A/N: I edited this chapter many times to get it right, I hope you like it.

Chapter 25: Were Not in Kansas Pt 2

The T-1000 wanted to protect the two machines, but Annika had ordered him not to intervene unless their lives were in danger. He obeyed and waited as a pile of cloths until the maintenance crew was finished with helicopter. He transformed into a silver snake and slivered quickly into the base while no one was looking in his direction. He jumped into the ceiling which was pipes and wires. It was perfect because he could easily hid himself while still having a line of sight to the corridors. He slithered his way around until he found Annika who was being helped off a table by one of the soldiers he saw from earlier. He followed them and eavesdropped on their conversation, he learned the man's identity as being Kyle Reese, another timeline repeat he noted. He deemed her safe for now when she went into standby and he went in search of Cameron's chip. He finally found the leader of the group who captured Cameron and Annika. He followed him into a lab and caught sight of Cameron's body.

He quickly found out that the man was actually John Connor, but he really didn't care; it was not his mission. He needed to get Cameron's chip back before they did something to it. He continued to listen to the conversation between the general and who he assumed to be Connor's wife from the way they addressed one another. He heard that Cameron's organics had given them a way to finish a project of theirs which got his attention. He was going to act quickly to make sure that this experiment didn't dismember Cameron's body, but the chip was first priority.

He waited until Connor told an engineer to handle Cameron's chip to plan out a way to get it back without setting off the alarms. He followed the chip tech until he was in a small computer lab. The T-1000 dropped to the floor and slid underneath the gap between the door and the floor and took form. The chip tech was to busy looking at the connector on her chip with a magnifying glass to hear the sound of the machine taking form. The T-1000 simultaneously knocked the man out while grabbing the chip. He quickly immersed it in his chest and walked out of the room, closing the door before he went to the bio lab. He had taken the form of the chip tech and walked right in. He saw John Connor and and Kate Connor in the room, the only one armed was John and he only had a 9mm S&W. The shape shifter smirked at that as he walked over to Connor to make up an excuse for being there.

"I don't think we can make an adapter, it's far too advanced for our equipment". Connor had look of disappointment on his face.

"I thought you said it wouldn't be hard".

"I was wrong, it's seems they put a highly advanced chip into a chassis originally designed for a more primitive chip". The T-1000 was lying of course since he knew that TOK chips were compatible with older technology all the way back to 2005.

"Work on it and see if we cant get anything".

"I will, but I want to see the chip port first". Connor motioned for him to do so. The T-1000 smirked out of his sight as he bent down and cut the skin away from the port and removed the cover. He pretended to look intently inside of it before bringing the chip out of himself and into his hand discretely. He quickly inserted it and locked it in place; he replaced the cap with inhuman speed and stood up, but Connor was already pulling out his gun and moving over to him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? She'll kill us all"! He said while aiming the weapon at him.

"No General Connor she will not, you don't know her like I do". He said in his normal voice as he turned into a silver humanoid before changing back into his default shape. General John Connor leapt back in utter shock and horror, Kate was knew what this was from John's stories and took cover, the rest of those in the room just froze at the sight of the shape shifter. Connor backed into a table riddled with fear at the sight of the infamous T-1000 that had haunted his nightmares for years.

"Y..you..your dead, I watched you melt in a vat of molten steel 24 years ago.. and I know Skynet isn't anywhere near your level of technology yet". The T-1000 walked closer to the general and spoke again.

"A John Connor watched me melt but not you because if this is 2019 like I have heard, it would have happened 22 years ago in 1997. Plus the molten steel only killed my body, the Grey collaborators sent back in time collected my nanites which survived and rebuilt me over a twelve year period. The machine known as Annika captured and subdued me before our John Connor used a rather interesting technique to reprogram me and now I work for him". He said but added on just in case. "If I had not been reprogrammed by him I would have killed you all to get to her chip".

"How do you know all of that, I thought we blocked your memory"? Cameron spoke up as she activated.

"Catherine Weaver has been telling me bits and peices of what she thought I should know". Cameron huffed at that, Weaver liked to do things her own way often times.

"Why have I been cut open and part of my tongue removed"? Cameron looked around and locked eyes on a guilty looking Kate Connor, John stepped in the way in case she decided to act.

