Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter world or Terminator. Some dialogue borrowed from the movie Terminator.

Ch. 4

He had volunteered.

Why?

"The chance to meet the legend. Sarah Connor. Taught her son to fight, organize, prepare from when he was a kid. When you were in hiding before the war…"

He was looking at her waiting for a reaction, she gave none.

She wasn't some innocently clueless woman like he was probably expecting. She hadn't been for a long time.

There was a time that she would have protested his claims not believing that she could be the person he was looking for. Words like destiny and fate had no place in her life. Then she met a boy who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Harry had lost much of his childhood being prepared for a war all because a madman's belief in a prophecy. She had stood by his side, protected and prepared him for that final confrontation.

Now she was being told she would be doing it all over again only this time it would be her own child that she would be sending off to war. Her son.

She would teach him to be a perfect solider, a leader, a hero.

What kind of mother did that make her?

And she would have to do it alone. Reese had said the father would be long gone. She would be alone. Again.

Sensing her despair Reese gave her a message from John.

Her son.

"Thank you Sarah for your courage through the dark years. I can't help you with what you must soon face except to say the future is not set. You must be stronger than you can image you can be. You must survive or I will never exist."

And she would survive. She had to. It was what she always did. She wouldn't let him down. Couldn't let him down.

She began to question Reese about the future, grilled him for every possible fact he could provide, she needed to prepare. He answered everything he could, sparing no details until she couldn't think of anything more to ask.

It was then his turn to then ask a question.

"Why did the detective think your name wasn't Sarah?"

The idea of spinning a tale about expired visas and ex-boyfriend was discarded without thought, he could be trusted. Her voice lost the Midwestern speech patterns she had so carefully cultivated and took on the old tenor of her home across the pond. She told him a fairytale, of a world of magic and adventure. She told him about Hermione Granger, Voldemort, and falling through time.

He didn't think she was crazy, he didn't require proof, he believed her. Believed in her. It felt nice not to have to defend herself for once. So nice.

Night faded into day and she slept. Nightmares of machines haunted her thoughts.

Morning.

Cramped limbs were unfolded and they hiked back to the road. Grabbing the attention of a passing truck they hitch-hiked into a town with no name. A quick trip to the hardware store with money Reese had procured and they had supplies.

The motel was cheap.

They needed a plan. Somehow it would eventually find them. It would always find them. It was what they were programed to do. Seek and destroy.

He taught her how to make pipe bombs.

She called him Kyle and they showed each other their past scars. She loved him, she didn't know how it happened, but she let him into her heart. He wasn't who she had expected, but he fit her, made her whole again.

Soft whispers, caresses, tangled limbs. The squeaking mattress. A perfect moment.

Night fell and they waited. It was coming hunting. A dog barked.

The exploding sound of gunfire tore through the room. They were not there.

The car was stolen. Jostled to and fro Kyle floored the pedal speeding away.

One after another the bombs were thrown out to stop the motorcycle in pursuit. Through broken roads. Through a tunnel. Gunfire. Slammed against the dashboard they slide, a tire was blown out.

Another explosion missed the mark and the windshield exploded with the impact in a spray at bullets. It was coming. Faster turns, accelerated turns. They both lost control.

Two flips had them landing on the roof. Glass shattered and fire began to lick at her legs as the gas tank burst into flames. She crawled across the ground to release her trapped companion.

Heavy footfalls sounded crushing the glass and metal littering the street. They staggered away. Another pipe bomb and an overturned oil truck. He pushed her to the ground and heat raged behind them blistering in its intensity.

Nothing .

It was over.

They were safe.

An embrace, stopped by a noise. Its human form charred away and blazing red eyes sought her out. It lurched forward. Never wavering. Never stopping.

Death was approaching.

He grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip yanking her back to reality. Hobbled by injuries they couldn't run, but stumble toward the factory. It continued its slow methodical pursuit.

Machines activated, clanking and grinding all around. Feet slammed against metal grates. Adrenaline pumping they ducked for cover and kept running. Confused she clung to Kyle.

They were cornered.

He told her to run and faced it alone.

The trap was sprung and they both fell.

He was dead before he hit the floor. She cried over the body, demanded that the solider follow her orders and get up. We wouldn't respond, he would never respond again, he was gone.

Blinding pain crashed into her leg. The twisted pile of metal was still alive.

Rage shot through her. Why couldn't it just die already? She fought against the metal monster, kicking and screaming. Freed she crawled across the grate on her stomach not even noticing as its jagged edged tore into her flesh. The thing kept coming.

Pumps moved and the hydraulic system repeated its motions. With inches to spare it was finally crushed.