DISCLAIMER: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and its characters are the propert of James Cameron and Fox. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to slipjay for the beta. Comments/constructive criticism welcome.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Right Hand Man
By postxf
Sarah stood watching the flames consume all the possibilities. She saw Andy rush forward, collapse, and she could almost see the despair floating out from him, blending in with the smoke. While he mourned the potential, she was relieved at the destruction. She turned, suddenly feeling slightly ill, and headed quietly down the dark street toward home.
As she approached the front step, she saw Cameron walk slowly past the front window. The girl stopped and turned, staring.
"You're back," Cameron stated. "Did you do it?"
"I took care of it," Sarah said dismissively. She was irritated that she was answering to this thing, this result. Cameron was too precise in these matters to accept vague assurances, the subtlety of Sarah's tone lost on her. Sarah took off her coat and tossed it on the back of a dining room chair as she headed toward the kitchen for coffee. Cameron followed softly behind her.
"You didn't kill him," Cameron said. She sounded quite disappointed.
Sarah had her back to Cameron. She suddenly slammed her coffee cup to the counter and turned to face her.
"Look, I said I took care of it - I destroyed it. Taking human life may seem convenient to you, but 99% of the time it's not the right solution," Sarah said. Cameron's eyes were wide with interest.
"According to my calculations, that percentage is not-"
"Cameron, shut up."
Cameron glanced down for a moment, processing her options. "Did you care for him? Because of your... date?" The word, small as it was, sounded hard for her.
Sarah sighed, lacking the energy to help Cameron with her human emotions 101 homework. She picked up her coffee again and took a sip, intending to ignore the question entirely.
Cameron felt the tension in heat, breathing, and moisture. Something was happening, but its definition was beyond her grasp. She continued.
"I would not be able to harm the people that I care for. I'm designed to feel. Sometimes, though, I'm not sure I'm functioning within normal parameters. I seem to constantly fail at choosing the correct reaction."
Sarah set down her cup, quietly this time, mindful of her son crashed in a mess of covers in the next room. She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her neck in slow circles, stretching her tired muscles. She said nothing.
Cameron straightened, walked slowly toward Sarah, holding her eyes. Cameron tilted her head slightly to the side, an unformed question hiding just behind her lips. Sarah stood her ground as Cameron slinked closer until they stood hip to hip, Cameron's hands on either side of Sarah's hips on the counter. Now it was Sarah who felt the strange curiosity curling within her, spilling over into the unusual energy in the dark kitchen.
Sarah shifted, uncomfortable. "This might be one of those moments when you're choosing the wrong reaction," she said, not sure if she was talking to Cameron or herself. Her breathing was shallow and quick, and she felt trapped.
"Human biology is very exact," Cameron said. "The signs are very clear."
"I'm not all biology," Sarah said.
"Neither am I," Cameron replied, and her mouth quirked into a half smile just before she leaned forward, pushed herself up against Sarah's chest and kissed her, her lips cool against Sarah's warm skin. Sarah, terrified of her passive role in this pursuit, drew herself up to her full height and grasped Cameron's wrists as she kissed back fiercely. Sarah pushed Cameron backward until they stood in the center of the kitchen, her tongue pushing, meeting no resistance.
Sarah eased away momentarily, suddenly struck by the oddity of this encounter, the thin feeling of wrongness layered over her desire. Cameron was smiling a broad smile, the most natural Sarah had ever seen on her.
"What are you grinning about?" Sarah asked, her arousal disguised in irritation.
"I like learning new skills," Cameron said simply, absurdly pleased at this event. Sarah let out a soft laugh despite herself.
"I'm almost afraid to ask you what other skills you're looking to practice."
"I would like to gauge your reaction to our kiss," Cameron said, her face serious now as she moved closer again.
"I think all your sensors and readings and temperature gauges should tell you what you need to know," Sarah said, taking a small step backward. Her momentary insanity had created one hell of an awkward situation, and dear god, how was she going to keep Cameron from blurting out details in front of John? Discretion was lost on her.
"But they don't, not in this instance," Cameron said. She picked Sarah up by the waist and lifted her to the counter in one shockingly swift yet gentle movement, and this threw Sarah completely off guard. She was not used to being handled.
"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, but it was half-hearted as Cameron moved to stand between her legs in front of the counter. Without breaking eye contact, Cameron moved her hands to the button on Sarah's jeans, twisting it loose. Sarah didn't move to stop her. Her mind was racing with thoughts, many of them admonitions, many protesting the girl's age, her gender, her inhumanity. But it was her very inhumanity that made this experiment tempting, that made her safer than a one night stand, that made this completely inappropriate situation a simple, gratifying act of release.
She lifted her hips and Cameron smiled again as she was allowed to pull jeans off and drop them to the floor. Sarah set her jaw, fighting back insecurity, refusing to wonder what the girl thought of her. Cameron could be ruthlessly tactless, brutally honest. Sarah didn't want to hear the raw verdict. Cameron was not interested in judgments or comparisons, though. She had a task in front of her, and like all that she did, she intended to complete it with the utmost attention. She nestled closer between her legs, glancing up at Sarah's face to note her reaction. When Cameron reached out with one finger and slowly stroked her through her underwear, Sarah braced herself on the counter with her hands and leaned her head back, her eyes drifting closed. Cameron was pleased with this reaction and continued, slipping her fingers beneath the cotton fabric and rubbing slowly but firmly.
Sarah tried to shut off all the voices in her head as she finally sank down into the acceptance of what was happening. Cameron, her soldier, her right hand man, was slowly sliding her fingers inside of her. Cameron's rhythm was perfect, her focus unwavering. She took in each breath, each small whimper of feedback and incorporated it as she moved Sarah steadily toward completion. Cameron met her need with the ideal pressure, filling her, putting a bracing arm behind her hips and increasing the speed of her thrusts as Sarah broke open, desperately pushing herself against Cameron's hand as she came.
Cameron slowed, staring in wonder at Sarah, the dampened tendrils of dark hair framing her face. Sarah opened her eyes, willing her breathing to slow. She gave Cameron a smile.
"You've been practicing that?" Sarah asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I don't-"
"I know, I know," Sarah said, still smiling. "You don't sleep."
The End