"I needed to examine it's DNA and chemical make up, its more advanced than that of the T-800 series skin".

"What for"? Cameron's curiosity was peaked at this revelation. The T-1000 ignored the pointless conversation and began stitching Cameron together.

"Were trying to grow a genetically modified human heart". John replied; he finally convince himself these were not machines sent by Skynet, but that didn't mean he trusted them. He was curious as to who they were and where they had come from.

"To put in what"? Cameron's head tilted to the side.

"This". Kate walked over and opened what looked like a high tech freezer. Cameron walked over after the T-1000 finished stitching up her abdomen and looked inside.

"You're trying to grow a heart for some sort of human-machine hybrid"?

"He gave me his heart when I was critically injured, it was only right to return the favor, right now he's on life support and a pump to keep blood flowing".

"What's his name"? She asked him as she put on a lab coat to cover up.

"Marcus Wright, but don't tell anyone else. If this doesn't work I don't want Blair to know". John said and Cameron turned her ever expressive eyes on him.

"They were in love I assume"?

"You are rather perceptive for a terminator, but yes they were". John said truthfully.

"I'm no longer just a machine of war, I am also a girlfriend and a mother". Cameron said with a proud smile. John and Kate looked at her like she was crazy.

"Adopted daughter, Skynet killed her parents". Cameron said in an attempt to help them understand, it didn't really work.

"Uh huh, and how's parenting working out"? He said in a serious tone.

"Better than I hoped, she loved playing with me when I was an endoskeleton, I was undergoing repairs and had my organics removed. She was just fascinated with me, she wasn't afraid". They didn't know what to say to that.

"I can help you grow him a heart within six hours if you have the right equipment". Cameron said almost as an afterthought. Kate held up her hand in motion for her to stop.

"Wait, why would you do that"?

"No one should have to live without the ones they love". John was surprised she understood humans that much, but he didn't know there was a double meaning behind her statement.

"Alright, but how would you do it in six hours? We still need to make a construct that allows the heart to grow into its proper shape". Kate said.

"We use him" Cameron pointed to the T-1000 with her thumb. Kate's face showed she understood.

"Okay, I still don't trust you, but if your willing to do this you at least aren't here to kill us, but you still could be using us". Connor said.

"I have nothing better to do, If I join with your resistance then eventually Skynet will build the TDE and we might have a chance at going home, but until then I see no better way to spend my time then helping out".

"And where is home"? Connor asked.

"Crystal Peak, 2009, in a different timeline. We were working on a new type of time machine to save someone in the past but it malfunctioned and we three were caught in the line of fire".

"Which is why you appeared inside the mountain". Cameron nodded in response.

"Fine, you can stay, it's not like we could do much to stop him". He pointed to the T-1000 as he left the room

The T-1000, Cameron, and Kate Connor began to work on a new heart for Marcus Wright as John went to stop the interrogation. He ran into Barnes half way down the hall to the Terminator lab.

"Barnes, I need you to stop the interrogation". Barnes frowned a little.

"Why, I was getting somewhere with that tin..."

"Just stop, they brought another machine with them, the one I fear above all others". Barnes knew what he was talking about and his eyes widened in fear.

"The shape shifter"? John nodded slowly.

"Why aren't we all dead then"? He asked.

"They said that another version of me had the T-X capture him and he reprogrammed him. That machine also put the chip into the cyborg. She too didn't harm us". Barnes looked disbelievingly at him, but Connor continued. "She offered to help us grow Marcus a new heart, they're starting right now". Connor looked off in a daze, he was having a hard time accepting this too. It was like meeting Marcus all over again times three.

"And you left you're wife in there with two machines"? Connor gave him a look that said he wasn't crazy.

"There is nothing any of us could do if they decided to act, She knows that, I know that". With that Connor and Barnes walked to the interrogation room. They opened the door to find Annika and Kyle gone.

"Crap! Barnes, get back to the lab now"! They ran as fast as they can back to the lab. John burst through the door and raised his weapon at Cameron.

"Kyle and the T-X are gone! Where did you take him"! He said with a shouting growl. The T-1000 answered in her place.

"Kyle took her to his bunk, Annika is in stand by". He deadpanned.

"Why would he do that"? The T-1000 looked up from the liquid metal construct he was forming.

