Author's notes: Thank you for everyone who reviewed! For those of you who asked about a sequel (another one), I hadn't really thought about doing anymore after this. I was going to leave it as a trilogy, but if anyone has any ideas for continuation, I'd love to hear them.

uncommoner - Honestly, I don't think Derek would have let her go. He'd already established that she wasn't the Jesse he knew and she would most likely not stop in her mission. So, it definitely would have broke his heart, but I believe he did it, especially when we saw his reaction to when John asked him "did you kill her." And yes, I actually do have a lot of Irish in my ancestry. :)

clearfanfic - Oops. It's "Es tu brute?" I've always heard the other way, but maybe I should have looked it up first. Thanks for pointing that out. :)

Epilogue:

Take Back the Future

Riley stood quietly off to the side, trying not to think about the dull throbbing pain in her shoulder that just wouldn't go away. Cameron was standing a few yards away, watching her. Not staring in that vaguely threatening way as she usually did. This time, she was just… watching. And then finally, she spoke up.

"Thank you."

Riley couldn't understand the behavior. "What for?" she grumbled. "Seems all I've done is get in the way. With you and John, I mean."

"You saved John's life."

Riley shrugged, sending pain shooting through her shoulder again. "It was nothing really." Hurt like crap, though.

"It's not nothing. It's John," Cameron replied simply.

Riley looked away. Yes, John. She should feel like a hero. She'd saved the life of the one who saves the world. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cameron reach into her backpack and pull out a nine-millimeter.

Riley felt a brief flash of fear, but Cameron didn't point the gun at her. I guess old habits die hard.

Instead, Cameron held the gun out, handle towards Riley. "If you're going to join us, you'll be needing this."

Riley could see her hand shaking as she reached out and took the weapon, feeling a strange sense of fear and nausea. Cameron was right, if she stayed with the Connors, she'd be in the war actively, not scrounging around in the tunnels like she had in the future, but fighting to make a difference.

In a way, it was the greatest gift Cameron could have given her. By handing her the weapon, she was stating that Riley was welcome to join the Connor clan, to have someplace to be, someplace to belong. She wouldn't have to run. She could still have a normal - well, partially normal - life with the Connors.

She could help them fight to stop Judgment Day. And maybe…just maybe…together they would win. Carrots and apples forever.

Riley glanced over at Cameron. "I've always known, you know. Not just about the future and that you're a cyborg…I've always known you loved him. I told you that in Canada. No matter how weird or impossible it seems. But I guess love doesn't always make sense, does it?" She smiled, glancing down at Cameron's gift. "I'm…I'm just glad he has someone to be with…when the end comes. So…" Riley offered her hand. "Friends?"

Cameron took it with a smile. Riley was surprised as how easily human it was, both the smile and the hand that grasped Riley's in a firm, yet gentle handshake.

"Yes. Friends," Cameron agreed.

Riley smiled. And for the first time since she'd been around Cameron, it was genuine. "Awesome. I'll buy you a smoothie."

"Peachy Keen is my favorite."

***********

John had heard the shot that ended Jesse's life. He knew he should have seen it coming; he just hadn't expected Derek would take such extreme measures. It wasn't as if John felt sorry for Jesse. He hadn't known her well. In fact, he'd hated her. But he hadn't wanted anyone else to die for him.

His uncle exited the room and dropped the gun on the ground, looking utterly heartbroken. John could tell from Derek's red eyes that his normally hard-as-nails uncle had been crying.

"You killed her," John mumbled bitterly.

Derek lowered his gaze. "John Connor let her go."

John got the message. He shouldn't feel responsible for her death. He had granted her freedom, life. In those five words, Derek had removed the blame from John's shoulders.

But it still didn't help the pain. In his heart, he knew it was his fault. If it wasn't for him, she'd be alive. Even now, people kept dying for him…

"You didn't have to kill her," he muttered.

"Someone had to," Derek said quietly.

"I know what she meant to you," John stated in a dull tone. "You didn't have to do it."

