Chapter: 16 Bring Me To Life

As the sun was streaming into the hotel suite, Destiny woke to find herself in the middle of an awkward position. She had rolled over to from her stomach to her back and found herself between John and Racheal. Both had an arm wrapped around her, yet their hands were holding each other. She sat up puzzled. Having John and Racheal sleep like that with her in the middle was completely normal when she and her sister were quite young. John and Racheal on the outside edges, Katya in between them and Destiny usually slept on John's chest until she was too old. They all shared a single bed until Katya and Destiny were nearly teens. They were safer that way, her father had always said. They were somewhere he could keep an eye on them. Guards outside the door at all times... Safe. As comforting as it was to sleep in between them again, it was odd. She was grown now and this John and Racheal were not yet her parents. Racheal had taken to her more since the death of future self... Her death. Destiny could hear once again the cry of her mother's death and she felt her eyes fill up with tears.

Destiny quickly and carefully climbed out of bed as she felt the tear drip down her face. She didn't have to look to see who had placed a hand on her shoulder, to know it was Alex. She let herself be pulled into the hug, relishing the fact that she still had some family. Sarah entered the suite with Cameron on her heels. Sarah took a look at her future self and granddaughter before looking back at John and Racheal sleeping in the bed. She noticed their close proximity and held hands. Destiny could have sworn she had heard her growl. The sound of voices and yelling shook her from her pity party, she let go of her grandmother and followed the sound to the men's suite where Tyler was watching the news on last night's failed attempt at arresting them.

"Is there anything about them finding mom or TJ or Amy?"

Tyler shook his head. "Nothing, kid. No arrests made or bodies found."

Destiny sighed. "Can't we look for them?"

"Absolutely not." Sarah called from behind.

"It's tactically dangerous." Cameron chimed in.

"It's always dangerous. I don't care, my mom is dead, and I want to find out where TJ is."

"The answer is no." Sarah argued.

"The answer is always no. No, you can't go out. No, you can't talk to that person. Don't walk, talk or breathe, I know the rules." Destiny mumbled.

"And yet you break them." Alex snapped.

"They're unfair, Nana. You know that."

"They are there to protect you."

"I don't want to be protected. I want to fight back.." She looked at Tyler. "Your girlfriend is out there, your younger self is out there. My mother is gone but they might not be. We should look."

He sighed. "Kid..."

"I know it's dangerous, Tyler but everything we do is dangerous. She'd look for you, you know she would. You love her, I know you do. You can't just do nothing. I can't just sit here."

"You're right." Tyler said as he stood up.

"I'm what?" Destiny asked puzzled.

"Not repeating it, kid. I'll go out and look for them."

"No, I want to go."

"Kid..."

"Come on. I can't just stay here and pace the floor. I need to go. TJ is out there."

Tyler looked at her for a while. "Two conditions."

"Fine."

"When I give you an order, you follow it without question and when we run into trouble, you do exactly as I say."

"Done." She responded and put on her shoes.

"Devlin." Alex snapped.

"Connor. C ordered me to not let her out of my sight. Can't exactly disobey a direct order can I?"

"You do it all the time."She countered.

He simply shrugged and got to his feet. "Ready, kid?"

"Ready." She said and followed him out the door.

Alex looked at Sarah and shook her head in their direction.

Racheal was lying on Charley's table while he attempted to patch the wound in her abdomen. The wound was thorough and wide. Racheals' skin was paler than usual, most likely from the blood loss. Her eyes were glazed over and unable to focus and she kept muttering "John.."John..John." Over and over again like a prayer. Perhaps she thought calling his name would soothe her or perhaps she was hallucinating and thought he was really there. Amy couldn't blame her much for either case. Blood loss did wonders on the mind and deep down if she had been in the same position; it would have been Tyler's company she would have called for above anything. "It's going to be ok, Racheal." Amy promised but Racheal did not hear her. She was miles away inside her own mind.

March 21, 2014

Dressed in nothing but her skin, Racheal sat on her bed and squatted, trying to force her unborn daughter into the world. Groaning with effort, she lay back down on her side and panted."Giving up so soon, RC?" Tyler teased. Racheal glared at him. "Feel..free..to.. trade places." She spat out in between her contractions.

"Don't think men were meant for that."

Racheal balled her fists. "I told you to go get John ...out of that damn camp ...a day and a half ago when this fucking mess started!

He shrugged. "The team is not in position yet. The timing is not yet right. You have to wait for him, but your time has already come. This must happen first."

"I can't do it without him."

"Yes you can, trust me." He said gently. "Do what you did when Kat was born."

She gritted her teeth and pulled Tyler closer so that he was standing and the foot of the bed, she gripped his shoulders and squatted again, pushing with the contraction when it hit her. "Breathe...Push. Take a breath and push again." Tyler spoke in her ear.

