One Day You Will Chapter 11: Lullaby For A Princess, a terminator: sarah connor chronicles fanfic

[Reader's discretion is advised. Mature readers only. Contains sexual content, not suitable for young readers.]

April 11th, 2030

John studied Destiny as she slept.
Silently, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Voiceover By Sarah

"Calm, peaceful, happy. You can't freeze time. You can't protect your children from the future that awaits. The moment's there and then, it's gone."

He sighed deeply. Slowly he pulled a needle from his pocket and injected a small chip into her left bicep. Destiny winced in her sleep.

"Sorry, baby…. You left me no choice."

April 20th, 2010

"Brake!" Racheal yelled.

" I can see that, Mom. Jeez. "Destiny complained and stomped on the brake.

Racheal glared at her from the passenger seat. "Are you trying to wreck the car?"

Destiny grit her teeth. "I'm trying to park the car. Lay off"

Racheal reached over and slapped the back of her head. "Watch it!"

Destiny winced and parked in the driveway. Racheal sighed as they walked in the house.

"Rough trip? "Sarah asked.

"I think I've shaved ten years off my life." Racheal said as Destiny rolled her eyes.

Sarah chuckled. "No more driving lessons?"

"Think we'll move on to swimming lessons instead." Racheal said and climbed the stairs where she found her younger self waiting on her, nervously fluttering her eyes around the house.

Racheal looked to her older self "Did I make a mistake? I mean, John and I are destined to be together but," she paused while she searched for the right words. "Maybe I've rushed things?"

The woman shook her head slowly "No, why postpone the inevitable? But John isn't TJ. It'll take more than some accidental bumping and grinding for John's interest to spark."

"But… He's just so passive. It feels like there's only one person in this relationship and it's not John."

"Yeah, I remember feeling like that all too well," the woman sighed. "He'll change eventually, but you've got to remember that his mother is pretty dominant, extremely protective and very controlling of him."

"But I'm dating him, not his mother," she interjected.

"Still, if you boss him around, he'll become even more closed off. Just let him figure it out on his own terms. That's the best advice I can give you."

"So… What? I wait? What if he never figures it out?"

"Oh, believe me, he will," the woman answered with a distant look on her face. "It might not turn out to be backbreaking and earth shattering but it'll still be very satisfying. If you love someone like John Connor, you'll soon learn to deal with it."

She blushed. In a way this was more than she had wanted to know, but it was also some sort of relief. "But isn't there something I can do? To speed things up? I mean, he does come to me whenever he feels like it, but then it takes like forever for him to make a next move."

Her older version laughed warmly: "Just be patient, dear. And if all else fails, you can always very lightly brush your lips against where his jaw and neck meet." She smirked and went on to her room.

Destiny sat at the table and worked on her homework alone. She had barely opened her textbook when Sarah sat down across from her.

"I hid your bra in your room when you were out with your mother."

"Thanks," she said sheepishly.

"It's TJ, right?" Sarah asked pointedly. "The boy you took your bra off for?"

She felt her ears begin to glow before she glanced up and swallowed hard: "Yeah, but just once."

Sarah nodded slowly and kept quiet for a long moment, clearly thinking: "Was it-?"

"Great? It was amazing," she gushed suddenly, surprised at herself and completely forgetting the fact that Sarah hated to be interrupted. "He was just so patient and sweet."

"So not what I wanted to ask," Sarah grumbled while shaking her head wearily. "And most likely not what I wanted to hear either."

"Oh, sorry," she muttered.

"I wanted to know if it was a one time thing or not," Sarah smiled slowly.

"I don't know," she sighed.

Sarah nodded again: "Do you love him? Is that why?"

She gulped nervously. It had been an act of rebellion, not an act of love. Not at first. Nevertheless something had changed during. When she thought of TJ now, she got a strange feeling in her stomach and felt a little giggly. Trying to be casual about it, she shrugged her shoulders: "I don't know yet. Maybe. I think so. As much as anyone can after one day," she answered, looking at Sarah meaningfully.

"Who told you about… him and me?" Sarah asked sharply.

"Nana did. Once in the future… as a bedtime story," she smirked.

She could tell that Sarah was contemplating her next question, the look in the woman's eyes growing distant slowly. It had to be about him, because she had seen that look a few times before. "Did… Did you know him?"

"Found me lost in the tunnels when I was three. Took me home and kind of became my playmate and later a friend, more of a big brother, I guess. I wish I could've told him goodbye before he," she stopped when she saw the sad look on Sarah's face. "Please, Sarah, don't tell my mom about TJ. I'll be locked in my room for another sixteen years," she pleaded with her. "And only god knows what she'll do to TJ."

"I won't tell her… for now. Not if what the two of you have is real and won't blow up within a week or so."

She shook her head: "It won't."