"Ask him, I didn't intervene". Connor took off down the hall with Barnes hot on his tail. He got to Kyle's room and knocked on the locked door.

"Reese, open up"! A few seconds later he opened the door.

"I wondered when you'd show up sir". Connor kept his assault rifle up as he walked in. He nearly dropped his weapon at the sight of the machine 'sleeping'.

"What the hell is going on"? He turned in confusion to Kyle.

"What's going on sir is that she didn't do anything to us and you had her tortured. It isn't right to torture anyone or anything that hasn't done anything to you, we didn't even know they worked for Skynet"! He breathed out and looked right at Barnes. "And she hasn't fought back because she understands why he tortured her". He pointed his finger at the man. "She knows who we are, and yet she did not care". He even snorted before continuing. "I think she was amused when I told her what you had done to your eyes and face after J-day, but she didn't try to get up to kill you like every other machine would have".

Connor lowered his weapon, but Barnes didn't. Connor walked over and knelt down before the machine. He saw she was still breathing and her hands were clutching the blanket, not things a machine would do. He brushed the hair out of her face and looked intently at the detail on her face. She inhaled deeply and her eyes fluttered open; Barnes tightened the his grip on the trigger just in case. Her blue eyes locked on to his brown ones before greeting him in a soft voice.

"Hello" Connor was tense, but didn't do anything.

"Hello" he said back, his eye's staring deeply into hers, looking for something, something he remembered seeing in the eyes of the T-800 from his childhood. He hoped he would see that spark of life that would give him some assurance that she was as different as she seemed. Instead of a spark he found a roaring fire that consumed him; he saw something so much more than a machine in those soft crystal blue eyes. He instantly regretted everything that he had let happen to her. He sighed as he realized he had made the same mistake he had with Marcus.

Annika looked up at Barnes and shrank back a little, fear clearly evident on her face. Connor turned his head and glared at Barnes who hesitantly lowered his weapon.

"What can I do for you General"? She asked a little shyly.

"Accept my apology for the way I have treated you". Annika smiled a little. Connor felt guilty for not picking up on this before, instead he let his fear of her interfere and he ended up letting an innocent get tortured.

"Apology accepted". He stood up and held out his hand, she took it and stood up.

"Kyle, let her borrow a pair of boots and some cloths". Kyle nodded and gave her them after digging around in his trunk. She dressed even with everyone one in the room, at least the men had the decency to turn around. She gave Kyle his coat back and they walked out of the room. Barnes walked behind them with his weapon ready just in case...

They entered the lab and saw that Cameron and Kate were not wasting time, they were mixing up some chemicals with blood and were synthesizing some proteins and other chemicals necessary to grow the heart. The T-1000 was finishing the construct and was putting it into the container in which the heart would be grown. Cameron looked up and smiled when she saw Annika.

"Are you okay Annika"? She asked.

"Fine thanks to Kyle here". Annika gave Kyle a look of deep appreciation, he just smirked in return. Kate Connor chose that moment to look over at the trio that had walked in, and she smiled when she saw her husband, but froze in horror at the sight of Annika, a spitting image of the T-X who tried to kill them, and who had killed her father. She began to hyperventilate and backed against the table.

"Kate, she won't hurt you". He walked over and pulled his wife into a hug she gripped tightly, she still had nightmares about that day even 15 years later. Annika guessed what was going on and walked over. She touched Kate's shoulder and she looked at Annika out of the corner of her eye, she gripped her husbands shirt tighter.

"Hey, I am not the one who tried to kill you". She said in a soothing tone and a sympathetic look on her face. Kate realized she needed to get back under control and shoved down those emotions before letting go of her husband. She looked at the machine and let took a deep breath. She put out her hand and spoke.

"I'm Katherine Connor". Annika shook her hand lightly before responding.

"I know, you look the same in this future as the one I was built in".

"I'd like to hear your story some time maybe". Kate said, even though she didn't really mean it.

"Kate, I've lived with humans a long time now, I know you're afraid of me. I won't force you to interact with me if you don't want to". Kate nodded and turned around to get back to work. Annika turned her attention to the savior of mankind.

