"So, am I going back to the loony bin?" Sara asked.
She didn't really care anymore. She'd done what needed to be done. No judgment day, and John was safe.
John himself might end up doing some time in a juvenile facility. She'd had told him, "Make me the bad guy. Your crazy mother who dragged you into her delusion." He didn't like it, but he promised that if it came to that he would.
"No Miss Connor, may I call you Sara?"
"Sure... Let's be friends," she said in a cynical tone.
He dismissed her sarcasm. "Well Sara, you're not going to any treatment facility. And before you ask, you're not going to prison either."
She gave him a skeptical look. He explained. "What it comes down to is that we believe you. About everything."
"We?" She asked.
"Yes, we. You came on our radar back in 86. Some of your... associates, haven't been the most upstanding types.
We were particularly interested when you returned to the US. Especially after the bombing; or rather attempted bombing of that computer company."
"My one-way ticket to Pescadero."
He nodded. "Then when you escaped you had our attention again." He added, "Then Cyberdyne, then the steel refinery, then your trip to the hospital."
Sarah had known that was risky. But she'd been impaled through the shoulder by that thing. Not exactly something you can put a band aid on and walk away. "Guess I can't blame them," she said. "If I were them, I'd want more of an explanation too."
"From what both the police and hospital security said, it was obvious that you were avoiding details. Their first thought was some abusive boyfriend who might be a danger to you and your son."
"So, you and whatever agency you're with, believe me. Why?"
"A lot of reasons. In 84, we had one man assault a police station. He was hit several times by gunfire and it didn't even slow him down.
Then of course there was the factory where you crushed the terminator. Cyberdyne took possession of its remains but the police took photos." He paused. "Then the CCTV footage from the Galleria mall. Say what you want about mall guards, but you got to hand it to those guys. The dispatcher got some great footage of two guys shooting at each other at close range and neither one was hurt... But one had some very odd wounds."
Sara knew what "wounds" he was talking about. The very short-lived result of the bullets impact on the liquid metal of the T-1000. The agent...officer, or whatever he was went on. "Then Pescadero. They have cameras to." He smiled, "And a very stunned doctor Silberman. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what he told us."
She couldn't help cracking a small smile herself. She was too afraid at the time but later when it occurred to her that the man who'd held sway over her fate, and had such a condescending attitude toward her, had finally seen proof that she wasn't crazy. That it was all true. She couldn't deny some satisfaction. "I wasn't paying any attention to him. I really wish I had looked over to see his face when that thing walked through the bars."
"Ha, sorry Sarah. They didn't have anyone manning the cameras like the mall did. And the system didn't get any good close shots of his expression. By the way, I interviewed him too. I'm almost tempted to let you see the recording of that. I think he was worried about trading in his lab coat for a straitjacket."
'Oh, to see him on the other side of that conversation. To be told he was delusional. To have someone recommend six more months for him. Such poetic justice.' She thought to herself.
"He relaxed when we told him we knew he, and you, were telling the truth. That he wasn't going to be a resident of his own facility.
Fortunately, you and your assault team at Cyberdyne didn't kill anyone. Or it would be a lot harder to make that problem go away. Oh, you guys did forget one thing."
'Oh no!' she thought. "What?"
The terminator who fought with you against the shape shifting one, he took some damage. Left an arm behind."
She went pale. "Don't worry too much about that. The computer components were the real danger. No one's getting their hands on that anyway."
"Where is it going? Aria 51?"
With a smile he said, "Something like that."
"So, am I free to go?" She asked. He could see the apprehension on her face. No doubt she was bracing for him to give her some reason why she couldn't.
"Yes, you're free to go. John is waiting for you. Just, try to help him course correct a little. He's not going to have to be the fight any killer robots. But if he doesn't change his attitude, he's still won't have a very positive future."
"I think we'll both be happy to make some changes in our lives," she said as she went to join her son and start a new, normal life.
For a few minutes after Sarah left, Agent Crowe sat with all of the data he'd compiled. The data that had proven that Sarah was not insane and was not lying.
He wondered if the full implications of this had occurred to Sarah. They had apparently prevented an apocalyptic disaster. But this proved that time travel was real, or at least could be. It didn't work the way it did in the movies and TV shows he'd seen, but it was possible. That scared him as much as the idea of judgment day. He serenely hoped that it would never be developed. After all, everyone can think of some event that they'd like to change; certain that it would make for a better world. Imagine if it became possible to go back and at least try to implement those changes. There would almost certainly be people who would try. Not only would there be so many conflicting ideas about what constitutes a better world, but also so many unforeseeable consequences that may be far worse than whatever you're trying to 'fix'. Yet some would surely try. And what chaos would they bring about?
He would recommend that they prevent the development of such technology at any cost.
Sarah and John had made good on their vow to make a better life for themselves. She had gone back to finish her degree. And now she sat with her son and daughter in law watching the vote tallies come in.
Soon the phone rang. A campaign aide answered and handed it to John. With the numbers they were seeing there was no doubt who was on the other end of the line. Johns very gracious and diplomatic words left no doubt. His opponent had called to concede.
Sarah smiled. John had never even told his wife what kind of future he had been prepared for. That was a secret between the two of them. But she knew that her son was a natural leader, no matter what kind of battle he had to fight. He would lead the way.
And that was just what he did when he motioned for them to follow as he went out to address his supporters. She looked on with pride as he claimed the title of Senator John Connor.