Sarah smiled slowly again: "We'll see but I have to warn you, Destiny. TJ doesn't have the best track record when it comes to girls. Usually they don't last much longer than a week."

"But I'm not just any girl," she protested. "I know the dark future, have seen the metal monster inside his head. He doesn't have to push me away to keep his heart safe." Sarah nodded. "So he's had a few girls," she added. "It only means that he was looking for something."

"Or running from something, have you considered that?" Sarah concluded. "God, do I really allow my son to bring you up so very naïve?"

She looked at Sarah curiously, not entirely sure what the woman was aiming at. "Dad was in Century for a long time," she defended her father. "And Nana was giving Skynet hell for it."

"Let me put it differently. TJ's nineteen. Pretty much still a boy. And anything with a skirt will give him a hard-on."

"I don't wear skirts," she countered annoyed. "And I did give him a-" She stopped herself from finishing that sentence, fearing she had said too much already, feeling her cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment.

Sarah smiled lightly amused and shook her head: "So what brought this on? I know that the four of you hang out from time to time, but I had no idea that you liked him. At least not like that." It was a good question to which she had no immediate answer. She could feel Sarah's eyes rest on her, studying her. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with being a hormone-crazed teen that has lived a very sheltered life back home?" Sarah asked when the silence lasted a little too long.

"I'm sure," she said after giving it some thought.

"So you fall for a guy while you're under him… Sounds like a hormone-crazed teen to me," Sarah stated bluntly. Heat rushed to her cheeks again.

"Maybe it does sound like that," she admitted reluctantly.

"But it's not like that."

"So you say."

"No, really, it's not like that," she protested vehemently. "He's smart, cool and funny… and insanely cute. Good things of Tyler but none of the bad, except for the nanos… I don't know… I've only known him for a short while but it feels like I've known him for much, much longer… I guess, I do like him."

A warm chuckle drifted into the dining room and she looked up to see TJ standing in the doorway. "You like me, huh?" He grinned crookedly. Her heartbeat picked up; she had not wanted him to know this. Not yet. But now that he did and did not immediately dismiss it, it did not feel so bad that he already to play the part of it being the most common thing in the world, she just smirked and opened a soda can:

"I really hate it when people sneak up on me."

"I try to be quiet, Princess," he said smugly with Princess sounding how she liked it. "Just stopping by and see if you want to go for a ride or something?" Heat rose to her cheeks rapidly; he wanted to hang out with her alone? Or did he have another motive? Like getting her alone again and. She did not allow herself to finish that thought and turned her attention to Sarah. There was a brooding look on the woman's face, which was all too familiar to her. Sarah was clearly thinking about something:

"Tyler is your guard, right?"

"Sadly yes," she mumbled.

The brooding look on Sarah's face intensified: "DNA-wise Tyler and TJ are one and the same person, right?"

"Right," she sighed.

"Just at different stages in life. But they are one and the same." "So if Tyler is your guard, TJ could be as well," Sarah pondered aloud. "Wouldn't it be less awkward if you were to walk around with TJ as your pretend boyfriend? Instead of having the hulk stalk you like a shadow?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe Sarah wasn't her Nana yet, but it was definitely something her Nana would come up with. She looked at TJ and caught him looking at her. A soft giggle welled up. "Sounds like a plan," she nodded before taking a sip of her soda.

"We will have TJ take over the chore gradually and convince your mother that's just a pretend relationship. You'll have to be quiet though. About it," Sarah added.

"How quiet?" TJ asked, a crooked grin slowly forming on his lips. "Like cricket quiet or like John and Racheal doing the horizontal tango quiet?"

She spewed her soda and started choking. A quick glance told her that Sarah was anything but amused and that TJ was fighting to keep a straight face. Sarah remained eerily quiet while the look on her face spoke volumes about her mood. It was a worry to her, because, even as her Nana, Sarah never had needed much to severely ryno the bearer of news. "A huff. A puff. And a creak," TJ finally broke the silence. "And… Done." She shuddered at that idea because it was still her parents he was joking about.

By now Sarah looked like she could explode. "Where's John? And that girl?" Sarah asked, her voice was inexplicably calm. She gulped nervously: it was one thing to see Sarah's impressive temper ignite, it was another thing to hear that calmness in her voice. She glanced at TJ, who was looking up at the ceiling, pretending to be completely innocent. Sarah followed TJ's gaze: "You're kidding, right?" Please, she thought, please, whatever you're thinking, TJ, don't say it.

"Well," TJ began. "It is pretty quiet, don't you think?" She could not remember that she had ever seen Sarah this furious before.

"I want you two out in the garage for practice in ten," Sarah snapped at them before storming off.

"Really, TJ?" She looked at him incredulously.

