Owner Pose
John Connor From the outside, the Baum residence was picture perfect, well, maybe not perfect, but it was the American dream. It had a reasonably large front yard, decent back yard, plenty of bedrooms, nice square footage, and was in a nice neighorhood.

Inside, it was more of the same. The Baums had taken it with all the furniture, which meant that it worked for the family that had lived there, but not so much the Baums. John's room for example took a new coat of paint on the walls, and new furniture, which they had been getting bit by bit over time.

They had taken care of the critical eras, the weapons locker, the security, even going so far as to plant strategic trees and other natural barriers to evade surveillance and make it harder to get into the Baum House. It had the disadvantage of making it harder to get out, but they knew the best ways in, or out.

John was at home. Cameron had been sent on a mission, this time nothing to do with the wall, but she needed a part for something she was working on. The television was on. They were human after all. It was showing some movie from the 80's. Looked like Commando. Everything seemed to be quiet and peaceful.
Sarah Connor Sarah just came home with groceries. Two bags. Opening the door, she called out, "I believe it's your turn to put them away!" Still, she hip checked the door closed and took the bags to the kitchen. "Now."

Meanwhile she removed the groceries, and put the milk away.
John Connor John left the movie playing, though he did turn down the volume, before he would head to his mother in the kitchen, helping her to put away the groceries, be they food, the ingredients for plastic explosives, or somewhere in between.

She did have quite the authoritative streak, demanding that he do it now, as opposed to in five or ten minutes. He was used to her being that way. She had been all his life. She loved him, and he loved her, but she was very much a soldier.

As he began to put boxes and jars into the pantry, the sound of the movie changed to, "we now interrupt Commando to bring you breaking news..." it would go on to describe that a high speed chase was in progress in Midvale, a black Dodge Charger. They didn't seem to have information on the driver, but it was man, bald, who had robbed a convenience store and killed a clerk.
Sarah Connor She was a better soldier. That was true. Ever since Reese came into her life, and died trying to save her, she had to grow the eff up, and fast. Not only did she have the truth about the future, Reese left her pregnant, and that child would be the most important part of that future battle. IF he survived that long.

It wasn't because she didn't care - no, the opposite. She had to prepare him. And she didn't know, now, how else to react to him.

It left her more like a soldier. If he couldn't be a regular boy, then dammit, he WOULD be prepared, even if it meant that she was strict.

Sarah walked over, and turned up the television. "Wonder what that is about?"
John Connor It would seem that the black Dodge Charger had been on the highway, but had come off, and wasn't that far from their neighorhood of Midvale. The car was still on video, the helicopter keeping tabs of it as it sped through like a madman. The driver had some skill, luck, or possibly a bit of both, but so far it had managed to evade every blockade, every attempt to slow it. The police were chasing, but as he weaved into traffic, he would create car pileups that would trap the police behind him.

John came over to watch, "I don't know. I was watching the mov... hey, that's only about five or six blocks from here." The car was lost due to tree cover at one point, and as the helicopter pulled back to get a better look, the car was abandoned on the road, door open. The driver was nowhere to be seen.
Sarah Connor "Damn. Put those away first, then help me."

Sarah had a bad feeling about this. Then again she trusted no one, or anything. She brought out of hiding the rifles and handguns, and checked them. Made sure they all had plenty of ammunition. "Close the window curtains."
John Connor John returned to the kitchen, where he would continue to put away the groceries, which consisted of the usual foods that a household would go through with 'two' growing teenagers, an athletic mother, and a muscular uncle, the last of which was out on some business. He was one of the few people in all the world that they trusted. And he wasn't a prisoner, or a servant. He had his own life.

After finishing with the unpacking, John would come to his mother, who had already gotten out the good gunware. "Right, on it," and he would start running around the house, closing the blinds, curtains, and securing every point of access. On the television, the helicopter began searching backyards, trying to get a sight of the suspect.
Sarah Connor She was still checking each and every gun. Her face was tight. Everything was impeccably done - you could tell that Sarah had done this before. Each was placed on the table before her.

"I got a really bad feeling about this." ie It didn't feel quite like a 7-11 robbery gone bad.
John Connor There was a noise coming from the backyard, a thump, a loud thump, loud enough that it could be heard through the closed and drawn window. But with the windows drawn, neither John, nor Sarah, could see what it was. Curiously, there didn't seem to be another notable sound to emerge. John was arming himself, not wanting to shoot, but planning on being ready just in case. "You always have a bad feeling. That guy's probably a hundred yards away from here."
Sarah Connor "I always have a bad feeling," Sarah began loading herself up. "Because it's bad. Besides I'd rather be prepared and be wrong, than be wrong and not be prepared. Check the kitchen window."

Meanwhile, she checked the kitchen door to the outside.
John Connor Moving to the kitchen, John kept himself low, knowing how to move in order to protect himself if someone decided to just start shooting at the building. They were unlikely to get past the brick walls, but it could be done with the right equipment. Slowly, he would get to the kitchen window, and pull it to the side, enough to see in to the backyard. He couldn't make out anything different. Using military hand signals, he explained that to his mother in a non-verbal way, since he didn't want to call out. If someone were out there, they might hear.
Sarah Connor Sarah jerked her chin, as if to say 'Stay here' and being very careful she opened the door with her left hand, keeping her right for the gun. Quietly, she approaches a few little trees that will provide some protection.
John Connor John nodded his head, gun in hand, hiding behind the cabinet in the kitchen, since it was more material for any bullets to go through, and thus, a slightly better cover.

As his mother opened the door, the backyard seemed to be a normal. It was a beautiful day. Lots of greenery. A soft breeze. There was the sound of a helicopter overhead, but not directly. It was close enough to be heard, could even be seen in the distance, so either they had the suspect, or they were still looking for it.

With her venturing further into the backyard, checking on the bushes that would provide protection, being a good hiding place, or a good place to fire from in a firefight. And then she saw it. There was a baseball and a cracked vase. Could that have been the noise they heard? Or were there more things at play?
Sarah Connor "Damn!" Sarah curses under her breath. Still, she's not 100% certain.

Quickly, and quietly she gave the yard one more going over. That helicopter was too close. Even if they weren't taking a picture (or worse!) of the Baum house.
John Connor Sarah's surveillance of the backyard would prove futile, as it had been the baseball and the vase, although they didn't know how close they came to having the suspect in their backyard. He had jumped the fence of their neighbor. He had been no more than a few feet. Thankfully, the helicopter, which was recording video, had not caught Sarah, or her gun, although even that would be fairly normal for an American family when faced with an intruder.

It was then that John came to the door, softly calling out, "mom, I think he's moved on." John had heard reports that they had caught up with the suspect, who had stolen a yellow motorcycle and was now zipping through the streets. The helicopter also sounded to be going further away. "False alarm." For anyone else, this wouldn't have even been a blip. But for the Baums, it was life or death.
Sarah Connor He's right. He almost often is.

She nods, and gives him an almost smile as she picks up the cracked vase and threw is the rubbish pile to be burnt. "You can't leave things out here. You know better than that." But she softened the admonishment, with, "I believe I bought marshmallows to have over the bonfire."

Sarah. Soldier. And sometimes, mom.