Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Season 2

John Connor:
If you pretend to not know me, I might shoot you in the head. We owe Riley the truth, don't you think? We owe the dead that much.

Jesse:
You're John Connor.

John Connor:
Yes, I am.

Jesse:
Where is she? The metal.

John Connor:
If she were here, you'd be dead. You know that. Could you please give me your gun? You're not going to shoot me. You know, I've been running from the machines my whole life. They tried to kill my mom before I was even born. When I was twelve they sent one after me. I was a kid and I was stupid. I didn't know what it was all about. Both times future me sent someone back to stop them. The first time it was a soldier. His name was Kyle Reese, and he died saving my mother's life. The second time it was a machine, and I used to wonder why I did that. Why I took that chance. I don't wonder anymore. Human beings can't be replaced. They can't be rebuilt. They die and they never come back. You know, it was Derek who told me, if that's what you're wondering. He loves you, Derek. You and me, we're the only things he has in this world. The only things. He's like Riley in that way. See, she made mistakes. Small things, sometimes. A word or a phrase. Carrots and apples. I'm guessing that's yours. When we were in Mexico she heard my real name, she ignored it. A man took my picture and she destroyed his camera. She put herself between me and a machine that was hunting me. So one day I realized she wasn't treating me like John Baum, she was treating me like John Connor.

Jesse:
When was that?

John Connor:
I don't remember exactly. It was a bad day, though. A bad day. Anyway, I started following her, and the rest was easy and hard.

Jesse:
She wanted to tell you.

John Connor:
I know, but she didn't. [Looking at the cuts on Jesse's face] She do that to you? See, she figured out what you really had planned. Figured it out before I did. I couldn't figure out why she would tell the school counselor, or go to DCFS. She didn't, did she? I only understood after I saw how you'd hurt her. That's when I knew what you tried to do and how it went wrong.

Jesse:
You saw her. I'm sorry.

John Connor:
Yeah. Everybody says that. The thing is, this is all my fault. I knew Riley was in trouble. I didn't help her. I should have, but I didn't. I knew what she was. I didn't try to stop her.

Jesse:
You wanted it to be real.

John Connor:
Maybe I wanted to win.

Jesse:
You didn't want to be John Baum. You wanted to be John Connor.

John Connor:
That's just the thing, isn't it? I am John Connor. [Throws a packed bag at Jesse's feet] Go. Go.

Jesse:
Just like that?

John Connor:
Just like that. If I have to live with this, so do you.

Jesse:
What if it worked?

John Connor:
What?

Jesse:
If the cyborg had murdered the girl or if I could have made you believe that she had.

John Connor:
Would I have sent Cameron away? Would I have killed her? No.

Jesse:
Well, it's a damn shame then. It's a damn waste.