Vote NOW For SCS November Fan Fiction Challenge!

[cyadon]

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to a listing error in one of the short stories, the poll had to be re-made. If you have already voted once, you need to revote. The staff sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience. The poll has been extended one (1) extra day.

It is time to vote for the winner of our November/Fall fan fiction challenge here at the Sarah Connor Society. Please read the stories below and pick your favorite at the top.

After one week's voting the poll will lock and the winner will be announced. Good luck to all our entrants and we hope you enjoy the three wonderful stories as much as we did.

Thank you for all your time and creative effort to all our entrants.

[cyadon]

Insanity: The John Connor Chronicles


“Hello John, its Dr. Silberman”. John quickly gathered his thoughts as he awoke on the couch, his hand automatically bringing the phone up to his ear at the first beep. "Hello", he muttered again, casting a side-glance at Sarah, sitting at the kitchen table. John noticed his mother's eyes flutter suspiciously in his direction. "Yeah", John said, then, covering up the phone, turned to Sarah. "Its Riley, mom. I got the code." John muttered casually as he strolled out the front door.

Outside there was a firm breeze, bringing waves of warmer air under the shade of the porch. John sighed heavily as he took a few quick strides down the path towards the street, then veered off and cut across the lawn to the sidewalk, glancing back up at the roof of the house, as if spotting a bird, then bringing his eye back down quickly towards the front door. It was still closed.

“Ok”, John said into the phone. “Well John, how have you been?” replied Dr. Silberman.

“Fine”, John said, “I mean, nothing has changed. Well, actually, things have gotten worse. Much worse. How about you, doc? How’s the nose?”

Dr. Silberman chuckled over the phone. “Oh don’t worry about it. The knee was much worse. I still limp on cold days!”

“I know”.

“Look, John. Do we need to talk?”

“I don’t know what to do anymore, if that’s what you’re asking.” John replied.

“Well, it’s a tough situation you’re in, John. You have a lot riding on your shoulders. I don’t think anyone could deal with it as well as you have.”

“Thanks doc. Frankly, it helps a lot just talking to someone else who knows the situation. Not many do. I feel like I have to keep secrets my whole life.”

“I know. John, no matter what you may feel at times, you really are a hero.”

Sarah followed John through the window with her eyes as long as she could. She turned as she heard footsteps in the kitchen. Cameron stood at the door, gripping a laundry basket. “Look at it”, Sarah thought to herself, “holding that basket like its nothing, and looking at me with those sad eyes. As if she can feel. As if the little tin man actually had emotions.” Aloud, Sarah said, “Cam, John is outside. Shouldn’t you be following him?” “I’m sure he is fine”, Cameron said, almost with a sigh. “A sigh?” thought Sarah, “Oh please. That’s all I need today, a sighing mechanical Laundromat.”

“Well, its like this doc”, John said as he continued to make his way down the sidewalk. “A little while ago, we celebrated my…16th birthday.”

“What? What do you mean, your 16th birthday?”

“Doc, honestly, I just don’t know. I’m 16 now. At least I know how to drive, that’s something ”

“John! Your not making sense.”

“What is making sense? Oh I don’t know. Apparently, we used a time machine, or something. I’m a little vague on the details, frankly.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Yeah. Well, I think I know when it started to go downhill again. Did I tell you Cameron came back?”

“No…is she doing ok?” Silberman replied.

“Well doc, yes and no. Mostly no. Doc, mom thinks Cam is ONE OF THEM. It’s a nightmare.”

“Oh no, John. Oh god, I’m so sorry. Oh no…did she make you run away?”

“I wish she had. Honestly, I wish we were running from Cam. It would be better…”, John said, his voice cracking.

“Take it easy, John. Calm down. Tell me, slowly.”