After the tenth push, Racheal groaned. "Nothing is happening,.. She should be ...crowning by now. She isn't.. moving down ..at all. She's stuck."

Tyler pulled Racheal off of him and leaned her back against the mattress. He positioned her legs on the side of his arms and without a moment's hesitation; he forced his hand inside her. Racheal groaned in pain as he began to feel around for the child.

"Oh she's stuck alright. She's coming feet first but her legs are caught up against you. There's not enough room for her to come this way." He quickly removed his hand, back away from the bed and opened the door to the tunnels. "Connor, need some help!" He yelled in the hallway. A moment later, Sarah walked into the room, carrying a one year old Katya who was currently trying to eat her grandmother's hair.

She assessed the situation, closed the door and put Katya down to play on the ground as she made her way over to Tyler and Racheal. Tyler pulled a knife from his pocket and rolled the blade around in the fire of a nearby lantern. "Tyler? Tyler ,no don't do it. Please don't do it." Racheal begged as Sarah held her arms, keeping Racheal's body still against the mattress.

"I have to, Racheal. We both know what'll happen if I don't. She can't come down on her own, you said it yourself, she's stuck. Her heart rate will slow as the contractions keep going until she goes into distress and dies. You've already birthed one dead baby, are you ready to do it again?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and cried noiselessly. Tyler grabbed one of John's spare shirts lying about and stuffed it into her mouth. "Bite down on it." He instructed as he pulled her knees under his armpits and started to cut her open. He cut straight down and then left and right to make a makeshift full sided episiotomy as Racheal screamed through the gag. He sat his knife down beside him and plunged his hands inside of her to guide the child. "Push hard, Racheal." He instructed as he untangled the infant's legs and gently pulled her from her mother. "It's a girl, Mrs. C." He announced as he yanked the gag out of her mouth and used it to wrap the newborn. He cut her cord with his knife and handed the baby to her grandmother as she started to cry.

Racheal blinked hard and woke to find John standing nearby, rocking his new daughter, smirking as she eagerly sucked on his fingers."What happened?" Racheal croaked, suddenly feeling very weak and dehydrated. John looked up from the newborn and walked closer to his wife. "You were amazing. Tyler and mom told me everything." He stroked the newborn's thick, black curls, and kissed his wife while placing the newborn on Racheal's chest to nurse beside her older sister. "You will need to stay in bed and rest, you've lost a lot of blood... It's past midnight." He said and placed a stalk of lavender beside her before kissing her again. "Happy Anniversary, Rache and thank you for the beautiful gift."

May 23, 2010

Racheal opened her eyes and looked around, confused as to where she was. "John?" She asked in a whisper.

"Not here." Amy answered. "You've lost a bit of blood and you need some time to recover." Racheal focused on Amy's face to steady the dizziness roaring through her. She noticed TJ handing supplies to Charley, speaking in a hushed tone she could not understand.Amy looked back and Charley and said. "We'll have to move her soon. The T-1000 will find us eventually, we don't need to be any more trouble to you and we need move on."

Tyler stalked out of the hotel with Destiny hot on his heels. He handed her one of the guns he had brought with them as he climbed into the jeep sitting in the parking lot. Destiny climbed into the jeep and looked at him. "Where do we start?"

"Last place we saw them, follow their tracks from there."

"What if we don't find them?"

"They will find us or they're dead."

Destiny was quiet for a few miles. "Tyler?..What will happen if TJ is dead?"

"What do you mean, kid?"

"If he's dead then he won't become you.. Will you disappear too?"

"Are you worried about me, silverspoon?" He joked.

"Ha."

They arrived back in the wooded area where the chase started and they exited the jeep. Tyler fished a flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on. He pointed it on the ground. "This is where I fell." He moved the flashlight to the west. "And where your mother fell." He said quietly. Destiny could see the blood on the ground but could not see her mother's body. "Where is she? What did that metal bastard do with my mom?!" She cried.

Tyler moved his flashlight over and closely examined the ground for footprints. "She fell here then someone came up to her. Only one pair of prints walking away. Too small to be a man. Chances are that the T1000 came up to her to finish her off, took her shape and walked away from here. "He glanced at Destiny. "It may have disposed of her body to make you think she was still alive. You'd be vulnerable against it if it wore your mother's face. You do realise it will be hunting you, using her face as bait."

"I know that. Dad warned me about them doing that at home." Destiny said quietly.

Tyler nodded and followed the T1000's footsteps across the ground, tracking down the monster with Destiny following close behind.

Tyler and Destiny followed the trail of footprints out of the woods to one of the main roads. "Looks like it was most likely picked by a passenger vehicle; probably killed the driver a few miles from here."

"But where would it go once it got a car?"

