[Revamped Chapter 2]

I usually make some mistakes and dumb sentencing when I write a chapter. I also see some events that I'd like to change or 'fix.' However, I never seem to spot any problems until after I've uploaded. So, I swear this'll be my last revamp. The next chapters will be read thoroughly before posted, I promise! I just made some tiny bit changes…

Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to the Terminator movies, all of it belongs to the respective directors and writers of the franchise.

Fate

Chap 2

Katherine Brewster slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was not in Scott's room. The ceiling had a generic feeling to it, like there were a million others exactly like it, almost military…

Oh, wait. It was military. Duh.

Memories of the previous day flooded her mind…the war…the nuclear destruction…it almost stopped Kate from realizing that something was lying on her stomach…and also holding her hand. She rolled her head onto its side and recognized John Connor. He was sitting in a chair but had seemingly fallen forward while sleeping, which left Kate's abdomen as a convenient pillow.

Kate smiled, she couldn't help it, John Connor was indeed the 'mess' she had thought. She wasn't sure how his hand ended up in hers, but…it was very cold, which made her worried.

"John?" The 'mess' gave no reply. "John!" she said a little louder, sitting up. He was starting to really worry her. She shouted, but she got no answer, nothing at all. Kate edged her self from under John's head and released his hand. She rolled to the other side of the bed, then ran over to where Connor sat. Quickly she felt his pulse and was relieved to feel a slow but steady beat. Fumbling around Kate found a light switch, lighting up the average-sized room. She laughed seeing the predicament he was in from a different angle, one half on the chair, the other on the side of the bed.

Sighing, Kate shook John (who was now hunched over onto the bed) and tried to wake him, with no response. "Come on you idiot, your scaring me…" She tried to lean him back into the chair, but pulled back quickly as her hand felt something hot and sticky. Her fingers were covered in red. John was bleeding, profusely; an unseen cut at the back of his head covered the length of half his skull.

Kate gasped; noticing now the large blood spot on her shirt that had been masked by the darkness.

"John!"

~

John groaned; the light in his eyes was seemingly trying to make him blind. His vision shook as he tried to focus. Where am I?

John closed his eyelids, deciding to give up on use of his irritated eyes at the moment. His mind raced…started from the beginning. Motorcycle…deer…vet hospital…meds…Kate…cage…Terminator…graveyard…TX…SkyNet…Crystal Peak…'who's in charge over there?'…'I am.'…hands…Kate…room… His thought process stopped there. This still doesn't tell me how I got here…or where here is…

Understanding that his eyes were of no help, John tried focusing his other senses…'

He was lying on something cold, metallic. There was a pillow under his head, his head hurt, a headache maybe. His hand moved slightly, feeling his body. He felt his bare skin, realized he was only wearing briefs. His chest was covered with assorted bandages, and something was on his leg…he couldn't tell what. The room was cold, but not freezing. He tried to move his arm, resulting in pain pouring out of the back of his head, making him open his mouth to yell. Only a small noise of frustration escaped, his mouth was dry and sore.

From his left he could hear movement.

"John…are you awake?"

Who? Was that Kate?

Soft hands opened his mouth and poured water into his mouth. John coughed and sputtered, grateful.

"John…it's me…Kate…can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

His voice was rough and it hurt to talk. "I…I can't…I tried…it was too bright."

"I'm sorry. I had to see to splinter your leg; this was the only light. Hold on…" John heard a 'click' sound, decided to try again. Opening his eyes slowly, John could make out a shape. A person…a girl…auburn hair…it was Kate. He tried to get up, fell back down on the metal table in immense agony.

"Agggghhhh! Holy sh** what happened to me?"

"John! Don't move your head or arms! You had a bad cut and I had to stitch it myself…" Kate looked down at him with a weird look in her eyes. Pity? No…something different… It was the look his mother would give him when he got hurt. "I'm sorry John. I tried looking for painkillers, I couldn't find any…and I'm afraid my stitching job wasn't very good…"

John looked at her; it was all he could do without hurting himself. "No…I'll be fine…thanks…"

Kate gave him a half smile, contradicted by the worried look in her eyes. Obviously, he was lying through his teeth, but he didn't want to trouble her. "What happened? All I can remember was…we got here…to the fallout shelter…you fainted…then I carried you to the room… and then…I think I fell asleep…"

Kate frowned. "That was two days ago…John…I found you, sitting on the chair in the room with that cut in the back of your head…I was really worried so I went over to you…" It was at this point that John recognized the look in her eyes. It was fear…fear for his life. It brought back memories from when he was very young, feelings he hadn't felt since he was maybe 12? It's funny how you forget what real human contact is. Knowing someone for more than just a few hours, having deep conversations…He missed it all. He had always thought that he would have to do this alone…lead the fighters all by himself but…

"…found the infirmary and…John? Are you okay?" Kate said, noticing that the drifter probably didn't hear a word she had said.

John nodded gently, felt pain at even this slight movement. "I'm sorry…I was just thinking…"

Kate nodded. "I know, it's a lot to take in. I'm glad you're awake. I thought I'd go insane these past two days…" Kate ran her left hand through her hair. John noticed it was missing Scott's ring…was about to ask her about it…

"But I guess it's okay now. Oh, before I forget I better do some basic tests on you, I don't want you to fall back asleep before I can check out your head…" The veterinarian quickly left John's field of vision and he heard some clinking to his right. Kate came back with a few instruments, peeled back lightly at one of John's bandages, above his mid abdomen. It was at this moment John remembered he was only wearing his briefs, his stomach twitching at her surprisingly warm touch.

Kate looked him over meticulously. Soon she started working on his face and head. Her hands were gentle, almost sleep inducing. She checked his eyes then carefully lifted his head to examine the scar. John was almost disappointed when she stopped. Life as a ghost had its disadvantages, almost all of them emotional but some were physical…

Kate's voice knocked John out of his lull. "Your getting better, I think in a day or two you'll be able to move around without hurting yourself." She winked. It was an almost automatic thing she would do with her patience's owners when giving good news. "Your leg will take longer, but I found some crutches in a medical closet. The supplies here are old, but enough to support an army…"

John gave a small grin. "This place is great…perfect even. He must of known this. The terminator I mean…Whether or not he realized it, I think by protecting us, he set us up for victory. Just by leading us here…"

Kate nodded, humming as she moved out of John's field of vision once more, began to delicately examine his leg.

"Or maybe it was fate. Fate that we'd end up here…"

Kate paused for a moment. "Or our future…for essentially creating our past for us." Another pause. "I don't know everything yet John…but it seems almost like we set ourselves up for victory. We choose our own path, and in a way, chose our own history…"

John let the words echo through his head. He didn't really understand what she was saying…but they sounded right.

Two days after Judgement day…and the mood had significantly changed. Maybe it was because Kate was relieved to see John alive, maybe it was because John was realizing he didn't have to face his destiny alone. Regardless, the first days of the resistance started off with two events.

One bad…one slightly better.

Hooboy! What'd you guys think of Chap 2? Let me know (read: review!) and I'll try to get chapter 3 up very soon. Also, in case anyone was wondering how John can spend an entire night sleeping while bleeding profusely, and yet still is alive. Well, its because he didn't spend the entire night. I made it so Kate didn't wake up too much after John fell unconscious. Thus, he had only been bleeding for let's assume maybe an hour or two. Not good, but not life ending. Adios!