“Ok. Doc…she thinks Cam is here to…protect us. It’s the same as Uncle Bob. It’s Just the same. She demanded Cameron stay, in the house, and follow me around. She doesn’t respond to her at all, keeps referring to her as ‘that machine’ or ‘tin man’ “

“John, I’m so sorry. ‘Tin man’…. Cam must feel awful. “

“Cam keeps it bottled up inside. You know Cam. But it has to hurt. I know she is hurting inside. Cam may seem tough on the outside, but I know my twin sister, she is aching on the inside, even if she never shows it. I saw her cry; first time I’ve seen it since we were kids. She denied it totally, of course, like she had something stuck in her eye.”

“Don’t you dare hug me”, Sarah hissed, as Cameron made her way around the kitchen table. “Every time he leaves, you want to put your arms around me, like your part of the family. Like you really are his sister. Like you’re my daughter! I only had one child, just one! A son! And don’t you forget it! Don’t you ever forget it, tin man!” Cameron’s arms dropped mechanically to her sides. “Yes, Ms. Connor”, she said, with a wavering voice. She picked the basket back up and headed for the door. “I don’t trust that robot”, Sarah thought to herself. “It’s got to go.”

“John, listen. I don’t think it’s healthy for you to continue like this. And I know it’s not healthy for Cameron, not under those conditions. John, you have to bring Sarah in.”

“Doc…”

“I know, I know. But you need to do it, John, for all our sakes. Someone can get hurt.”

“Doc…oh I don’t know, doc, I haven’t even told you…”

“Take it easy John. What is it?”

“Doc…. I swear…you know I empty the guns every night. I’ve been doing it for years.”

“Yes?”

“Doc, one night, I don’t know if I forgot or not, but she claimed we had been robbed.”

“Robbed? You mean, the guns?”

“Yes doc. I didn’t know whether to believe it at first. The guns were gone, all gone. And…and then…”, John stammered, as he came to a stop on the sidewalk.

Sarah turned back towards the window. “I will protect you”, she said to herself. She reached under the counter and pulled out a gun, holding it steady in her practiced hand. “I will protect you and never let you go. And I will never, ever let them take me away from you again.” Her lips tightened into a thin line of determination.“ It’s what I do. It’s all I do.” Her grip tightened on the gun.

“John, keep calm. What happened?”

“Doc, I found one of the guns a day later. It had been fired. 4 bullets were gone from the chamber. Then, later that day, I heard on the news…”

“What, John?”

“A…triple homicide…at the bowling alley, about a mile from our house…”

“John, you have to bring her in. Do it today. Have your sister help.”

[cyadon]

Breakfast at Denny's
Chapter 1

December 20, 2008 began the same as most Saturday mornings. Sarah, John, and
Cameron were at Denny's. They ordered their usual breakfast, Grand Slam, orange juice,
and coffee for three people. Denny's service was typically slow. It was still early
morning, and the restaurant was almost empty. Sarah and John passed the time quietly
arguing about his plan to spend the afternoon relaxing with Riley. Cameron ignored their
argument and concentrated on reading her newspaper.

A waitress came to refill the coffee, and a waiter followed her with a large serving
tray filled with plates of pancakes, sausages, bacon, and small pots of syrup. "More
coffee ma'am?" asked the waitress. Sarah started to reply, and the waitress calmly flung
the pot's scalding contents at Sarah's face. The waiter tipped the breakfast plates into
John's lap and then viciously used the large metal tray to backhand Cameron halfway
across the room. The Terminator waiter crossed the room, picked up Cameron, and flung
her head first into a brick wall. The hot coffee blinded Sarah, and she was screaming in
pain. The waitress picked up a chair and tried to break it over John's head. John
awkwardly avoided the attack by falling out of his chair and rolling. John's ribs absorbed
the chair's glancing blow, and the chair shattered on the floor beside him. The waitress
tossed the broken chair aside and leapt on top of John. Her knee crashed into his groin,
and she used a broken chair leg to savagely beat him. Cameron saw that John was in
trouble. She turned to go to his aid. The Terminator waiter grabbed Cameron, wrestled
her back to the ground, and began twisting her left leg out of the hip socket. Cameron
kicked the Terminator waiter in the face with her free right foot. Blinded and enraged,
Sarah lunged towards the sound of the fight near her feet. She landed on the waitress'
back, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and slammed her face into the floor. Sarah rolled the
stunned waitress onto her back, furiously punched her breasts several times, and pinned
the struggling woman to the floor. Sarah shouted at John, "I can't hold this bitch for very
long. Run John! Get out of here now! Save yourself!"

