…So, the third and final update is about a year and a half late. Umm…better late than never? I do not own the Terminator, just Andrea. She's mine.


We were running. We were always running. It had been eight years since our parents' death. Andrea was twenty-two, I was twenty-six. Andrea had become a lieutenant in John Connor's army, and I had become the commander of our militia. We were so close to winning. So close. The machines had been losing battles left and right. Victory was in our reach. I could almost see it dangling in front of our faces. As though I could reach out and grab it. But we still had a ways to go. And my world was about to come crashing down upon me.

We were running. Andrea was right behind me. I saw a ship in the near distance. I saw the gun barricade open and I saw the guns load. I grabbed Andrea and threw her to the ground, and we rolled as the shot rang above our heads. We began crawling towards a large piece of shrapnel, something to hide under. We reached our destination and scrambled under just as shot began firing again.

When the last shot was fired, we sprang up and began to run. I could see several terminators in front of us, twenty seconds from spitting distance. I pulled out my modified .357 and opened fire. One fell to the ground and the other opened fire on me. I ducked and rolled as Andrea did the same. I tried shooting again, but I was out. Shit. I glanced at Andrea, who immediately understood. She raised her gun and filled the terminator with holes. It fell to the ground, beaten. For the moment. I looked over and grinned at Andrea. She sat up and grinned back.

Suddenly, Andrea's grin contorted into that of shock and pain. I looked at her abdomen. There was a sudden abundance of rushing blood that hadn't been there before. The world seemed to slow down as Andrea fell. I could hear someone screaming. Only later did I realize that had been me. I caught her before she hit the ground and I could only stare with shock and misunderstanding. Then the world sped up again and I laid her down and grabbed her gun. I opened fire on the fucking machine, making sure that it wouldn't get back up again. I felt a sharp pain in my side, but I didn't care. That thing was going to die. The terminator collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

I dropped the gun and fell down at Andrea's side. I held her in my arms as she looked up at me, confused. She opened her mouth to try and speak, but I shushed her.

"Shh, baby, don't try to talk." She didn't listen. She never did.

"K-Kyle…"

"Shh…shh. It's okay. I'm going to get you to medic."

"Too…too late. Not enough," she coughed violently, and there was blood starting to drip out of her mouth. My baby sister was dying in my arms.

"Not enough time, Kyle…got to save…yourself." I shook my head, fighting back tears.

"There's enough time. Don't give up, Andrea. Please, don't give up." Please…please don't leave me, I silently told her.

"I can't stay…" I shook my head, but she shushed me this time.

"Listen…to me. Keep going. It'll be…okay. One day. We're close." She coughed again, "so close. Please, please keep going. For…for me." I shook my head again, holding her tighter.

"Don't leave me. I promised I would take care of you. I'm going to keep my promise." She smiled, as well as she could. She had such a beautiful smile. It was something she never forgot the ability to do.

"Kyle, you… you always take care…of me…" It was getting harder for her to speak, but I couldn't let her stop. I needed to hear her.

"You're…my, my big brother. And you take care of me. You always have…you…you always will."

"No. No, please. Stay here. Stay with me."

"Help her, Kyle. It's up to you…helping her…helps me. Helps you. I am…always here, Kyle…I need you to be strong…for me. I need you to keep going. You kept your…promise. You…always have." She was fading. She had held on for so long. So long. She was so strong. I held her even trying, trying to keep her alive for me. The bullets were flying all around me, and I knew that I was going to get attacked soon. It was a matter of time. But I couldn't leave her. I looked at my dying little sister, and she smiled with all the strength she could muster.

"You…kept your promise. Now please, Kyle…please. Save your…self. Save…her." The tears were coming now, and I wasn't trying to stop them. I was holding on for every last moment, every last breath.

"I…love…you, big brother." I smiled at her through the ever faster falling tears.

"I love you, too, little sister." She looked at me with her bright green eyes, and the life that she had lived so fiercely, so passionately, against all odds, faded away. She was gone. I began to sob, holding her lifeless body to mine.

"No…no, please, no. Come back…please come back." I cried out. Then the sadness turned to anger as the world around me came into focus. My senses were sharpened and I knew that there was immanent danger. I picked her up (she had always been so light, even dead weight…I stopped myself from thinking about that) and I picked up her still loaded gun. I turned around and saw that there were three terminators right behind me. I felt two shots hit my body, one grazed my leg, and the other passed through the meat of my shoulder.

I began shooting the machines, tearing through the flesh and metal that covered them. I plowed through them, operating on pure anger and adrenaline. I carried my sister, clearing the path to one of our safe houses. I finally reached it, and then the world seemed to speed past me in a blur.

I could feel them trying to take Andrea from me, but I refused. I wouldn't let anyone touch her; no one was allowed to come near her. I carried her to one of the beds and laid her down gently, folding her arms across her chest. I refused contact with anyone, until John came. He laid his hand on my shoulder and I immediately felt a release. I allowed them to discuss what to do with Andrea, and we decided to cremate her. Since she was a lieutenant, she was allowed special treatment. And I was a commander, and I pretty much had control of this whole damn barracks. Except for four of the other commanders, and John and Kate, of course. After the cremation, I spread her ashes in the Pacific Ocean, atop a cliff that she had liked when we had come her. It was a place of peace for her, and I so desperately wanted that.

