DISCLAIMER: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and its characters are the propert of James Cameron and Fox. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
A Rose By Any Other Name
By BadTyler
It was late, and as usual, Sarah was having trouble sleeping. Maybe a snack would help.
She nodded briefly at Cameron, who appeared to be immersed in a book, before opening the refrigerator door and peering inside. Sarah found a tangerine and began peeling it when she heard Cameron come up behind her.
"Sarah? You are fat."
"WHAT?"
Sarah whirled around to face the terminator. "I spend half my day keeping myself in shape, because God only knows when I'll need to... defend John, or attack some random freak. Do you think I do those chin-ups on the swing set to entertain the neighbors?"
Cameron reached out and pulled Sarah over to the couch.
"No, phat. You are phat. It is difficult to convey the change in meaning because the spelling is different. Here, see? It's a compliment."
She handed Sarah the book she'd been reading: 'The Abridged Dictionary of American Slang.'
"I decided that it would be prudent to familiarise myself with the words people use at school, since you insist that we go. I was confused. A girl once asked me if I thought she was fat and she called me a 'bitch whore'... now I know what that means. I thought she was fat, so I agreed. Sometimes I think it is more dangerous for John and me to be going to school. I don't blend in. The first day, I couldn't get through the metal detector and John had to tell them I had a plate in my head."
Sarah stifled a smile. John had, of course, told her about the incident. Cameron sighed, a startlingly human sound, before continuing.
"Well, I get teased about that, so I thought if my language were more like everyone else's, it would help. This book is quite useful."
Cameron did have a point. It would be better if she appeared more like a normal teenager, Sarah thought.
"Well, now that you've explained, thank you for the... compliment."
"It's cool."
"Cameron?"
"Yes, Sarah?"
"Try smiling a little more, too."
Cameron stared into space for several seconds before turning to Sarah and rewarding her with a grin that lit up her face. It was so damned hard to reconcile that look with the simple fact that the slender form sitting next to her was a killing machine. Sarah was suddenly conscious of the warmth from the girl's bare leg. She could swear that Cameron had moved in closer during their discussion of slang.
She tentatively reached out and slid a hand over Cameron's bare thigh. The scent of tangerine added to the excitement. She was about to lean in, to taste those lips, those lips that were so perfectly formed and yet, not remotely anything made by God.
Cameron inadvertently broke the spell by trying out another new phrase she'd learned.
"Mmm... funky fresh."
Sarah collapsed in laughter, rolling toward the opposite end of the couch.
"Sarah, what is wrong? Was that a bad thing to say? The dictionary..."
"Cameron, you need to check the dates for these words and phrases... not all of these are current!"
She thumbed through the book. "See- here- 1980s!" Cameron once again leaned closer.
"Ah, yes. I understand now. Thank you. That would have been terrible if it happened in school."
She looked so serious, so dejected that Sarah felt guilty. But at that moment, she could hear John stirring in his room.
Something, some devilish part of her that she normally kept under wraps suddenly surfaced. As she got up to leave, she quickly leaned down and swiftly, but quite thoroughly, kissed Cameron, leaving the faint aroma of tangerine on the confused terminator's lips.
"Cameron? I think you're a stone fox."
"A stone what?"
Sarah kissed her again, briefly, running her fingers through the long, silky hair.
"Look it up, Cam. Look it up."
The End