He grinned crookedly: "She's bound to find out her little boy is doing the horizontal tango sooner or later… I only helped with the sooner." She shook her head. Maybe if it had not been her parents, she could have appreciated this practical joke. But now she was worried about the consequences.

A few minutes earlier.

John looked at his cell phone again and frowned deeply confused. She had texted him before, but always when she was out of the house. At school, at the mall, but not at home. It just did not add up. She was home; all she would have to do was come to his room, knock on his door and enter. Now she had sent him a message, asking him to come up to her room. It did not make any sense. After taking a deep breath and putting his cell phone back in the back pocket of his jeans, he opened the door and went into her room. The air wheezed from his lungs and he stood rooted to the floor when he saw her stretched out on her bed, only wearing underwear. It was not the most seductive underwear he could imagine but it was definitely doing the trick. Soon his jeans were uncomfortably snug. Something that did not go unnoticed to her, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"Come here, JoJo," she purred.

JoJo? He frowned a little confused but finally understood how she had meant it. It brought a warm smile to his face. Step by step, he inched closer to her bed while she moved towards the edge.

"Rache," he mumbled, drawn to the intense look in her eyes.

"Yes?" She purred again, reaching for his belt before pulling him towards her.

He stumbled a little by her force. "We can't," he muttered, his resistance ebbing away quickly like snow in the sun. "Mom's home, and -"

"Forget your mom," she growled annoyed. Her annoyance did not keep her from undoing his belt and his jeans. Another soft wheeze slipped past his lips when she yanked his jeans down to his knees and slowly slid a hand over the front of his boxers. "It would be such a shame to let this go to waste," she giggled before she got up from the bed and rubbed herself against him.

"Uhm," he mumbled insecurely.

"Forget about your mom, JoJo," she said in a seductive whisper, brushing her lips lightly against the spot where his jaw and neck met. "Just you and me," she added.

"Just you and me," he echoed, unable to resist her seduction any longer. He had no idea what she had just done to him and he did not care either. His blood was boiling through his veins and all he could think of was her. Slowly and seductively he slid his hands up her back. "Damnit," he grumbled through gritted teeth when her bra caused him problems yet again.

"You really should practice more," she teased. "But not now," she added with a nervous giggle before she unhooked her bra and let it slide off.

A shaky sigh of appreciation escaped him when he looked at her. TJ is a fool for letting her go, he thought. Yet he was beyond happy that his rival had stepped back. He groaned softly when her hands brushed up against his skin while she pulled his T-shirt up and over his head. She smiled at him and took his right hand, only to place it on her lower abdomen and guide it down to her panties. It was a less than subtle hint, and he smiled faintly. He brought his left hand down and helped her out of her panties, making sure that his hands brushed up against her a few times and listened with satisfaction to her little moans. She was completely naked now and he did a step back to take a good look at her but she moved towards him, brushing her lips against that spot where his jaw and neck met again. His blood roared with desire and now it was him who moved closer, forcing her to lay down, only to follow her close.

"Please, John," she murmured when he came to rest upon her, her left arm coming around the small of his back.

Only still separated by his boxers, he rocked against her. She wriggled against him, and he had to fight to keep the last bit of his sanity. That last bit of sanity, that was lost completely not a few seconds later when he felt her right hand glide over his chest down to his abdomen before sliding down the front of his boxers and tenderly closing around him. A low growl rumbled in his chest. Suddenly it could not go fast enough for him; he wanted her, needed her, more than anything right now. Quickly he pulled his boxers down. Suddenly she was there, her bodily heat surrounding him. All he felt was her. All he saw was her. She whimpered softly when he sank away deeper into her, both her hands exploring his back. He pulled away and immediately returned to her. Her soft moan mingled with his low groan. "Oh, John," she breathed, kissing the spot where his jaw and neck met while her fingers wandered over his upper back. After a few hesitant moves he found a steady flow in his thrusting, one she could easily match. "Oh, JoJo," she gnashed her teeth, her nails digging deep into his skin.

All of a sudden the door to her room flew open, crashing into the wall with a loud bang. "John Connor!" The tone of voice of his mother did not bode came to an immediate halt. Racheal looked at him, her eyes wide open with shock and horror.

"Oh geesh," she mumbled mortified.

"John Connor!" His mother bellowed again.

"Mom, please," his own voice sounded distant. "Give us a minute?" This had to be the most horrifying moment of his life. Caught in the act by his mother.

"One minute! No more!" Distancing footsteps. The door slammed shut. He knew that she was waiting out in the hallway. And that one minute was one minute."TJ," he concluded. "Seems something he'd enjoy."

How the hell else could his mother have known? Someone had tipped her off and his money was on TJ. Was it payback? Or just for laughs? Racheal whimpered when she felt him leave her. John brushed his lips against hers and quickly he pulled his boxers and jeans up. Sighing, Racheal grabbed her underwear and got dressed. One minute was one minute. Before she could put her shirt on, the door opened.