John still dazed and hurt, crawled away from the carnage and finally stumbled to
his feet. Pain from his battered shoulders, ribs, and groin assaulted John. He felt
nauseous and dizzy. John found it impossible to take a deep breath or even stand up
straight. He calmed himself and summoned enough strength to stagger outside to the
parking lot. John saw a semi truck with several large shipping containers chained to a
flatbed trailer. The driver had already started the semi truck's engine, and he had begun
to slowly pull out of the parking lot. John's adrenaline surged, and he hurried across the
parking lot. He stepped up on the moving flatbed trailer's bumper, and struggled to pull
himself up and onto the flatbed trailer. The semi truck suddenly applied the brakes, and
John fell hard onto the steel trailer bed. John slid head first into a wooden shipping
container. He felt a sharp stabbing pain and then blacked out.

Sarah was exhausted and quickly going into shock. The waitress was a vicious
fighter. She had headbutted Sarah twice and almost knocked her unconscious. Cameron
landed several strong blows against the much larger Terminator waiter. Cameron tried a
wild haymaker punch, and the Terminator waiter slipped under her arm and picked her up
in a fireman's carry. He threw Cameron out the restaurant's plate glass window and she
landed several yards away on top of a car. The restaurant was suddenly quiet except for
the wailing of the approaching sirens. The Terminator waiter turned and walked towards
Sarah and the waitress. He said, "You let the boy escape." The waitress retorted, "You
promised me ten thousand dollars to help you. I did everything you asked." The
Terminator waiter pulled her up from the floor, snapped her neck, and dropped the body
into Sarah's lap. He crushed Sarah and Cameron's cell phones, took their wallets, turned
and left the restaurant. Cameron climbed back in the window and said, "John has already
gone. Should I go after the Terminator?" Sarah got to her feet and said, "No, he's not
important right now. We have to find John." Sarah took two wobbly steps and collapsed
into Cameron's arms.

John woke up cold and stiff. His head throbbed, and he found it difficult to
concentrate. It was mid-morning, and John carefully looked around to orient himself. He
was still on the flatbed trailer. The semi truck had parked at a truck stop. John saw a
two-story Econo Lodge next door and there were sparse woods extending out to several
hills. John slowly climbed down and began limping towards the truck stop restaurant.
His body was battered and he felt a dull ache from his neck to waist. John went to the
restroom and relieved himself. His testes were swollen and very tender. John was
thankful there wasn't any blood in his urine. His ribs were bruised and sore but they
didn't seem to be broken. John wanted to get a room at the motel and rest, but his wallet
and cell phone were missing. John decided to cut through the woods and find somewhere
to stay. He needed to think carefully before trying to reach Sarah. John knew Sarah
might be held captive by the Terminator or possibly even dead.

Sarah sat up abruptly. She was shivering, felt clammy, and was in intense pain.
Cameron entered the room and said, "I picked up a few things for your burns and
blankets to warm you. Your pulse is rapid, breathing shallow, all the signs of shock.
Your face is red and swollen. Can you see anything?" "Very little," Sarah replied. "I
need to check your other burns." Cameron said. Cameron used scissors to cut off Sarah's
shirt and bra. Cameron observed various burned splotches on Sarah's throat, shoulders,
and chest. Sarah's bra had protected her breasts from the hot coffee, except where it had
pooled along the top edge of the bra. Cameron gently covered Sarah's burned skin with
Vaseline and commented; "You're very lucky the waitress wasn't standing any closer to
you. The burns on your face and chest are only first-degree burns. There's almost no
blistering except for a thin line along the top of your breasts. The swelling around your
eyes should go down in a couple days." She gave Sarah OxyContin® for the pain.
Cameron helped Sarah put on a loose cotton pajama top and then she removed Sarah's
boots and jeans. She covered Sarah in blankets and said, "I'll be outside patrolling."
Sarah spent the next thirty hours sleeping fitfully. Cameron watched over her and
administrated pills to keep her comfortable.