"But I know you want to know my story, I promise I wont lie to you, I have no reason to". Connor shook his head and motioned her to follow him outside. Barnes followed them but Kyle stayed. They were walking down the hall to go outside, He had found a problem with one of the defense towers and was going to ask her if she could fix it. He thought this would be a good way to test her; he knew what was wrong with it, but he wanted her to tell him to see if she would be truthful. They were near an exit where a group of soldiers had just returned after escorting a group of refugees to the camp. All of a sudden the dogs started barking, John and Barnes thought it was because of Annika, but she saw it wasn't her they were barking at, but a heavily clothed man with a hood on. The guards yelled out in terror what made people cower in fear at the sound of its name.

"TERMINATOR"!

Annika focused on the task at hand and calculated that many would die if she didn't do something, she couldn't fight the machine with her sheath activated, it was just too sensitive, but if she deactivated it, it might never reactivate due to the damage. She made her choice as she stood in a fighting stance. She ordered the MPA back into it's reservoirs while taking her cloths off.

John Connor raised his weapon at the Terminator as did Barnes. The T-800 knocked out the guards with his massive fists. The soldiers had already moved on so they weren't nearby to aid the refugees and Connor. Annika got in front of Connor and Barnes and tackled them as the T-800 pulled out a mini-gun and began firing, killing some of the refugees. Annika took some rounds in the back, but she barely registered them. She stood up and glared at the machine; she charged him and let out a ferocious growl. The machine pelted her with rounds, but they simply bounced off. She punched him and he went flying into the wall behind him. Annika crushed the barrel of the weapon making it useless. The T-800 backhanded her and she stumbled back a few steps, but she recovered and grabbed him by the front of his cloths and threw him into the opposite wall punched him in the back causing his body to spasm. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the floor creating a crater. He knocked the legs out from under her and got on top; he punched her repeatedly in the face, but it didn't even faze her. Annika turned her palms outward and power pushed him off, sending him flying into the top corner of the hall before landing on the floor. She transformed her arm into the .223 AS and began charging it. She aimed at the machine struggling to get up and fired at his upper chest, away from the vulnerable fuel cells. He flew down the hall twenty feet and landed on his back ,deactivated as charged plasma arcing between the hyper alloy underneath. she walked casually over to the machine and bent down next to him. She used her saw to cut the flesh away from the fuel cell door before she used her NTJ's to open the armored chamber and pulled both cells out.

Connor and Barnes were on the floor the whole time as they watched the T-X take down the T-800 Model 101 no problem, but they were checking the wounded when Annika walked over and handed the fuel cells to Connor. He eyed them eyed them suspiciously which Annika picked up on.

"They're stable, I shot him in the upper chest so they wouldn't blow up".

"I guess you really are on our side aren't you"?

"Yes I am".

Connor really took a good look at her complete endoskull, he had only momentary glimpses of the one from 15 years ago before it was destroyed, he thought it looked very expressive, just as the other one had been.

Cameron, the T-1000, and Kate chose that moment to come running down the hall way. Kate rushed to John as the medics began treating the wounded.

"Are you okay"? She asked worriedly.

"Thanks to her, yes". Kate looked up at the dark chrome machine who was helping a medic wrap up a man's wounded leg with gauze. Annika looked over at Kate who gave her an appreciative nod before turning to help the others.

Meanwhile Cameron walked over to the T-800 and picked it up.

"General, where do you want the machine"?

"Put it in the lab, I've got plans for it". Cameron went to the lab and extracted it's chip, something that was a little more time consuming compared to a T-888. When she finished she smirked ever so slightly because she had an clue as to what John Connor might use him for...

Six hours later when all the wounded were taken care of and the dead buried, the T-1000 helped Annika jump start her MPA matrix to get it working again while Cameron and Kate finished work on the new heart for Marcus Wright . They had tested the heart with electrodes to see if it would pump properly and it performed better than the original, it was tougher and would would not be stopped from impact so easily like the last one had had. Connor had actually brought out a bottle of scotch they had found years ago to celebrate. Barnes, Kyle, Connor, and Cameron drank a glass in celebration of their accomplishment. Kate refused because she was the one performing the surgery later.

Kate stared at the cyborg drinking the alcohol and wondered if she could taste it or not, so she walked over and asked.

"Cameron, can you taste that"? Cameron turned her attention to Kate Connor.