"What the hell were the two of you thinking?" Were you even thinking ?"

John didn't meet her eyes. "There's no promise of tomorrow, Mom. We're together in the future so why wait?"

" There's war coming, John. I'm assuming you weren't using protection. Are you prepared to bring a baby into the madness?" Both teens glanced at each other then the floor. "Of course you weren't being safe." Sarah rolled her eyes. "There is no promise of tomorrow but this isn't the time for this. You need to get your head in the game."

Racheal started to giggle but camouflaged it as a cough.

John glared at Sarah. "When is the time for me to live my life?"

"Love is an Achilles' heel, John. Look at where it gets you. No one is ever safe. Nowhere is ever safe. Always looking over your shoulder. Putting yourself in harm's way to protect the ones you love. You can't risk that, John. You're too..."

"Important.? I know. You've been telling me that over and over and over since I was three. But I'm not three anymore. I'm nineteen, mom. Not a kid anymore" John snapped.

Sarah steeled her voice."Not an adult either or you would have thought before acting."

"Just like you did..with dad right?" A dry crack. John touched his left cheek which had begun to burn. He looked at his mother in shock. The look on her face told him that he had crossed the line, big time.

"Mom?"

"Enough, John," Sarah answered with an icy voice.

She could tell from the look on Sarah's face that the woman was about to lose her patience; they had already been waiting for more than five minute and TJ still was a no-show. Her jaw almost dropped to the floor when TJ entered the garage not a minute later. He had traded in his dress shirt, jeans and army boots for gray cut-off sweat pants, a white sleeveless T-shirt and white sport shoes. He looked more than insanely cute; he looked smoking hot. She glanced at Sarah, who stood with her arms crossed shaking her head warily:

"You honestly think the tin cans will wait for Mr Devlin to change his clothes, TJ?" Sarah asked sharply.

She could not help but giggle at that remark. TJ had changed his clothes on purpose, because he knew she liked him. He sent her his crooked grin and she had to tell herself to roll her eyes at him, trying to remain unimpressed by his appearance. Which was an incredibly difficult thing to do. His nice tan emphasized by the light clothes. His broad shoulders, his narrow hips. That crooked grin. She gulped nervously, on edge and something else. What the hell was happening to her?

"Nah," TJ answered with a shrug.

Now it was Sarah's turn to roll her eyes, although she was sure that Sarah did not have to pretend to not be impressed by his change of appearance. "Be serious, TJ. This isn't a goddamn joke," Sarah hissed. That crooked grin again. She groaned softly. He was challenging Sarah, just for the fun of it. Sarah simply ignored it. Or did she? She worried about the brooding look in Sarah's eyes. "Destiny, think you can show this funny boy a thing or two?" Her mouth went dry all of a sudden and she had to swallow a few times. Somehow her mind had wandered; there was a whole lot she wanted to show him and none of it had anything to do practicing hand-to-hand combat.

"Like what?" She squeaked.

"Anything," Sarah answered before she turned to TJ. "Anything that will get this funny boy, who thinks tin cans will wait for him, into shape."

TJ looked bored and unafraid: "First off, I was wearing my favorite shirt. And second, Rick called."

"I'll make sure to tell Skynet to hold off all attacks so you can change your clothes and answer phone calls," Sarah snapped at him.

"He just wanted to confirm if we were still on for chick-cruising tonight," he said in his defense.

The silly grin disappeared from her face immediately. Anger welled up from deep inside while she felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach, extremely hard. She had slept with him, given him her virginity, and now he was thinking about chasing other girls already. Had Sarah been right to warn her about him? A quick glance at Sarah told her that she was just as furious. Had her thoughts been consumed by all the wicked things she wanted to do to him just a minute ago, now they were filled with rage, disgust and hate. Without wasting another second, she stormed up to him and rammed her fist into his stomach, as hard as she could. He doubled up, clutching his stomach, coughing and gasping. Everything went into instinct. She grabbed him by his hair. It felt very soft between her fingers. Her determination was almost undermined by the hesitation that followed upon that feeling. Almost. She forcefully pushed his head down while bringing her right knee up. Nana's signature move. Sarah's signature move. He growled in pain when her knee collided with his forehead. It did not knock him out, but it did result in the foulest curses she had ever heard.

"Holy fúcking hell, woman!" He seethed. He looked up at her, left arm still protectively across his stomach, his right hand carefully touching his right eyebrow. Blood had started to trickle down the side of his face. Did she feel bad about splitting his eyebrow? No, she concluded. "What the fúck is wrong with you Connor women?!"

"What the fúck is wrong with you?!" She hissed back. "I thought… You and I… We," she stammered when in all her anger she could not find the right words.

"When I agreed to go chick-cruising with Rick," he paused for a short moment. "You and I… We hadn't happened yet."