John spent several hours in the woods napping. He awoke much later that
afternoon. John's body was slowly beginning to recover. His headache was nearly gone,
and he could walk without visibly limping. He went into town and searched for
somewhere that was safe to stay. Gorman California was very small and there were only
about fifteen houses. The town had three small stores and a volunteer fire department.
One older house high on a hill looked abandoned. The grass was almost a foot high, the
wooden fence had rotted and there were no cars parked on the gravel drive. John
watched the house carefully and waited for darkness. He noted that no one had turned on
any lights. John quietly approached the dark house. The unlocked back door creaked
loudly as he swung it open. He gingerly stepped inside the kitchen. Suddenly, a
flashlight blinded John, and he heard the familiar racking sound that could only come
from a pump action shotgun. "Who the frak are you?" a frightened female voice asked.

Chapter 2

"Please don't shoot. I thought the house was empty." pleaded John. "What do
you want?" asked the girl. "I just need a safe place to stay. I'm John, John Baum.
What's your name?" replied John. The girl lowered the shotgun, but she didn't put it
down. She told him her name was Amy. They talked briefly and she suggested they sit
at the kitchen table. Amy lit a Coleman® lantern that was on the table. John could see
her clearly for the first time. Amy had shoulder length red hair, freckled face, large
breasts and she was obviously at least six months pregnant. They talked for a while and
John learned that Amy was twenty and unmarried. Her live-in boyfriend had taken off
several weeks ago. She had inherited the house from her parents. The electricity was off
because the bill hadn't been paid in three months. John shivered and said, "This house is
too cold. You could easily get sick." Amy explained that the propane tank had run dry a
few days earlier. The dealer refused to deliver more propane unless she paid for it "on
delivery". "So, what's your story?" asked Amy. John explained that he had lived on the
streets and some guys beat and robbed him. John decided it was best not to say anything
about Sarah. Amy said, "Well, you seem harmless enough. You can stay here with
Annie and me for a few days." "Who is Annie?" asked John. "She's my three year old
daughter. Annie is taking a nap in the living room." replied Amy. Amy put the shotgun
in the corner and said, "Your clothes are a mess. My ex-boyfriend left some things in the
closet that may fit you".

That night John, Amy and Annie spent the night in one bed to stay warm. Amy
slept in the middle with John and Annie on each side of her. It was warm and cozy under
the blankets, and John slept soundly. Sunday morning they lay in bed talking quietly.
Amy suggested that he could find temporary work at the feed store. They paid nine
dollars an hour to load trucks with bags of feed and bales of hay. John knew that he
needed money to pay for a personals ad in the LA Times. Sarah had devised an
emergency code to use if dangerous circumstances separated them. They had kept it
secret from Cameron and Derek. John spent Sunday with Amy and Annie. Amy asked
him to get the tree and Christmas decorations out of the attic. She put up the tree and
decorated it with family ornaments, which she fondly remembered from her childhood.
John strung the Christmas lights outside and put up a large lighted star on the roof. He
borrowed a neighbor's lawn mower and mowed Annie's yard. Her parents had a
generator that hadn't been used in years. John spent the afternoon disassembling the
carburetor and thoroughly cleaning it. John finally got the generator started and the
house had electricity for a few hours that night. The house still had no heat, but the
Christmas lights made it bright and festive. John spent another warm, restful night with
Amy and Annie.

Sarah felt much better Sunday night. Her vision had returned and most of the
redness on her face had turned pink. The tops of her breasts were still sore and several of
the blisters had popped. Sarah was relieved that the injuries hadn't been any worse.
Sarah was very worried about John. He was alone and vulnerable. Sarah knew that she'd
made many mistakes raising John. She had always been very tough and demanding with
him. Sarah hoped that tough love would give him the resilience to survive. However,
she understood that John craved and needed her affection. He was drifting away from
her. Yet, Sarah found it extremely difficult to express her feelings. Sarah wasn't sure if
she could change before John completely slipped away. She knew time was running out
and Sarah promised herself that she'd make the effort. Sarah slept briefly and awoke
after Cameron returned with the LA Times. Sarah had told her that John would
communicate through an advert in the paper, but she was careful not to let her know the
code. Cameron asked, "How long do we wait?" "For as long as it takes," Sarah replied.