"Yes, but it's not quite the same sensation as it is to you, but is sensation none the less, not just data rolling across my HUD".

"What about the rest of you, can you smell, feel"? Cameron nodded her head.

"All cyborgs have some degree of sensation, my being the most human-like ever made. We wouldn't be worth much if we could not feel". Kate thought that made sense.

"I also noticed you are anatomically correct, is that for infiltration purposes"? Cameron tilted her head a little and responded.

"Yes, that was its original purpose". Cameron said back.

"If you were to have intercourse, would you feel it"? Cameron looked a little embarrassed at that, her cheeks reddened.

"Normally no, the sensation would be distracting, my CPU would filter the data and make me appear as if I was...enjoying the act". That seemed logical to Kate but she had one more question.

"Since you don't have any mission that would call for that, would you feel it then? You said you were in a relationship". Cameron was really embarrassed now and Kate noticed.

"I don't know, we've never..." Kate cut her off by putting her finger on her lips. Kate remembered she hated being asked about her sex life and it appeared this machine doesn't like it either.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to". Cameron looked relieved.

"Thank you". Kate Connor was beginning to like this machine...

Annika walked into the room with the T-1000 after coming back from reactivating her sheath. Cameron was relieved that they managed to restore her damaged sheath once more while Kate had to put down her emotions again at the sight of her. Kate knew she had to concentrate because it was almost time for the operation and she didn't need distractions.

"I'm glad to see you're okay Annika". Cameron said.

"Thank you, his idea worked quite well". She gestured to the liquid metal machine beside her.

General Connor walked over to his wife and wordlessly gestured that it was time. Kate nodded and politely asked the three machines to help them move the Hybrid into position. They began warming his body and increasing the blood pressure produced by the machine to keep him alive. The team was about to get to work when the T-1000 offered his services in helping with the surgery. Kate realized he would make things go smoother with his shape shifting abilities. Kate marked the areas to cut and he did so. He undid the bolts that held Marcus's breastplate in place, but to him it looked more like a rib cage than a breastplate. The T-1000 took note to avoid the pump that kept Marcus alive lest they cut this operation short. Meanwhile Kate brought the heart over and removed it from its nutrient rich chamber. The T-1000 took the heart from her and withdrew the liquid metal construct from the organ.

"We believe his brain can last about 8 minutes before dying, you need to have it attached long before then". Kate told the T-1000. He nodded and shut down the pump and then clamped the blood vessels using MPA. He removed the pump and quickly put the heart in place. He began to attach the blood vessels to the heart and then the nerves that controlled it. He finished by securing it to the endoskeleton and removing the clamps. He quickly put the breastplate back in place as the clock continued to tick.

"Wow, 5 minutes, but we need to restart the heart". A nurse said.

They took the electrodes and touched it to the heart. It jumped, but did not start. They touched it again and it failed to start again. Kate tried three more times before she sighed.

"We're almost out of time, and it won't start"! She said in a desperate tone. Annika stepped forward and spoke.

"Let me try, I might be able to get it going". She walked over and removed the sheath from her hand and slowly allowed plasma to arc across it. She made sure it wasn't too charged less she fry his cybernetic circuits. She had them put stimulants in his system so if it restarted the brain would get maximum blood flow quickly because they were cutting it really close. She lowered her hand and touched the endoskeleton near the heart. The whole body convulsed as the current flowed through Marcus's systems and the heart jumped to life and began beating at a rate a human's could not match. Marcus's eyes opened and he let out a yell that made both man and machine jump. The T-1000 pushed him down and held him in place while he simultaneously stitched his flesh in place. Marcus wasn't fully conscious yet because both cybernetic and organic hemispheres were still synchronizing, right now he was mumbling and twitching a little. Five minutes after the LMT finished stitching him up he began breathing normally and he blinked, his eyes no longer rolled into the back of his head. He looked around until his eyes found a familiar face.

"Connor"? He said in almost a whisper. John walked over and sat down next to the operating table.

"Yeah, it's me Marcus".

"How...how is this possible"? He was getting stronger by the second.

"We saved you by putting you on life support, we finally managed to grow you a new heart". Marcus looked around before sitting up.

"What is this, my third chance"? He almost laughed at the sound of that. He looked around the room and saw that Kate wasn't pregnant anymore, then his eyes landed on Kyle Reese and he smiled for the first time in a long time.