"And we won't ever happen again!"

"Oh really?" His hazel-colored eyes flashed with danger and promise. The arrogance. "So if there's nothing between us, I better call Rick back and tell him I am coming along," he added while he sat down on the floor.

"Huh?" She was confused now. Had she heard it right? Her anger subsided a little.

"Told him I wasn't going. That I met someone… A special girl," he explained. "But I guess I was mistaken." He heaved a deep sigh and touched his eyebrow again: "Connor women, always so quick to jump to all kinds of conclusions, most of them wrong," he added sarcastically.

"Oh geez, TJ," she mumbled, all her anger gone suddenly. "I'm sorry."

"As you should be," he grumbled annoyed.

"Really, I-I-I," she was at a loss for words.

"What gives you the fúcking right to attack me like that without hearing the full story first, hmm?" He sounded more and more angry with each word. She sat down on her knees next to him and reached out to touch him. Hurt shot through her when he leaned away.

"I don't know," she muttered upset. "Heard 'chick-cruising' and I went blind." She sent Sarah an accusing look. If only Sarah had not put a seed of doubt in her mind by warning her about TJ. He carefully touched his eyebrow again and then looked at the blood on his finger tips:

"Yeah, I can tell." She rested her hands on her thighs since he did not allow her to touch him: "You're the first guy not to be intimidated by my family… And we had sex," she blushed fiercely. "I thought… You're my first boyfriend, TJ." His gaze came to rest on her abruptly, curiously. She felt a little uncomfortable to be having a conversation like this in front of the woman who once would be her Nana, but if it meant TJ would not walk out the door and out of her life, it was a conversation worth having. "When I heard chick-cruising, I thought," she paused while she searched for the right words. "I thought that it had meant nothing to you. That we meant nothing. And I just lost it."

"Boyfriend?" He asked slowly and her heartbeat picked up when she finally saw a glimpse of his crooked grin. "Wouldn't that make you my girlfriend?"

She nodded slowly: "Uh huh, unless you don't want a violent, territorial and stupid girl who is quick to jump to conclusions as your girlfriend."

"Violent, yes. Territorial, maybe. Stupid, no," he grinned. "I know you like me, Princess, and Sarah suggested that pretend girlfriend-boyfriend thing, but we haven't really talked since," he stopped midsentence, looking at Sarah suddenly.

"We fúcked," she finished his sentence with a giggle. "I know… It's just… I needed to think about it… Truth is I like you, TJ. A lot."

"And what better way to show a guy you really like him than splitting his eyebrow with a knee to the head," he teased while he treated her to his crooked grin.

"Oh, shut up," she giggled, giving him a playful push. This went far and beyond annoying; TJ was not even trying. Yes, she had split his eyebrow but that was no reason to start slacking off.

First that whole discussion about not attacking women, and now he was not taking anything of it seriously. She had to agree with Sarah that they were preparing for war and not a tea party. "I'm not going to hit a woman," TJ had protested vehemently, putting the emphasis on 'not'.

"Then the Grays'll be in luck. You'll be making it damn easy for them," she had countered frustrated.

"And god forbid if Skynet ever learns about it. All it'll have to do is send a female infiltrator after you to get rid of you. This is war, TJ, and the sooner you let go of those chivalrous ideas, the better," Sarah had added darkly.

She glanced at TJ, who was catching his breath after ending up on the bench again. For someone who was getting a severe beating he sure seemed to recover quickly. She had sent him into the wall and onto the bench a few times, but it did not take him all that long to get back on his feet. Now she looked at Sarah who answered her with a simple nod, like an unspoken agreement. Sarah surely had to know that he was not making any effort. "Again," Sarah barked.

TJ turned around, took his position and lunged at her again. He attacked blindly, without anticipating. She easily sidestepped him, turned around quickly and struck him hard in the kidney. It hurt her when she heard his deep growl of pain. If only he tried. It was just practice for her, to keep sharp and in shape. But for him? He needed to learn. Danger came in many forms. After a quick look at him, she decided to give him a little more time to recover, so she could think. Why did he keep attacking blindly? He was always so calm and collected, up to challenge. It just did not add up. "Again!" Sarah said sharply.

