***
Kate Connor's hands were shaking when she was cutting a synthetic skin on Marcus Wright's chest. He was conscious because she didn't know who to anaesthetize him. He was staring at the scalpel between her trembling fingers. She put the skin away and saw rivets on his endoskeleton. With her assistants' help she removed all of them from the man's chest and took the shining flap off. Under the metal flap there was a transparent plastic one and she could see a beating heart underneath.
She trembled and touched her swollen belly subconsciously. She looked at anaesthetized John laying next to Marcus and then at Marcus' heart and the plastic flap again. Suddenly she saw a small black rectangle stuck to the flap. She took it with a tweezers.
"It's a memory card I guess," she heard Marcus' calm voice. "We had them in mobile phones and digital cameras."
Sarah nodded nervously.
"Check it."
An assistant took the card. "There is a video file," he said, sitting in front of a computer.
"Play it."
She looked at the screen. Marcus sat and the metal table squeaked under in half-naked body. They saw a young face of a pretty red head.
"Hi, mom. It's me, your Sarah. I don't know if I have been already born or not in your time." She smiled, brushing her way too long fringe aside from her bright eyes. "If the answer is yes, have a glance at how pretty you daughter will be at the age of sixteen. If not, you should know that sooner or later you will have such a pretty girl like me. But that's not my point. If you're watching this, Marcus did find you, 'coz Serena had done her best with her part of my plan. Marcus has a heart for dad. A strong heart that will not malfunction. Marcus doesn't need it. And it is not even his, 'coz he had a different blood type than dad's. Mom, save dad, please, 'coz I want to meet him. And give Marcus a kiss from me, 'coz I'm still way too shy to do it on my own. I love you."
The video ended and the screen blackened.
"Lie down, Marcus," Kate said. Her hands were not shaking anymore. She wasn't scared.
"What about that kiss?" he asked smiling.
***
When John regained consciousness he could feel a heart beating in his chest. He looked around and saw Marcus who was sitting perfectly motionless beside Blair. He wished he had thanked him. But then Blair touched Wright's arm and the man moved his head.
"It's weird without a heart, isn't it?" she asked.
"I'll get used to it," he smiled and looked at John.
Connor bowed his head a little bit and Marcus returned the same gesture.
"Kate," John spoke with a husky voice.
"I'm here, darling." She leaned and kissed his forehead. "And you're here with me. Forever."
10 YEARS LATER
John walked across an arsenal and entered the hangar. He was saluted by a few soldiers and went to the workshop where helicopters were being repaired. He looked around and saw Marcus.
"Where is Sarah?" he asked.
"She's sleeping." Marcus with a slight head movement showed him the nearest helicopter.
Connor moved closer to the machine and looked inside to see his daughter curled into a ball on a seat. Beside her there was a ginger kitten sleeping. He took his child and hugged her against his chest. She was so lightweight and small.
"Thanks," he said to Marcus.
"Anytime."
John went outside the hangar. Sarah moved slightly in his arms and opened her eyes.
"Daddy?... Where's Marcus?"
"He's working."
"What about Sam?"
"Who's Sam?"
"The kitten Marcus found and brought here."
"It stayed in the helicopter."
"No, dad! Let's go back and take Sam! I want Sam! Let's go back to Marcus! Daddy, please!"
John looked at his daughter. She was close to start crying and he hated when she was sad and or crying. So he went back to the workshop.
"Marcus!" she shouted. "Where's Sam?"
"He's just woken up." Marcus gave the fluffy kitten to Sarah and she hugged it softly.
"What are we going to do with Sam?" the girl asked.
"We can give him to old Bill from the monitoring team." Marcus winked to Sarah.
She nodded and looked at John.
"Can we, daddy? Can we do it now?"
"I think you can." He passed Sarah to Marcus and the other man hugged the girl against his chest in the same way John had done before.
"Thanks, daddy. I love you so much."
"I love you too." He smiled, looking at Marcus leaving the room with Sarah in his arms. He said something and John's daughter started to laugh.
Sarah had been Marcus' since the heart operation so long before she was born. John understood that. He loved his daughter and he knew he was still alive because of her plan. Marcus loved Sarah too. Connor didn't think about the girl's future. He didn't know if Sarah was going to love Marcus as strong as the man loved her. Would she be happy knowing that Marcus was an immortal cyborg?... But right now he knew that Sarah was fascinated with Marcus' heart beating inside his father's chest. She didn't understand yet how it was possible although she heard the story many times. Of course they didn't tell her about her future version who asked Kate to kiss Marcus.
THE END
And what do you think? Reviews, please:*.