John woke early Monday morning. Amy was still asleep. John felt safe and
content in this house. It would be so easy to stay in this small town. Amy was a
wonderful girl, cheerful and non-demanding. Yet, John knew that no place was ever
completely safe. His enemies would always hunt him down. John thought of Sarah and
prayed that she was free and unhurt. She had to be. Sarah was the one constant force in
John's life. She was demanding and unyielding, and her expectations for John were
unrealistically high. They often argued over the most trivial things. Nevertheless, John
loved his mother, and he had to find out if she was alright.

John worked at the feed store Monday and earned enough money to buy a few
small presents at the Dollar Store, and to place the advert in the LA Times, "Ms Metal
Basher – 93243 house on a high hill - bright star shines ever so brightly." Tuesday, John
found more work and he bought groceries for Thursday's Christmas Dinner. Tuesday
night John and Amy talked about the future. She wanted him to stay. John was very
tempted. He had grown very fond of her and Annie. He couldn't decide until he had
seen Sarah. Tuesday night he made love to Amy for the first time.

Chapter 3

Sarah saw the personals advert Wednesday afternoon. She looked up the zip code
and said, "Cameron, John is in Gorman California. How far is that from LA?" Cameron
replied, "seventy miles if we take I-5," Sarah called Derek and he went with them to find
John.

Christmas Eve Amy and John watched Annie open her presents. She was excited
and happy with the small items from the Dollar Store. The troll doll and hair brush were
big hits that year with Annie. Amy sang her favorite Christmas carol.

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

Amy and John spent the rest of the evening teaching Annie to sing Frosty the Snowman
and Jingle Bells. It was a wonderful evening that John remembered fondly the rest of his
life.

The three travelers arrived in Gorman California at 10pm on Christmas Eve.
Cameron pointed out the star to the East, and Sarah quietly said, "The star rests over the
place where John is staying," They drove to the house and Sarah knocked on the door.
John opened the door and hugged his mother. He introduced Sarah and the others to
Amy and Annie. It was late and everyone went to bed. Sarah got up during the night and
hid a Christmas card (with $1500 inside) under the Christmas tree.

The next morning Amy fixed Christmas dinner with Chicken and dressing, yams
and green beans. Afterwards, Sarah asked John if he was ready to return home. John
looked thoughtfully at Amy and Annie. They represented everything he had dreamed of
having. His thoughts turned to the horrific nuclear holocaust of judgment day. John
never took his eyes away from Amy and Annie. He simply said, "Mom we have
important work to do. Let's go home."

[cyadon]

Title: The Art of Self-Deception

Characters: Sarah and John.
Challenge Theme: Love. (Honestly, it started out as Sorrow but Love fits better.)
Word count: 1,105
Rating: PG



* * * * *

She saw him die tonight.

It wasn’t the first time, just another one of her nightmares. She’s lost count of how many times it’s happened. Her nightmares are never exactly the same. Sometimes he’s younger than he should be; a small child, or even just an infant. Sometimes she holds him in her arms. Other times he’s just out of reach. But some things never change. It’s always the machines. He always dies. She always lives.

And she always ends up here. Sitting next to his bed… watching him.

He looks younger when he’s sleeping. Sometimes she forgets he’s just a child. But right now, sitting here, it’s easy to remember he’s a sixteen year old boy. That he should be worrying about grades, learning to drive, and thinking about girls. That she should be nagging him about grades, teaching him to drive, and worrying about girls.

It’s rare for her to catch John like this; to find him sleeping peacefully. He’s no stranger to nightmares himself. It’s rarer still that she allows herself to be so maudlin.