She glanced at his face, at his injured eyebrow in particular. It was still a bit swollen, but the cut had already started to close up. No wonder he would be able to survive injuries that would kill any other person who was not infected with nanoattrioids. Given his starting stance, the dark look in his eyes, he would attack blindly without plan again. Shifting her weight back and forth between her left and right foot, she prepared for his wild lunge. Speed and skill, it had saved her many times. He lunged as she had expected, she stepped aside to throw him off his balance and started on her quick turnaround to strike him and send him flying again. Something was off! In the split second she had her back turned to him, that fraction of time where she could not see him, he had changed his direction, his plan. His right arm came around her waist and she gasped from impact. A cry of surprise passed her lips while they both tumbled over the garage floor. The change had caught her off-guard, disorientated her for a few seconds. Enough time for him to gain the upper hand and pin her down. She looked at his face again; that crooked grin and that mischievous glint in his eyes. She shuddered with need and let out a soft groan. Immediately his smug look of victory was replace by one of concern. She felt him relax his hold on her. That was all she needed to turn the tables on him. Using his moment of being distracted, she shoved him aside, following him quickly. Sitting on his stomach, she put her hands on his upper arms and pinned him down. He did not resist her hold, only looked at her with a mixture of surprise and reproach. The look saddened her. Was he mad that she had fooled him? But he had fooled her first.

"Not fair," he complained. It brought a grin of victory to her face. Now he did look mad at her and she let the grin disappear immediately. "Really thought I'd hurt you," he added sourly.

"Sorry," she mumbled. It was unsettling how much his angry look had effect her. He had to know that she was only playing, right? The look on his face told her that he did not. He was right; it had not been really fair, but she had yet to meet a human who did fight fair. Even he did not: he had changed his attack so suddenly, she had had no time to counter. Not fair either. Anger flared to life. "And you're the one to talk! You could've really hurt me like that," she growled angrily, sinking her fingers into his upper arms. It should have been his turn to feel bad, but he seemed to be unaffected by her anger. Or maybe he was just better at hiding it.

"Wouldn't have happened if Sarah and you hadn't been so hell bend on practice," he simply said.

"Then why did you agree?" She asked, her anger unrelenting. He kept quiet for a long time and for some reason she was convinced that he would have scratched himself behind his left ear if she had not pinned him down. Her patience had started to run really thin when he finally said:

"Because I'd like to hang out with you." In a way it was a pretty disappointing answer, especially since it had taken him so long to come up with the simplest of answers. However at the same time she realized that he had taken a beating on purpose to hang out with her. Her anger dimmed a little.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to ask me out on a date?"

"Maybe," he nodded in agreement. "Dinner. Movie. Your mother."

She groaned with annoyance. He had a point. Her mother. She loved her mother dearly, but she no longer was the naïve little girl her mother took her for. The boy underneath her, looking up at her, had made very sure of that. The memory, sudden and intense, short-circuited her reason. A deep sigh welled up from deep within. "So, unless your mother accepts me as the pretend boyfriend, no dinner, no movie… Only kicking my ass on occasion," he said with a straight face until he reached the kicking ass bit.

"You really didn't try, did you?" She smirked.

"Nah," he grinned crookedly. "It's way more fun to make you believe you can actually take me," he teased. She looked at him for a few seconds, shaking her head slowly. Acting on a whim, she slid down from his stomach to his lap. "Princess," he growled softly when she rocked and ground against him very subtly

. "Actually," she smirked again. "I think I can take you." The world seemed to fade out again, until it was just the two of them left. Ideas, fantasies of the wicked things she wanted to do to him swirled through her mind, making her moan softly with lust. A loud 'Ahem' woke her roughly from her state of mind and she turned her head a little to see Sarah staring at them darkly. She blushed from head to toe and scrambled to her feet as quick as possible.

Destiny snuck around in the dark. Rushing behind trees, beneath bushes. The dark brought her to life. Like home. The living on the edge. Her senses tingled. Her breath became shallow as to not attract attention. And there he was. Leaning against a tree, smug look on his face. "Hey, Princess."

In her excitement, she pinned him to the nearby tree and pulled her black tank-top over her head. Grinning, she kissed him passionately. "Hey, baby." TJ smirked and returned her kiss as he rolled her black shorts and panties to her ankles.

Destiny smirked and jerk his shorts off. "Nice, babe." She grinned.

TJ eased her to the ground and eagerly climbed on top of her, kissing her neck as she moaned softly. "You are so gorgeous naked."He whispered sultry in her ear.

"You should see things from my point of view." She said as he eased himself into her. She groaned and turned her eyes to the stars as he paced himself with deep, hard thrusts. Ecstasy..Pleasure …Sinfully Sweet. The boy had divine skills. Ever so gently he cupped breasts as her hands glided down his back to his behind. They moaned simultaneously as she pressed on him, forcing him deeper. The stars seemed to swirl above her as TJ groaned and released himself to her.

April 21st, 2010

Destiny grumbled to herself while walking past aisles of crayons and markers. "Do we really have to been here?"

"You need school supplies, so yes." Racheal answered.

Destiny rolled her eyes and gripped TJ's hand, smirking to herself. Racheal shook her head and kept adding supplies to the cart while Destiny acted , notebooks, and sharpies.. whatever. TJ looked around nervously.

"What's the matter? Afraid she's pick Lisa Frank stuff for you?" Destiny teased.