"To look for you, kid. It would pick up the trail however it could and find you."

"But what about Amy and TJ?"

"I told you, kid. Amy is resourceful; she didn't become fourth in command for her smile. If she's alive, she'll find us. TJ should be with her if he made it. If he isn't with her then he's lost for now. We'll go back and get the jeep, look till nightfall then we will head back."

"What if the terminator finds its way to the hotel?"

"The tin can is out looking for you, you are not at the hotel, and you're with me. Sarah and Alex can keep John safe. It's my job to keep you safe."

John paced the floor, running his hands through his hair. "I cannot believe he just up and went out there. He could lead the terminator here. I can't believe he took Destiny with him. He's supposed to protect her, not take her out while we're trying to hide."

Cameron looked up. "The Lieutenant General knows what he's doing. He's your third in command and one of your best soldiers. He did not achieve his rank lightly. He chose to take Destiny with him because he feels she's ready to step up in the fight against Skynet. He's going to teach her how to fight back."

The younger Racheal looked up at Cameron. "Is she ready?"

The machine met her gaze. "Yes."

"What about us?" Racheal inquired.

"Not yet sufficient enough to take on Skynet. John is behind schedule because he is hiding from his destiny. Due to future Racheal's time with you, training you, you are ahead of schedule but not yet ready to go out on missions."

"Destiny gets to go out all the time, with Tyler, with TJ."

Destiny has been trained since birth by many, many people. She also goes out with people who are qualified to protect her should an emergency arise."

A deep knock on the door and it was kicked open. Standing there at the doorway was Tyler and Destiny. Tyler brushed past the group standing with their guns drawn and looked around at each face.

Racheal had been extremely surprised when Tyler had barged back into the room. Wasn't he supposed to be en route to track down the missing members of their merry band of rebels? Destiny was hot on his heels and looked beyond excited.
He stopped short of her, towered over her as he folded his arms across his chest and looked at her.
"You and Destiny, with me," he barked in a manner that left no room for argument or protest.
"Not you," he growled darkly when John moved to get up and come along as well, sending the boy stumbling back onto the sofa with a startle.
If she was honest, she was rather afraid of the gruff man at the moment. Like he'd barrel right through her if she were to get in his way.
"Mom?" John included his mother.
She watched silently while Tyler instantly moved over to Sarah and said something to her in a very hushed voice. Only one name stood out: hers. The rest was too soft to hear. Sarah nodded.
"Sorry, John," Sarah said apologetically with a shrug of her shoulders.
"But, mom?" John tried again.
Now Tyler stormed up to John, bringing his face an inch away from the boy's, and bared his teeth in an angry growl: "If you'd be of any use, I'd've picked you to begin with. So stop whining!"
Then he turned towards Destiny, nodded and motioned to move out: "Let's go."
Maybe she should feel a little guilty about it, but she couldn't help but gloat a tiny bit.

Destiny and Tyler walked quickly towards the jeep with Tyler pulling Racheal along with him. He shoved her in the back and got into the driver's seat. Tyler peeled out of the driveway and took off in sight of Charley's house.

Impatiently Amy paced back and forth on the front porch. What the hell was taking him so long? She glanced at her watch again and frowned. Less time than she had thought had passed by. She crossed her arms and looked up and down the street again.

There wasn't much she had been able to do. She ran her hands through her hair and swallowed hard again. It had been a stroke of luck to find them on the side of the road. She could only hope Charley could do his best with Racheal's condition. The wound was so deep, she wondered if they got her there in time. She turned towards the door of the house when she heard Racheal cry out in pain. It brought back terrible memories of Judgement day and her luxurious stay in a Skynet work camp. Things she'd rather forget.

Tyler drove like a bat out of hell and pulled the jeep into Charley's driveway, shoving the kids out of the vehicle as soon as it was parked. Once again, He grabbed Racheal's arm and pulled her towards the door.

Destiny looked back at Racheal who felt like a sheep being led to the slaughter. If Tyler had loosened his grip a bit, she would have fled into the night.

He tossed her inside and followed close behind them. Racheal felt him push her forward but her legs refused. She was in too much shock seeing her future self lying open on a table, bleeding heavily. "I need more stitching." Charley demanded and TJ quickly handed him a roll of thread while Amy tried her best to minimize the bleeding. "Where's that blood?!" Charley yelled.

"Right here." Tyler called and yanked Racheal over to the table. She whimpered. So this was why he wanted her and why John was of no use. He would only hinder the process. Tyler grabbed a chair and sat Racheal down in it beside her older self as Charley finished the sutures and started to set up the cord for the blood draw. Racheal nervously looked behind her to see Tyler standing there with his arms folded as if standing guard to keep her there. Destiny had moved over close to her mother and was bent over listening to what the older Racheal was trying to whisper in her ear.

