost eagerly. She could have used that before as a bribe, but she didn't want it to be. It was sincere and she wanted it to be sincere.
Sarah spent so much time working that they never got to do as much together as a trio as they used to.
"Did I just hear a teenager complain that their parent isn't spending enough time with them?" Sarah's expression was one of mock surprise and disbelief, but it soon melted off into a genuine grin.
"Why don't we all go out to dinner together? I have this Monday off." And it would mean they didn't have to worry about her cooking, or eating pancakes again. That was always something to look forward to, "Maybe we can do something afterwards. A movie or go to an arcade or... whatever it is you two find fun these days."
Sarah not cooking AND a night out? Cameron burst into a grin, "Arcade? What decade are we in again?" She liked the idea of a movie. It would get her mind off her dreams, "I'd like a movie."
Just nothing with robots.
John smiled at Sarah’s teasing, they were used to spending more time with her and, unlike normal teenagers, they never really minded. Moving so often they did tend to reply on each other a lot and enjoy each others company.
“Sounds good to me” John agreed, “As long as it’s not a chick flick” he added teasingly. Or a robot movie, echoing Cameron’s thoughts.
"Dinner and a movie it is."
Sarah smiled at them both, and split what remained of her pancakes evenly between the two of them, before getting up out of her chair and making a note on the calendar on the wall. It was going to be a really long weekend, but at least now they all had something to look forward to.