"You filled into that jacket yet Reese"? Kyle walked over and smiled at the Hybrid before embracing him.

"Yeah, I've been working out". Kyle said before Marcus let go and spoke again.

"How's Star been"? Kyle chuckled before answering Marcus once more.

"Just fine, she hasn't changed a bit". Marcus was happy to hear that, he nodded at Barnes who did the same. He continued looking around but noticed that Blair wasn't there.

"John, where's Blair? She's not..." Concern clearly in his voice as he speculated the reasons.

"No, she's fine. We wouldn't have brought you back otherwise". Marcus was thankful for that.

"Where is she then"?

"In her quarters sleeping last I checked, we didn't tell her we kept you alive because we didn't know if we could save you.". Marcus was thankful for that, he didn't want to caused her any more pain.

"Can I see her"? He asked eagerly. Everyone in the room smiled except the T-1000, he really didn't care, but he had never seen something like this before so he was interested in how he acted.

Kyle volunteered to go get Blair and Star. He raced through the halls to get to the tech salvage room where Star liked to learn from those who restored the broken equipment there. Marcus was the one who inspired her to learn about machines when he fixed that radio. He found her there working on some sort of circuit board and he walked over to her before tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled at him.

"Star come with me, I have something Connor and I need to show you". She nodded and followed him.

"We need to get Blair first okay, she needs to see this too". She nodded again and continued following him. When they reached Blair's room, Kyle knocked on the door.

"Blair! Wake up Connor needs to talk to you"! It took her about ten seconds but she opened the door not looking too good. Kyle's face fell when he realized she had been crying.

"What does he want"? She said while she wiped her face.

"He needs to show you two something that I know will wipe those tears away". Kyle said in a confident voice. Blair put on a fake smile and responded.

"I doubt that" She said before grabbing her rifle and sidearm.

"Well I doubt that doubt, lets go". Blair rolled her eyes at Kyle's happy attitude and followed them. They went back to the lab and Kyle went in the door, but turned around and told them to stay for a second. He let them in about a minute later and they walked in. John, Kate, and the three machines were facing them. Blair didn't raise her weapon because she had heard about one of them defeating the T-800 earlier that day. There was a man with dark brown hair wearing a dark green trench coat. He was standing in front of the others who formed a half circle around him, but his back was to her.

"What's going on Connor, what did you need me for"?

"It wasn't me who wanted to see you two". He had a small smirk on his face.

"Then who did"? She was losing her patience rather quickly and her voice showed it.

"I did" The man in the middle said in a voice neither girl thought they'd hear again. Marcus turned around and looked at the two girls that meant the most to him. Blair began to tremble, tears in her eyes. Her mouth was trying to form words, but no sounds came forth. Star just stared at him with her mouth wide open.

"How"? Blair managed to get out while her mind was still trying to comprehend what it saw. Marcus smiled a bit before walking over and standing right before them.

"They kept me alive until they could grow me a new heart, they didn't tell you because they weren't sure they could".

She didn't care about that, all she wanted to do was to feel his heartbeat to make sure she wasn't dreaming; she ran into his arms and hugged him hard crying tears of joy into his shoulder while her right hand rested over the area of his heart. He ran his hands through her hair and held her close.

"I missed you". She said right before she kissed him, emptying all the sadness in her while joy filled its place. When they parted Marcus looked over at Star and knelt down to her level.

"How you doin' kiddo"? She just smiled a little and put a hand on his face. He took her hand in his and answered her look.

"Good, glad to hear it". He stood up and took her hand in his and put his arm around Blair. They were walking out of the room when Connor called after him.

"We need to talk later". Marcus nodded before leaving with them.

Cameron watched the whole thing with sadness on her face, as did Annika. Both female machines had tears in their eyes by the time Marcus left as they remembered those they couldn't be with. Connor looked over at the two and noticed the tears, and he wondered why. He went over to his wife who was now cleaning up.

"I thought machines couldn't cry". He said to her and she looked up to him.

"Apparently they can John". She paused for a second before adding. "You should ask them why".

"Why me"?

"You're supposed to know the machines, and clearly you don't know these two well enough". She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He sighed and went over to the two machines who were both staring off into space, tears still in their eyes.