Racheal whimpered when the blood started to flow out of her, she tried not to show pain or weakness, not when her much older self was covered in blood and refusing pain medicine to avoid the sluggish side effects. She concentrated on keeping steady, even breaths. She could hear Charley, Amy and Tyler talking in hushed voices about Racheal's condition and moving her out. TJ had taken Destiny to another room and were talking and hugging, most likely Destiny's excitement over his survival."Hey." A voice called and Racheal looked up to see her other self looking at her very intently.

"Hi." She said back meekly.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. Are you?"

Her older self smiled. "Childbirth was much more painful, I can deal with the pain. Recovery is a bit long though."

"Thought you could use a drink about now," Tyler's voice pierced her darkening thoughts while a bottle of beer appeared in front of her face.

Amy took it from him, brought it down and absently fidgeted with it. It was way too early to be drinking alcohol, but he would most likely come up with a corny excuse. Besides he was right; she was in need of something to take the edge off.

"Thanks, Ty."

Silently he sat down next to her at the top of the steps leading to the back porch. From the corner of her eye she caught him looking up at the sky.

"One helluva twenty-four hours," he offered wearily.

"Yeah," she agreed before she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Hell of a time... Think she'll pull through?"

He took a deep breath before answering: "Hope so."

"Pretty smart thinking bringing the girl," she admitted, reveling in his closeness. "Exactly the same blood."

On an ever-shifting battlefield, he was safe for her. He had his flaws, but he was home to her. She felt him shrug.

"Worked for me and the kid, so why not in this case?"

She lifted her head off his shoulder and nodded in agreement before taking a sip of her beer and grimacing. The taste of it didn't agree with the hour of the day, but she wasn't in the mood for coffee or juice either. She placed the bottle next to her on the floor and leaned forward, staring at some plants at the back of the yard while she worked up her courage.

"Did you worry?" She asked after a silence that was both comfortable and awkward.

"Always worry... Always trying to think a few steps ahead," he answered in a soft voice, clearly avoiding her fishing.

"About me, I mean," she clarified.

"Mhm."

If it had been any other man, even Sam, the reaction would have been a huge disappointment, but this was Tyler. In his case, this was to be considered a genuine admission of caring.

She took his left hand into her right and laced their fingers together before resting her head on his shoulder again. A careless act and yet so very telling. Only by reminding herself, she realized that she was holding his cyborg-hand, accepting him as he was. Human, just like her. Nothing less. Not a machine or tin can wannabe. Human.

"I love you," she said before she could even try and stop herself. Not that she wanted to.

Those three words, unspoken until just now, holding so much meaning, did startle her. It was a reckless statement, but the moment had felt right. Maybe there would have a been a better moment to come but if she had learned anything it was that it was best to live in the moment and not postpone the important things. So here it was: her declaration of love for him. And all be damned who would judge her for it.

Heat crept up her neck and face, her heartbeat skyrocketing. Fed by expectation and fear. Would he return the words? The feelings, the realization that this had become so much more than just blowing off steam?

The subtle ripple of his shoulder muscles underneath the side of her head, the warm caress of his breath through her hair and on her scalp, told her that he had turned his head a little to face her. Worry and anticipation struggled for supremacy. The flock of nervous butterflies in her stomach fluttered uncontrollably. Make or break. Could he even say the words if he were to feel the same?

"I love you too, Ames," he said without stalling, without any hint of hesitation. Plain and clear.

Her heart nearly exploded in her chest; to love and to be really loved again was a gift she thought she would never ever receive again, not after Sam and the girls, destined to forever be alone and seek solace for just one night at the time, but here she was. The flood of emotion was almost overwhelming, causing tears to sting in her eyes.

She lifted her head off his shoulder and turned towards her. Her eyes examined his face, his eyes, only to confirm that he had been serious. Instinctively she placed her hand against his cheek, the stubble of his beginning beard softly scratching the palm of her hand. He leaned into the touch with a soft, content purr. She smiled and ran her thumb over his cheekbone.

Their gazes found each other, held each other captive, conveying every important word and feeling unspoken. Her eyes drifted to his mouth and back up to his eyes. She inched closer, and so did he. Tilting her head back a little, she parted her lips. Shallow breaths between them mingled, stole into their mouths, when he closed the distance and pressed his lips on hers, his hands coming to rest on her cheeks.

It wasn't their first kiss, not even remotely close to it, but it certainly was different, felt different. Yet as always it was positively electrifying. She closed her eyes and submerged into the moment.

The kiss was slow and tender, lingering and tentative. Her hand slid from his cheek to the back of his head, fingertips scratching his scalp, drawing soft growls from him. A soft moan escaped her when she felt him swipe his tongue along her lower lip, followed by a broken whine at the back of her throat when she granted him access.