Several weeks went by, and I continued to fight. The picture that John had given me of his mother Sarah was destroyed, and I felt another piece of me fade away. Then, one month after Andrea's death, victory was attained. A relief came over my barracks like a wave, but I only felt more depressed. I wished so much that Andrea were here to see it.

Two days later, word spread that what remained of the enemy had modeled a time machine, much like the one our engineers had been working on and almost perfected, and was planning on going back and killing Sarah Connor. This would kill John, who had been our leader and the reason for our victory. It was a smart plan, but it naturally infuriated me. The time machine had always been a sore point for Andrea, who argued that it should never work, it was too illogical.

I was brought in as a consultant for what to do about the new development. Apparently, we had been able to finish our time machine and there was a debate as to what should be done. John came up with the idea to send one of our own back and to destroy the terminator that would be sent to kill his mother. Of course, he would come up with that idea as that was what happened. I never understood that. I never tried to, though Andrea had almost gone crazy over what had happened and how it was possible.

The only problem was who to send. Whoever went would never be able to come back, and would be stuck in the past if he were to succeed. John kept quiet about this, as he obviously knew who had been sent. As the debate wore on, I volunteered. It was perfect. I could meet the woman I loved, Sarah. I would save her. The future would occur and everything would be okay. It wasn't as though I had anything to lose. Andrea was…gone. John didn't argue, so I could only hope he already knew. After a little more debate, it was agreed that I would be the one to go.

I was standing naked in front of the machine, ready to leave. I could hear the people bustling around, getting ready for my departure. I heard beeps and the clicking and clacking of keys on keyboards. I heard all these things, and at the same time, I couldn't hear them at all. I could hear Andrea, hear her voice. I could see Andrea. I could see her face, see her smile. See her tears. See her eyes. I could feel her in my arms, holding her. Squeezing her. Begging her not to go. Not to leave me. I could hear her-

"Reese." I turned around. It was John Connor. I snapped to attention and saluted my leader.

"At ease." I moved into position, slightly embarrassed by the fact that I was still naked.

"Are you ready?" I nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me truthfully. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir." John nodded, then looked me straight in the eyes and asked,

"Are you okay?" I racked my brain, trying to decide. I settled on the truth.

"Physically, I am fit and ready for the journey and the immanent arrival in 1984 at 0700 hours on May 12. Emotionally…my emotions are irrelevant. They can be controlled."

"Wrong. Emotions are not irrelevant. They are just as important as physical fitness. Make sure you understand the reason you are doing this. You understand the reason you are doing this, correct?"

Did I understand the reason? Did I really? Yes. I was going for her. For Sarah. For the woman I loved. But I was also going for my other reason. For Andrea. Andrea. I remembered her dying words and how she had told me to save her, whoever she was. Maybe "she" was Sarah. I could only hope that was who Andrea had meant. I could help Andrea, even after her death, by saving who I believed Andrea wanted me to save. I was going for Sarah, but also for Andrea's future. Because I had a promise to keep. I hadn't failed her yet. Not yet.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Good luck, Reese." John shook my hand and stepped away to stand at the controls. I readied myself for what was to come. I looked over at the person who was about to send me back in time. What was his name? Barrera? Did it really matter?

"Okay, Reese. Step into the portal." Barrera (?) said. I stepped into the large metal contraption they called a portal.

"Be warned: there will be a bright light, and more than likely, a lot of pain."

"Yeah, got it." Pain I could deal with. I'd had enough of it in my lifetime.

"Get into position." I lay on the floor and curled myself into a fetal position.

"Ready in five…four…" I thought of the future, or in this case, the past. Of Sarah and my picture. Of my plan. And mostly, of Andrea. Of her strength. Of her compassion. Of my promise. I promised her I would take care of her. She said I had kept it, but I didn't. So I made a new one. As she had lay dying in my arms, I made a new promise. One I could keep. I would save her. Save her future. Save our life, our memories. If I couldn't save her future, I could save her past. Without John, there was no Andrea. Saving Sarah, saving John, would mean saving Andrea.

"Three…two…"

My reason was her. My little sister. I loved Sarah Connor. I was going for her. But I was also going for the true love of my life, my Andrea. For the girl who had brightened my days as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult. My life. I had to save her past. I had to save her future. I had to save her. If that meant my death, so be it. All for her.

"…One."


That's all! Thanks to all who read and especially those who reviewed. A thousand apologies for taking SO long. My Terminator muse had been dormant for awhile, and it came back, so I wrote like crazy. I may edit this, because I wrote it at elevon o'clock at night after having watched T3. So, some things may be wrong. I'll go back and check, but I was too proud of myself for finishing it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the LONG ride!