She’s long past the point of self-pity. And she refuses to dwell on things that can’t be changed. But on nights like these, when her nightmares drive her here, she can’t help herself. She prefers to think of this as facing her demons…except nothing ever changes, so maybe it’s just masochism.

John’s starting to look like him. She’s ashamed to admit it, but this is the first time she’s noticed.

John gets his eyes from her, without a doubt. But they remind her of Kyle. It’s not just the intensity …there’s an honesty in his gaze, like he’s looking at you and not through you. That’s what truly sets Derek and Kyle apart, the eyes.

Then there’s his hair. Not just the color but now the length is exactly like Kyle’s. Before she can stop herself she’s reaching out to touch it. John’s a light sleeper by nature, reinforced by nurture. But stroking his hair is something she’s done since he was a child. It’s familiar and she can usually get away with it.

There are times, though few, when she lets herself imagine what it would have been like if Kyle had lived. What kind of father would he have been? How would he have measured up?

She doesn’t have many memories of Kyle. There time together was so short. There is so much about him that she never knew. She does remember how out of place he was here, in this world. How things like money were foreign to him. But he’d been back for less than one day. He would have adapted.

She knows it wouldn’t have been easy. But Kyle would have been able to give John so much. In their own crazy way, they would have been a family.

Except she’s not the woman Kyle fell in love with so many years ago.

She’s not even the same woman that fell in love with him anymore.

The realization hurts her; more than she would have thought possible. Even now, when it feels like the man she loved died a lifetime ago… it feels like a betrayal. Try as she might, it can’t be denied.

She’s not the damsel in distress anymore.

She’s a soldier now. And there’s no going back. She’s sacrificed too much.

For him.

It’s not enough. Her entire life, and it’s not enough to make up for the childhood he never had. Or a father he never knew.

Or the burden he’s carried all his life.

Everyday it takes a little more out of him. Derek doesn’t see it. The machine can’t understand it. But this is her son. And even though he won’t admit it, it’s impossible to ignore.

It’s killing him, bit by bit.

She just pretends not to know.

She lied to him on his birthday. Looking back, the conversation doesn’t seem real, not in the shadow of everything else that happened.

She knows why she did it. It wasn’t the way he refused to stop working. It wasn’t even what he said to her. It was the look on his face when he said it, something between acceptance and defeat. It twisted something inside her. So she looked him in the eye and told him that stopping Skynet was their mission, not their life.

He saw it for the lie that it was.

He just pretended he didn’t.

This is their life. It is, literally, what he was born for. They run, they hide, and they fight. Hoping someday they’ll win this war. That’s all they know how to do.

They never talk about what will happen after they win, if they win. It’s not just a matter of where they’ll go or what they’ll do. Neither of them knows what will happen without Skynet, or time travel, or Kyle.

But they both know what might happen, even if they can’t bring themselves to say it aloud.

He might not exist, might never be born.

She might not even remember him.

Despite all she’s endured, that thought is what breaks her.

Suddenly, her eyes are burning. And something in her chest feels tight. The slightest of sobs wracks her body. She does all she can to contain it. But it’s too late. John’s already waking up.

He shifts, sees her, and finally props himself up on one arm to face her. Then he’s studying her, silently. The moisture in her eyes, not actual tears of course. The chair set within arms reach. The exhaustion written all over her face.

He knows.

He stifles a yawn, “It’s still creepy mom.”

But he acts like nothing’s wrong. They act like nothing’s wrong, that there is nothing outside of Sarah Connor’s control. Because one of them finds comfort in the illusion and the other can’t carry on without it.

“I know.” And if her voice is broken, it does not break. “Go back to sleep.”

He looks like he’s going to argue with her but changes his mind. Instead, he lies down and closes his eyes. He might not say anything. But his simple compliance speaks volumes. His breathing has barely started to even out before she reaches out to stroke his hair again.

Only to have him grab her hand.

Of course he does. He’s sixteen years old now and everything they’ve been through has aged him beyond his years. He’s too old to let his mother fuss over him. So he takes her hand and pulls it away from his head.

He just doesn’t let go.

Neither does she.

They only pretend not to notice.