DISCLAIMER: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and its characters are the propert of James Cameron and Fox. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is fluff, pure and simple. Special thanks to atfm for the speedy beta. Written for the 48-Hour Challenge – Summer is Coming.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Gone Fishing
By Ann
The morning sun shone brightly on the water of a small pond, warming a gentle breeze as it slowly pushed its way across the surface of the water and offered a brief respite to the individuals standing on the far shoreline. The rising heat was the first sign of the arrival of summer and caused Sarah to wipe her brow. She hated to think how hot it would actually get before the season was over. Glancing to her right, she smiled at the look of contentment on her son's face. It was an image she filed away to remember when the time came for them to once again uproot and leave, but for now, she planned to enjoy this rare moment of relaxation.
John had overheard some classmates talking about their favorite fishing hole and the perfect spot to picnic that was just down the road from the pond. They'd spoken in equal enthusiasm of how the fish were usually biting there and how the picnic area offered privacy for them to consume their beer after their successful day of fishing. John had made up his mind then and there that he'd bring his mom, Derek, and Cameron to the pond the first weekend of summer vacation. Sarah hadn't been too keen on the idea, but she couldn't deny her son his request that they participate in a normal activity for a change.
Moving her attention past John, Sarah watched as Cameron stared intently at her cane fishing pole. The terminator stood perfectly erect, her curious nature wondering why John had been so excited about coming to a place where they all had to be perfectly quiet and focus solely on their fishing poles and the little red and white bobs that floated on the water's surface. Of course, the pole was the only thing Cameron had to focus on. The string and accompanying cork that had been attached had been cut away by a frustrated Derek when Cameron had jerked her pole so hard she'd sent her fish flying into the wooded area a good half-mile away. And this had been after John had attempted to show the terminator how to use a rod and reel. Sarah had thoroughly enjoyed the lesson her son had tried to give.
Cameron had watched closely while John had grabbed a wiggling worm from the Styrofoam box that he and Derek had purchased especially for their fishing venture. She'd turned her head to the side and crinkled up her nose just as she'd seen Sarah do when the older woman had set her worm on her hook, even though she'd been slightly confused as to why Sarah would react in such a way after everything the other woman had seen through the years. Then she'd listened patiently as John had explained how to cast the line into the water, watching intently when he demonstrated exactly how it was done. With a nod of her head, she'd taken the rod and reared back, casting the line a good hundred yards on the other side of the pond. Sarah had suggested that Cameron would have more success with a cane pole, but the flying fish had proved that was a problem, too.
Now the terminator was left to wonder how she could possibly catch a fish with a single pole and no line or hook. Her only conclusion had her concentrating on the water, ready to beat the fish into submission should it swim close to the surface. However, fifteen minutes later, she'd gotten bored and moved her focus to her bare arms, recalling in great detail how Sarah had taken such care to coat the pale skin that covered her endoskeleton with sunblock. The touch had been so gentle, and she'd been surprised to actually feel a cool sensation when the cream was applied. Turning her head, Cameron studied the woman who'd slathered her with the lotion.
For the first time since the terminator had become a part of the Connors' lives, Sarah looked relaxed. She sat against a tree with one leg straight out in front of her and the other bent at the knee, her shorts hiked up and revealing toned, muscular calves and quadriceps. Cameron used the cover of her dark glasses to move her gaze upward to land on equally toned arms. The white tank top Sarah had chosen exposed quite a bit of skin, and Cameron found herself grateful to whoever had invented the article of clothing. Just as she'd trained her eyes on the area below the scooped neck of Sarah's shirt, a sudden motion caught her attention. Instinctively, she swung her pole hard, making direct contact with the fish that had made the mistake of jumping near her pole. The resulting impact sent the fish flying directly into Derek's chest, which in turn caused him to lose his balance and fall into the water. Sarah and John laughed out loud while Cameron watched the fish flop around on the shore, its mouth opening and closing widely as it struggled for its life.
A furious Derek sputtered to the surface and climbed from the water as Cameron finally turned an ear to Sarah's laughter. She'd never heard the older woman laugh so freely and immediately decided it was a sound she wanted to hear again and again. With her focus solely on Sarah, she hadn't noticed Derek start toward her until Sarah stepped into his path.
"It was an accident, Derek."
"Bullshit." He pointed his finger at Cameron. "She . . . that thing did it on purpose!"
Sarah looked over her shoulder at Cameron and then turned back to face Derek. "So, you think Cameron was able to coax the fish into jumping close enough to her pole so that she could swat it in your direction?"
"Well," started Derek, the accusation sounding far fetched when spoken aloud. "Who knows what kind of signal she can emit."
"Fish signals?" Sarah chuckled and motioned John over. "I think the sun has gotten to you. Why don't you and John pack up the Jeep and head to the picnic area while Cameron uses her supersonic signal to call all the fish to the shore." She leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially, "I'll use the net to scoop out the biggest ones."
Narrowing his eyes, Derek stared at the clearly amused woman. Finally, he gave up and started for the Jeep. "C'mon, John; let's grab the gear and go set up lunch."
Chuckling under his breath, John picked up the rods and reels and followed his uncle. He didn't bother asking for Cameron's cane pole as he brushed by the terminator with a huge smile on his face. This was the best day he'd had in a very long time.
Sarah waited until the two had packed up the Jeep and driven away before she addressed Cameron. "Please tell me we haven't sat out here all morning, hoping for a bite, when you could have just summoned the fish to the shore." She grinned and stepped closer to the younger woman.
A ghost of a smile played on the terminator's lips. She was finally getting the hang of the art of teasing. "It was more entertaining watching you get all excited when you thought you had a bite."
Sarah placed a hand on Cameron's hip, the warmth she encountered never ceasing to amaze her. "I haven't had a bite all day."
"Perhaps you weren't using the right bait."
Closing the final distance, Sarah once again pushed aside good reasoning and pressed her lips against Cameron's. She cleared her mind and went with the flow, deepening the kiss. At that particular moment in time, there wasn't any Judgment Day, or Skynet, or terminators. There was only the two of them – Sarah and Cameron - enjoying a warm, sunny summer afternoon.
Slowly pulling out of the kiss, Sarah smiled and eased her hand into Cameron's. "One of these days, you and I need to come back here, just the two of us." She started walking toward the trail that led to the picnic area, pulling Cameron along behind.
"I think you'll find skinny-dipping much more enjoyable than fishing."
Cameron just nodded her head and followed quietly, her mind not able to wrap around the concept of dipping a skinny person into water. She'd just have to trust Sarah, as always, to show her the proper technique when the time came.
The End