Her soft whimpers accompanied his tender exploration of her mouth. Very different indeed. Running out of air, they were forced to break off their kiss. Lazily she opened her eyes and smiled contently when he smiled warmly at her. His eyes shone brilliantly, a light in a dark world which hid deadly enemies. He seemed more relaxed, somehow looked even younger than she had ever seen him. It caused her heart to skip a beat as she realized that she was catching a glimpse of the man he might have been, without all of this.

Unintentionally and yet not unsurprising, this sudden honor set her very core ablaze. The heat spread through her lower abdominal region like a wildfire, only to pool together at the apex of her legs again.

Over the time they had been together she had learned that he didn't need much to turn her on, or as she had tried to explain it away for and to herself; it was simply a physical attraction, animal and raw, a means to release all that pent up energy and frustration. Only slightly more than the one-morning-stands she had purposely sought, as it had been a reoccurring event. There had been enough suitors, but after Sam she had intentionally kept any man wanting more than just a lay for the morning from her life. Conscious punishment for being away from her family the morning the world had gone to hell, even the very reason of her absence had been trying to stop those events from unfolding. Sam, the twins.

Her thoughts took a darker turn again, only to be interrupted and stopped when Tyler moved close and kissed her again. Coaxed by his gentleness, she ended the kiss and crawled on his lap, facing him, her arms resting loosely on his shoulders. His arms snaked around the small of her back, forced her deeper into his lap and elicited a throaty moan from her when she felt the effect she had on him press against her through several layers of clothing.

She looked from his mouth to his eyes and back again and worried her lower lip with her teeth, earning a lustful growl from him. A smirk formed on her lips mere seconds before she kissed him again. Her eyes fell shut as she surrendered to him once more. His hips rolled back and forth smoothly while she ground against him.

"Ames," he breathed after he broke off the kiss this time, before he rested his forehead against hers.

No matter how wonderful this make-out session was, it would not suffice. He knew it. She knew it. They both needed more. It wouldn't simply be just sex. It would be sharing a deep physical and psychological connection with each other. An intimate confirmation that he was her man where she was his woman. With the adrenaline still in her system, she doubted it would be as romantic as she imagined it would be. Maybe there would be more time for that later on? When this whole mess was finally sorted.

Her gaze was drawn by a shed in the back of the yard. Not the most ideal place, but she would take what she could get. Unless Charley and his rather hysterical wife would permit them the use of their bed, which she seriously doubted. Instead she let her desire for him dictate her mind: the shed would do just fine.

She disentangled herself from him, got to her feet quickly and grabbed his hand to tug him along, which turned into hurried dragging. Luckily they found the shed unlocked, and she let out a breath of relief she hadn't noticed she had been holding. The tiny building was narrow and full with gardening tools. However she was not going to let that minor inconvenience stop her.

Tyler had caught on the second she had started pulling him in the direction of the shed. He had yet to stop grinning like the damn Cheshire cat. Something she would soon correct because the moment he shut the door behind them and turned to face her, she pounced on him. On his belt to be specific.

Impatiently she unbuckled it, pulled it from the loops and tossed it aside. His deep growl of want turned her blood to liquid fire again. Her breathing became labored when he attacked the button and zipper of her pants with an equal fervor. To be followed by a surprised yelp when he wasted no time and slid his hand down the front of her pants and down her panties.

"Ty," she moaned as his fingers explored her nether region, bucking against them softly as they sought to tease and please her.

With very little room to maneuver, he managed to back her up against the closed door and moved in closer. She whimpered in protest when his hand disappeared from her panties and moved up under her t-shirt instead. Wedged between him and the door, she panted and squirmed as his touch drove her near insanity. Expertly he pressed a leg between hers so he could use his hands to expose her chest by pushing her shirt up. Thank whatever being that she was bra-less.

Her hands flew into his hair when he leaned down and began lavishing one breast with his mouth and the other with his hand before switching back and forth, equally dividing his attention. Mewling, she writhed under his touch, ground on his leg, in desperate search of release. She tugged on his hair and murmured incoherent pleas to end this sweet torment, unsure how much longer she could withstand.

The shed-door groaned and creaked suspiciously under the repeated impact of their joined bodies, like it could give any second. She wrapped her arms around him even tighter and buried her face in the crook of his neck, her eyes screwed shut. Only slightly muffling the sounds he tore from her with every nip at the skin of her neck, with every hard snap of his hips. Not that she longer cared who heard, she was well far and beyond that.

All that mattered was the here and now, connected with the man she loved as he buried himself deep within her over and over and over again. By now her entire body was pleasantly tingling, muscles twitched uncontrollably from the pleasurable strain, her walls clenched hard around him at their own accord. The coil in the pit of her stomach, at the very core of her being, wound tighter and tighter. Blood thundered in her ears, with a soft ringing underneath it, turned his rumbling growls distant.