TJ tensed and focused his eyes on a man one aisle over. Stiff posture..unhuman like expression. TJ lunged and pushed Destiny behind him as the shots rang out. Searing, hot pain shooting through his inner, left side and Destiny cried out. Racheal stumbled to her feet and pushed herself in front of the kids as the shooter shot again, nicking her in the leg. She collapsed under her own weight as Tyler threw Destiny over his shoulder and took off. The terminator darted to the other side of the aisle and chased them. Racheal knelt down beside TJ as the blood pooled beneath him.

"Breathe." She said and applied pressure."The nanos won't let you bleed out."

Tyler raced away, weaving in and out of aisles as the terminator pursued. The faster Tyler ran, the more the force made Destiny bounce on his shoulder. "Put me down, please! It's killing me!

"Not gonna happen, Silver Spoon."

Destiny caught sight of the machine and yelled. "Duck!" Tyler dropped to the floor as the terminator shot, catching a bullet in his shoulder. Grimacing, Tyler picked Destiny back up and ran on. Racheal poked out of the side of shelf and shot at the machine. It turned to her and fired as she ducked back behind the shelves.. When the machine turned back to follow after Tyler, the ceiling lights glimmered off of a small green box in its hand.

A familiar looking box. Racheal caught her breath before yelling in Tyler's direction. "It's tracking her!..Cut out her tracker!"

Tyler dove in the clothing section and laid Destiny down before ripping a gray shirt off a hanger and stuffing in her mouth. He pat down her left bicep till he found the small bulge of skin near her shoulder. Quickly he pressed it between his thumbs and index fingers and pushed the chip through the layers of her skin as Destiny's face reddened and her eyes rolled to the back. Tyler rolled the chip between his fingers before crushing it in his left hand and removed Destiny's gag. Slowly, he got to his feet and took off in the direction he came. He slammed into the machine and shoved it into a wall as Racheal scrambled to her feet and began lugging TJ out of the store.

Destiny woke bleary eyed to see Charley examining her wound. He smiled when he saw her gaze. "You've lost some blood but I think you'll be just fine."He filled a syringe with clear liquid. "Just need to give you an antibiotic and then, It's just rest." He smirked.

"It can't work ..I mean, I'm allergic ..to penny..penicillin."

He shot the syringe into her vein and smiled again. "I know. A better death than a blow to the head. Don't you think?"

Destiny felt her throat tighten and her face quickly swelled. She tried to take a breath and panicked when she found herself wheezing. Her heart raced as she tried to make her voice work.

"Mama?"

"Mama!"

"Here."A voice sounded as a warm hand pressed against her cheek."Sssh." Racheal eased.

Slowly her heart began to calm. She glanced at her wound. Charley frowned as he felt around.

"Bullet is going to be difficult to get out if even possible. She'll need blood after the penicillin gets far enough along."

"Penicillin?" Racheal asked. "She has an allergy to that!"

Charley looked dumbfounded for a moment before scrambling for his bag on the counter. Destiny's heart raced and her breath wheezed. Racheal turned back to her, opened her mouth and forced air in. "Easy, easy."

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as her dream replayed before her eyes. She pushed her mother away and scrambled off the kitchen table, leaving the adults to grab at her feet. Destiny raced across the room, grabbed her mother's 9mm off the counter by the door. She pointed it from her mom to Charley and back, her eyes wide with fear.

"Destiny, easy." Racheal said slowly." Easy, you don't know what you're doing. Baby, put the gun down." Racheal turned her head toward the living room."Tyler, get in here please. We have a bit of a situation."

Heavy footsteps and Tyler stood at the doorway accessing the situation before walking into the kitchen, smiling like a long lost friend. "Kid, relax. We're all people here. No one is out to get you." Tyler said as Charley scrambled to fill a syringe with epinephrine. Destiny wheezed louder and started to shake. "Relax, kiddo. Lay the gun down or you'll just shoot someone when you drop, and you are about to drop."

Destiny blinked hard and shook her head like she was trying to wake herself. She ran toward the backdoor and collapsed before making it outside. Tyler grabbed her before she hit the floor. Quickly he scooped her up and laid her on the table. Charley pressed the syringe into her thigh as Racheal gave her mouth to mouth.

Tyler looked at Charley." Next time, call me when you need me to do your job."

Charley ignored him and began CPR on Destiny. "Yeah, thanks, Tough Guy."

"How's TJ?" Racheal asked between breaths.

"He'll be just fine. Nanos repaired the nick in his liver. Racheal breathed a sigh of relief when Destiny took a small breath on her own.

"Thank God." She whispered.

Charley felt around her wound. "The force of the bullet broke the rib and it's just hanging there with the bullet stuck in it."

Racheal looked up. "Translation?"