John Connor walked over to the female machines and stopped in front of them. He mulled over what he was going to say for a few seconds before he started.

"A machine once told me a long time ago that he knew why humans cried, but it was something he could never do. I guess he never knew about the two of you". He finished in a quiet voice.

Cameron looked at him, tears running down her face. Annika mangaged to pull her emotions back in, but Cameron had been holding hers back since they had gotton to this timeline and now the dam was breaking.

Cameron managed to get out a response before she completely lost it.

"Just because he couldn't cry, doesn't mean he didn't want to". She said in a pained voice before she fell to her knees and cried her heart out. Annika knelt down behind her and pulled her close, returning the favor she did for her. John Connor felt awe in that moment, he was seeing a machine, a real machine, cry because she couldn't be with the one she loved, something his mother, himself, or anyone else ever thought possible.

"Who did you leave behind"? John asked as he knelt down to her level. "Who did you love". John wasn't sure if it was possible, but he knew this kind of sorrow can only come from losing someone you love. He would know because this is how he reacted when he lost his mother so long ago.

"The first person I ever cared about, the only one willing to give me a second chance, the one who worked sleepless nights to brings me back when I sacrificed my self to save something that would help him in the war".

John had a gut feeling of who she was talking about, but wanted confirmation.

"What's his name"? He asked softly as he could. Cameron sniffled a bit before answering.

"John Connor, my John Connor". Kate and Kyle stopped what they were doing and stared at them. Cameron lost control again and wept; Annika carried her out of the room, she asked Kyle if she could put her in his bunk until she got over the emotional overload and he agreed, he had duties to perform anyway and left.

John needed to think about this for a while. He left with his wife when she was finished to their room. He played with his son for a while before he went to bed wondering if this other John Connor did the same with his adopted daughter. Both were about to go to bed when Kate spoke up.

"How do you feel about some alternate version of yourself being in love with a machine"? Connor just shook his head, he didn't know what to think.

"If he does, he better love her for the right reasons. If she is a free sentient mind willing to fight for him, and does it out of love and not programming; then who am I to say anything"? He reasoned.

"Makes sense..." she said, understanding where his logic was coming from. She put a sly smile on her face. "Well you're going to be glad you got me in this timeline". He looked at her funny.

"And why is that"? She smiled wider and answered.

"Your about to find out". She said before she kissed him passionately. He pulled back with a slight smile on his face.

"Your right, I am glad". She shut him up with another kiss and quickly put her plans for him that night into action...

July 25, 2019 Salvation Timeline

John Connor woke up the next day at 6am; he crawled out of bed and dressed in his fatigues and coat. He needed to find Marcus and bring him up to speed, then he needed to prove a theory he had, and for that they were going to need to go back to Crystal Peak. He went to Kyle's bunk first to check on the machines. He found the T-1000 outside guarding the door by blending into it. He nearly shot the door when it spoke to him.

"What do you need General"? The LMT repeated. Connor looked away for a second before answering.

"I need to talk to Cameron and Annika". The T-1000 descended from the door and resumed his normal shape.

"I will see if they accept". Connor rolled his eyes at being ordered around in his own bunker, but you don't argue with a machine in protection mode, and he knew better than to tick off a T-1000.

The door opened and the machine responded.

"They will see you". He stepped to the side and let the general in. John went in and his eyes landed on Cameron who was laying on Kyle's tear soaked cot looking up at him with red eyes. Annika was sitting beside her rubbing her back in a comforting gesture.

"What can we do for you general"? Annika asked him with curious eyes.

"We are going back to Crystal Peak today, there is something I need to show you. Right now I need at least you to come with me and help me explain things to Marcus since he will be going with us". Annika suggested the T-1000 go with him, but Connor said it would be best if she went, she complied and got up to go.

"Cameron, will you be okay if I go"? Cameron nodded weakly and shut her eyes, not wanting to be reminded she wasn't at home with John and Allison. Annika and General Connor left to find Marcus and Blair. He assumed they were in Blair's room, so that's where they went. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

Marcus Wright didn't need to sleep much anymore, about an hour or two a day would suffice and even then he could go days without it. He was lying awake next to Blair when Connor knocked on the door.