"Ty."

His name became a mantra as he drove them closer and closer to sweet oblivion. His thrusts, determined, forced the air from her lungs, and her breathing had grown so ragged to the point of hitching with each full return. The white-hot mass of delicious tension in her lower abdomen reached critical mass, ready to break.

So enticingly close! Her body and mind broke, dissolved into sweetest nothing, at his latest thrust when his lips clamped down on pulse point in her neck. On primal instinct, she wrapped herself around him rigidly, fingers digging deep into soft flesh, heels pressing hard into his ass. His full first name turned into a long, loud squeal.

Blissful oblivion.

Reality slowly returned when she felt him lean against her heavily, felt the rapid brushes of his breathing past her ear and felt the soft jerks of his loins while he spilled the last of his seed inside her. After a few moments he began to stir but she kept him firmly into place, unwilling to let go just yet.

"Not yet," she breathed. "Big daddy," she added before she softly bit his earlobe.

A huge smirk spread across her face when she felt him shudder at word and action. The tiny bit of friction sent her mind back to mere moments ago. She hoped that he would take it as the title of affection she meant it to be, instead of reading something into it.

"Sexy momma," he purred, kneading her bare behind tenderly while rolling his hips into hers.

He tore another moan from her as he nipped his way down her throat carefully, continuing to rock against her.

"Keep this up," she whimpered. "And you might make me one," she teased playfully, unable to suppress a louder moan.

"In another time and place maybe," he growled softly as he nipped and sucked his way up her neck.

The statement brought a mix of relief and somehow sadness. Having a child should be furthest from her mind, especially with what she knew was still to come, but she had already been a mother once and there were days where she longed to feel like that again. If only the world wouldn't go to hell soon.

At least Tyler had a similar idea, and it sparked a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest that he wasn't entirely dismissive of the idea. Under different circumstances. She understood. And agreed.
She leaned her head back against the surface of the door, allowing her eyes to fall shut, only to snap open again when he removed one hand from her behind and used it to tilt her head so he could kiss her. His tongue slid silkily along hers when he deepened the kiss. A moan broke at the back of her throat.

Her fingers slid over the clothed hard planes of his chest down to his sides. A deep frown creased her brow when she felt something lukewarm and wet on her fingertips. Shock settled in when she realized what it could be. Blood. His blood, hidden from view by his dark clothes.

She glanced down and saw a lot more of it, smeared across her abdomen where their bodies had collided in their lover's play. An act that now seemed very selfish, given how she had failed to notice that he was injured.

"Ty, shit! Put me down and lift up your shirt, baby," she told him and he obeyed. "You're bleeding."

"Hmm, right. Metal juice might've nicked me," he agreed airily.

"The other blood site at the scene... was yours," she concluded, annoyed that he hadn't told her.

He nodded and pulled his shirt down again.

"Shouldn't it have healed by now? I mean," she searched for the right words.

"With some proper rest, yup... None for me though. Other priorities."

"Ty," she sighed tiredly and ignored what was left unsaid.

She was still getting used to his casual attitude about serious injuries, as it was day-to-day practice for him.

"It's just a flesh wound," he offered.

She leaned down and inspected the entry wound, anger slowly rising when an idea formed of what had gone down: "Turn around," she ordered, suppressing a gasp of shock when she saw the exit wound as she had suspected there would be. "How can you claim it's just a flesh wound, when it's obviously a through-n-through?!"

His answer was a shrug and she wanted to hit him for it. The machine had skewered him and he acted like it was just a small scrape.

"It could've fucking hit something vital and you're bleeding out on the inside," she seethed.

He chortled, obviously amused by that assumption: "The nano's won't let me die so easily."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Tyler Devlin? You're still bleeding!"

This time he shook his head in response: "It closed just fine. Only opened up again just now."

She was about to ask how when she realized the how. Heat rose to her cheeks.

"Even so... Why didn't you say something?"

"And ruin the moment?" He countered.

"Before that," she added. "When we sat talking on the steps, you could've said something then."

"More important things to deal with," was his answer.

He growled deeply disgruntled when Amy made him sit on a kitchen chair, without his shirt on. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his battle scars. In fact it was quite the opposite. He wore them as badges of merit and honor.

However the unfamiliar woman seemed almost hysterical when she checked him over. Michele, Charley's wife and certified nurse. One would think she would have seen quite a few gory things in her line of work, but one look at her now and one questioned if she had chosen the right job.

With Charley tending to Racheal for now, Michele had volunteered to inspect his latest wound. He wondered why and would surely have remarked on it if Amy had not requested his full cooperation under no uncertain terms.