Charley frowned. "She's going to have to lose part of her rib. It's a miracle that it didn't snap off and puncture her heart or lung.. TJ slowed the bullet which without a doubt saved her."

Racheal smiled at Tyler. "And again, I owe you her life."

Tyler shrugged. "My job." He walked back to TJ and shoved a needle into both their arms while Sarah held TJ still.

Charley plugged in a small electric saw and looked solemnly at Racheal. "It's best if this is done while she's still out. She won't be out for much more."

Racheal nodded and held Destiny's arms in hers. Charley further stretched her wound to expose the rib and Destiny winced. Charley took a deep breath and began cutting her rib. Destiny stirred immediately. She whimpered as Charley adjusted the saw to the break. Destiny screamed when he started again.

"Keep her still!" Charley instructed as Destiny tried to squirm off the table.

"Tyler, some help please?!"

Tyler yanked the cord connecting his vein to TJ's and rushed into the room to grab her legs.

Racheal buried her face next to Destiny and sang softly in her ear.

"Fate has been cruel and order unkind. How can I have sent you away?
The blame was my own, the punishment, yours. The harmony silenced today.
But into the stillness, I'll bring you a song and I will, your company keep.
To your tired eyes and my lullabies, have carried you softly to sleep."

Destiny continued to thrash around and lowered her screams to shrieks of sobs. Racheal met Charley and Tyler's eyes before returning her gaze to Destiny's tear streaked face.

"Once did a pony who shone like the sun, look out on her kingdom and sigh.
She smiled and said surely there is no pony so lovely, and so well beloved as I.
So great was reign so brilliant her glory that long was the shadow she cast, which fell dark upon the young sister she loved and grew only darker as days and nights passed.

Lullay moon princess, goodnight sister mine, rest now in moonlight's embrace.
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth, through cloud and through sky and through space.
Carry the peace and the coolness of night and carry my sorrow in kind. Luna, you're loved so much more than you know.
Forgive me for being so blind.
Soon did that pony take notice that others did not give her sister her due, and neither had she loved her as she deserved.
She watched as her sister's unhappiness grew.
But such is the way of the limelight it sweetly takes hold of the mind of its host and that foolish pony did nothing to stop the destruction of one who had needed her most.

Charley checked the tape around the cut rib and removed his hand from the wound. He and Racheal shared a tired smile. Racheal eased Destiny down on their bed. Softly she kissed her forehead and went back downstairs. Charley handed her a few syringes of morphine.

"The epinephrine will wear off in not long and she'll be able to have pain meds. Only give her one every twelve hours or you'll run the risk of too much and developing a dependency. She's going to need plenty of rest to heal up and not stress her wound. No school, no running, no fighting. Definitely no gunfights." He smiled. "And I'd tell her to avoid sex for a few weeks."

Racheal smirked. "She doesn't even have a boyfriend. Don't think we'll have to worry about her having sex."

TJ smirked from the living room as he put a cotton ball on his needlemark.

Racheal made a bed of pillows and blankets on the floor of Destiny and her room.

TJ lingered in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"I roll in my sleep and with the way she sleeps…." Racheal answered and nodded at Destiny sleeping in the bed. "I was afraid I'd bump her wound. So I'll settle for the floor tonight."

TJ thought for a minute."You can take my room for the night. Got another dose of nanos so I'll be difficult to sleep. Impossible actually, and I won't be using the bed. Got to be better than the floor or couch."

Racheal smiled faintly. "Thank you but I need to keep a watch on her. Manage the pain meds and keep her from ripping her stitches out."

"I can do that. As awake as I am, I'll be pacing the house all night. I can come in a check on her, give her her meds while you get some sleep. You're about to crash as it is. I can keep watch on her. It is my job after all,… or will be fulltime in the future. Practice never hurt."

Racheal smiled tiredly and nodded. "You have a point and you did take a bullet for her today." She conceded. She got up and slipped her sheer robe on over her pajamas." She gets a syringe of medicine at midnight and another at noon. Not a minute before. Wake me if she spikes a fever." She said and left as TJ nodded.

TJ waited till she left and climbed on their bed. He knelt down next to her and laced his fingers through hers. "I'm so sorry, Princess…. I should have been faster on spotting it. I was too slow to get you out of the way…. I'm sorry…I love you….So much."

Racheal walked towards TJ's room and smirked as she saw John leave his room and head towards Racheal's' room. When he heard her footsteps, he ducked into the hall bathroom next to TJ's room and waited. Racheal stopped in front of TJ's room and smirked. "You're a brave soul. Not sure if I'd risk it after getting caught earlier."

John poked his head out the doorway and stared at her.

"You're mom is still awake and moving around downstairs, I'd wait if I were you." Smirking to herself, she added. "and a little tip, bras are easier to take off if you try to push the hooks together and then pull up on one."

John's jaw dropped.

"I used to be that girl, you forget."