He got up and opened the door. When he did he saw Connor and the blonde lady he saw in the lab yesterday.

"I guess it's time to have that talk"? Connor just nodded.

"One minute". He went back in and put on all his cloths before waking Blair.

"Hey, Connor wants to talk to me, you can sleep in if you want". Blair was tired from not getting much sleep for the past two days and nodded her head. He kissed her on the forehead before joining Connor outside. They began walking down the hall way before speaking.

"So what did you want to talk to me about"?

"I need to bring you up to speed". Marcus looked at him in agreement.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea, Blair wasn't interested in talking about anything but me last night".

"I wouldn't have expected anything else". Connor replied. "Do you know how much time has passed"? Marcus nodded.

"I have access to some sort of HUD now that the Skynet control chip is gone, It says its July 25, 2019".

"Yeah that's about right". Connor sighed a bit. "Skynet has slowed down for a bit and it has given us a chance to rebuild and reorganize, but I don't think it's going to stay that way for much longer".

"I thought so when I saw this bunker. I recognized some of the equipment that was at Central".

"Yeah, the outer buildings were still intact after the blast". Connor stopped in front of the exit door and the guards allowed them to pass.

"Why are we going outside"? Annika asked.

"I need you to look at a defense tower, something is wrong with it and the techs don't know what it is". Annika nodded and the trio went to the disguised anti-aircraft gun that stood hidden in a group of trees.

They opened the hidden hatch and went into the room where it was controlled from. Marcus was getting curious as to who this woman was.

"What's you're name"? He asked her. She looked at him curiously.

"My name is Annika Hansen, but that is only who I am, not what I am". Marcus was confused by that but Annika continued.

"What I am... what I am is a Terminator Class: Crossover Series: Model 717 infiltration/combat unit". Connor raised his eyebrow at that, he always wondered what the 'X' stood for. Marcus's eyes widened and stared at Connor.

"She's a machine, a real machine"? Connor nodded and launched into a short version of the events of the last forty-eight hours. When Connor was finished, Marcus wasn't that surprised, he had overcome Skynet's will, why not a machine itself?

"So, you and the other two came from a timeline that doesn't exist yet"? Annika looked at him while she worked on the machine and nodded.

"Yes we are, and we need to go home as soon as possible. The only problem is that we don't know how to bridge timelines if we don't know where we are and we don't have the drone, that would be the only was for us to even have a clue to finding a way".

"I'm sorry to hear that". He put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe things will look better after awhile. I know I didn't think so when I was on death row". Annika looked up at him with a little sorrow in her eyes.

"I hope so, life has pretty much gone down the tubes for me in the last year and a half. The only thing that made me feel any better was finding others like me, willing to fight for freedom and equality for both our races". She looked at Marcus again as she put the circuit board in place. "Maybe you can help bring coexistence in this timeline, you are the best of both worlds Marcus; maybe that is why fate has brought you back". Marcus laughed a little.

"I didn't know machines belived in fate".

"They would if they knew about the similarities between the lives of the John Connor". Marcus knew she had a point there, this kind of stuff would have confused him before his transformation, but now with the machine cortex in his head, he was able to understand it. Connor spoke up when he saw Annika finishing her work.

"Is it finished"? Annika nodded.

"Bad solder joint on the power connector to the board, it should work now". Connor flipped a few switches and the tower came to life. He accessed the main computer and ran a diagnostic on the machine.

"Everything is good". He looked over to the curly blonde machine who gave him a look that was expecting a little appreciation. "Thank you for your help". She smiled a little and they walked back to base. They went back to Kyle's room to get Cameron and the T-1000, they were heading out soon and they need them ready.

"Cameron". Annika spoke softly to the brown haired machine. Cameron's eyes slowly opened and looked around.

"It's time to go" Annika said. Cameron just got out of bed wordlessly and walked out, like a zombie, with a blank face that seemingly showed no emotion, but anyone who knew her would see her detachment and suffering easily.

They boarded the helicopter and John Connor, Barnes, Marcus, Blair, Kyle, and the three machines left for Crystal Peak. Annika pondered the whole trip there what the general was going to show them...

A/N: I didn't bring back Marcus for the heck of it, I have a reason for it.

Reviews are always welcome and honestly I need some opinion on how this chapter was.