"Oh god," Michele mumbled as she checked out his most recent injury.

It was easy to manage not rolling his eyes but it took him a lot more effort to swallow the sarcastic remark that lay on the tip of his tongue. However the look on Amy's face kept him from doing so. Telling him silently that she had reached the limit of what she would allow.

Still it was tempting to make that remark, but if he wanted a shot at taking her out to dinner this evening, he better be on his best behavior.

John looked back at the others in the hotel. Alex, Sarah and Derek were having a heated debate about where to move on to after the crisis period had passed. Surely, they'd be recognized if they remained in a hotel full time. Too many guests watching and desk clerks with access to cameras. He balled his fists in frustration. Another move, another moment of running away, another terminator chasing them. Endless struggles to live a normal life. He closed his eyes tried to suppress the rage building. The others talked hushed quietly and the room became still. Talking was heard from outside the room, most likely from down the hall. A neighbor perhaps but Cameron's disposition let them know something was off. The machine had moved close to the door, in front of John with her gun drawn. "That's Racheal's voice." She droned in her monotone voice.

"Racheal's dead." Derek pointed out.

"Yes, but the T-1000 is capable of mimicking human shapes and voices. Disguising himself as Racheal Connor would allow him the perfect opportunity to catch Destiny off-guard and finish his mission of terminating her. Destiny isn't here but he has the means to stop her from being born." Cameron replied.

"We know what his mission is." Alex snapped as Sarah motioned for John to get out on the balcony.

The door jiggled a bit and the voices stopped altogether. Suddenly, the door swung open and there stood TJ and Amy, both supporting the older Racheal between them. All were covered in sweat and dirt like they had spent the night sleeping in the open and ran a mile to get to the hotel.

"We're back." Amy huffed.

The hammer of a gun went down. "Prove it's you." Alex demanded.

TJ thought for a minute. "When you met me, a terminator shot me that morning after he killed my dad. "

"When you first met me, I brought you the turk." Amy stated.

Alex pointed the gun at Racheal. "And you?"

Racheal had a hard time standing after the being dragged to the room. "When Destiny was born, I asked "Why does my baby look more like you than does me?" And you said..."

"She doesn't look more like me, she looks like her father." Alex supplied and lowered the gun. "We thought you were dead."

TJ and Amy helped carry Racheal in and lay her back on one of the beds. "I've been busy." Racheal grunted as Tyler escorted Destiny and the younger Racheal back into the suite.

Later that night, John went out to the poolyard to put some distance from today's events. He was angry with Tyler for taking Racheal out and using her as a blood bag but then again, he had done that with Tyler and TJ, forcing the younger one to become infected early. He looked out over the pool area and heaved a deep sigh. Racheal's words from the other night echoed in his ears and felt guilty. He had made it hard on everyone lately. Racheal's outburst had given him enough food for thought, and she had been right to chew him out.

There was only one person in the water, as midnight was fast approaching, swimming lane after lane, but it was in correspondence with Tyler had told him. TJ was indeed putting in the work to be better prepared.

He trudged to the poolside and sat on his heels, his hands folded together between his legs, waiting rather impatiently for TJ to notice him. A few minutes went by and he began to wonder if TJ was ignoring him intentionally when TJ tapped the edge of the pool one last time and pushed off a little to float.

"Hey, man, what's up?" TJ asked barely out of breath.

"Got a minute?" He countered, feeling nerves clump together in the pit of his stomach.

It was best to grab the bull by the horns, but he pondered the wisdom of that decision when the bull was similar to Tyler Devlin. Time to face the music and dance.

TJ looked at him suspiciously, approached the edge again and hoisted himself out of the water before turning and sitting. John noticed that he was wearing wide swimming trunks, undoubtedly forced on him by Destiny. TJ never had any trouble drawing the attention of girls, and John figured it was very unwelcome to Destiny. He smirked.

"So?" TJ offered.

"Look," he began.

"If this is another lecture about Des and me dating, save it, alright?" TJ interrupted, sounding warily.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. Of course TJ would be on the defense.

"Look," he repeated. "I know I've been acting stupid, you know."

TJ kept quiet, only shrugged his strong shoulders. John couldn't help but notice the few scars TJ had already collected in service of the Connors. However TJ didn't lack any confidence as he wore those scars as badges of honor, not covering them up in shame.

"I guess... I guess that with knowing the future, I figured I was above everyone else. Racheal was to be my wife, you to be my best friend... Because that's how it was going to be. It felt like I didn't have to put in time and effort because it was going to happen anyway."

"Is there a point to this?" TJ asked bluntly.

He pursed his lips, suppressing his temper before he continued: "I owe you an apology."

TJ's head shot up in surprise until it morphed into an expression of 'Ya think?' but he didn't voice the words, for which John was grateful. Apologizing was hard enough as it was.

"I acted like a complete jackass."

TJ remained quiet.

"Can't say that I like it that you and Destiny are dating, because she will be my kid at some point, but I do have to admit that you're good to her... Unlike me to Racheal," he sighed sadly. "Because it is supposed to be, I took everything for granted. I destroyed our friendship. I destroyed my relationship with Rache. I alienated most of the people who would always stand by me. I brought a lot of unnecessary drama into all of our lives. And I am sorry for that. For all of it."

TJ nodded slowly: "Mhm."

It wasn't exactly the reaction he had been hoping for, but he couldn't blame TJ for it either. He had screwed up. Big time. Now it was time to learn to be humble and take it like a man. So he waited patiently, even though the squatting position he was still in caused his legs to burn and fall asleep.

"I have to say I am surprised that you came out here and apologized to me," TJ said after a few moments of silence. "I do appreciate and accept it..."

"But?"

"I am not one to forget, John."

He swallowed hard: "I know."

"However," TJ paused. "Instead of rebuilding our old friendship, how about we start a new one, take the lessons learned and implement them? Because I'm not sure if I can ever be your best friend again. Not after the way you treated Des, or me. But I will be your friend, your brother-in-arms."

Again he had to swallow hard. It was more than he deserved and yet it felt like a loss. A loss he could only blame himself for. TJ smiled slowly and extended his hand: "So... friends?"

He nodded and shook TJ's hand: "Friends."

Now if John could apologize to Destiny and earn her forgiveness, he might have a way to earn back Racheal's trust. This would be difficult since Destiny often did not believe in forgiveness but he had to try if he ever wanted Racheal to forgive him. John ran his hand through his hair and tried to make a plan.

The next afternoon, John walked out to the poolyard to get some air, away from the arguing adults. He found the pool to be occupied by Racheal and TJ who were horsing around and racing between the lanes. Destiny was sitting in a chair beneath an umbrella and watched them. "Here goes nothing." He thought and sat down in a chair beside her. She didn't even bother to look up at him.

"Can we talk?"

"I can but I don't know if you're capable."

"Very funny."

"I thought so too."

"Seriously, Destiny. Can I talk to you?"

"I thought we were talking."

John bit back his anger and tried again. "I want to apologize."

"Save it. I'm not in the mood for your lies today."

"I'm not lying. I do want to apologize to you for the way I've treated you."

She waved her hand dismissively and went back to watching TJ and Racheal race.

John sighed deeply and stared at her and her focus. "Why aren't you out there with them?

"I can't swim." Destiny muttered embarrassed.

"Why not?"

"Because I never learned. I thought you were here to apologize."

"If you would be kind enough to listen to my apology, I could teach you how to swim."

"I've made it this long without learning, I'll be fine." She said and walked back to the hotel suite without another word. John sighed frustrated and wondered off hand if he could convince the older Racheal to consider spanking Destiny for her attitude or at least hog tie her so she'd be forced to listen. On second thought, he had just gotten back on good terms with TJ and his revenge against Des would damage that. A part of him wished he was his future self if only to help himself sort through his current issues.

Destiny marched herself back to the hotel suite and climbed on the bed to lay down next to her mother. With most of the team members out scoring some type of financial profit or a location for a new home, the rooms were quiet and empty. Only Alex, Racheal and the teenagers remained. Destiny felt a hand touch her back softly.

"What's wrong, sweetpea?" Racheal asked tiredly. Immediately Destiny felt guilty for waking her after the night they both had.

"Nothing, mom." Destiny mumbled and curled to her pillow.

Racheal gave her a light tap on the backside. "Be honest and tell me the truth."

Destiny rolled over to face her. "John tried to apologize, I kind of told to him to go hell."

"Why?"

"He doesn't want to apologize. He's just saying the words so Racheal will forgive him and go back to screwing with him. He doesn't mean any of what he says, just like at home."

Racheal sighed deeply.

"Destiny. You know he doesn't apologize lightly and never to those he thinks are unworthy of it. If he's willing to apologize to you then he's admitting he's made a mistake and wants to correct it. It also means he wants to restore whatever relationship he had with you. This is not something he does on a whim and it's not something he doesn't mean. He's trying and you owe it to the man he'll be to hear him out. I'm not saying you have to forgive him or even accept the apology. Just listen and decide."

Destiny rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd take his side. You always choose John over me."

"If you remember, you always choose your father over me as well. You'd side with your father even If you knew he was wrong."

"John isn't dad."

"Not yet but give him a chance. TJ did. He listened to the whole apology and chose to try again with him. You trust TJ's judgment don't you?"

"Yes."

"Second chances are there for a reason. You may need a second chance from him someday."

Destiny just looked at her and said nothing. Racheal shoved her mildly. "Go on."