I should have done it, he thought bitterly. Derek shouldn't have been forced to kill the woman he loved. No matter what she'd done.

"Well, I couldn't let you do it," Derek said quietly. "You're the only one of us who's still pure at heart, John."

John felt a pang of regret. "No, I'm not."

Even beneath the pain and hurt, he saw a flash of confusion cross Derek's face. "What?"

John took a shaky breath. "Mom didn't kill Sarkissian, Derek. I did."

"You?" Derek's eyes were wide as he stuttered to respond. "But…That was self-defense John. It's not your fault."

John laughed dryly. "Does it make a difference? He's still dead because of me. And there are those who die for me, either to save me - like Bedell - or to keep a secret to protect me - like Allison. I didn't want anyone else to die for me. You didn't have to kill her."

Derek looked away. "Yeah, I did. She was… making me doubt you. Making me doubt my – our - mission." Derek's face seemed to crumble. "I'm sorry, John. I'm sorry for siding with her. I'm sorry for trying to kill Cameron. I…I realize now that you were right. She is different."

John frowned at that. It was completely opposite Derek's usual attitude. "What changed your mind?"

"She saved my life," Derek replied. "Not because she was ordered to or obligated to in any way. It would have been better for her if I was out of the way. But she saved me anyway, because she said my life is sacred, because everyone's life matters. She learned that from you."

John smiled softly. "She learned it from all of us. Love. Both you and my mother have been resenting me for having her around. Neither of you trusted me anymore. But that didn't stop you from loving or trying to protect me. She sees that, learns that. And maybe we can learn something from her too."

Derek still seemed a tiny bit skeptical at that. "Like what?"

"Well, she can cook more than just pancakes."

"I heard that."

John looked up to see his mother standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and a playful grin on her face. He heard Derek start to chuckle softly and that genuine smile on his mother's face brought a warm feeling into his heart.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Sarah stepped over to him and he could see the tears brimming in her eyes as she smiled. She didn't say anything, simply pulled him into a tight hug. And he realized that it was the first time she'd truly hugged him in… too long.

He tightened his grip, relishing the moment. And he smiled. Because he realized what was happening. After months and months of breaking apart and mistrusting each other, it was finally happening.

They were becoming a family again.

*************

John felt the wind blow through his hair as the sun began to rise over the horizon. They'd spent the entire night packing up the supply drop in the woods and destroying all the evidence of the skirmish with Cromartie, just in case anyone would come this deep into the forest to investigate Cromartie's safehouse. Cameron and Riley approached and he noticed Riley hung back at first, clutching her bandaged shoulder with one hand and holding a smoothie in another.

Cameron set two smoothies on the ground and sat down next to John, eyes searching his worriedly. "Are you okay?"

John smiled softly. "I'll be fine. Really."

Riley finally came forward to sit on John's other side, having given him and Cameron a moment alone. "We brought you a smoothie."

Cameron held out the berry drink, which he took gratefully. "You guys are on speaking terms now?"

Riley grinned. "Yeah… I guess I earned her respect. Sorry for the whole camp mess."

John shook his head. "It's not your fault. You were being manipulated. Could have happened to anyone."

Everyone was silent for a while, sipping on their smoothies. John noticed that both Cameron and Riley were drinking Peachy Keen. He smiled. Huh. They have something in common. What do you know?

"So what do we do now?" Riley asked.

"Start over," John replied. "We're gonna have to move. There's too many witnesses, too many questions here. Someone will be investigating what happened here tonight. Little Kyle Reese will certainly have a story to tell. It's time we move on. Not everyone will buy that skunk story."

Riley grinned. "For the record, I didn't buy it either."

"I didn't think so," John said with a smile.

"Where are we moving to?" Riley questioned.

"I suggested Canada," Cameron piped up.

"I don't really know," John replied. "But it doesn't really matter, does it? Because we'll keep doing what we do. We'll keep fighting." He reached over and took Cameron's hand. She smiled and for a moment, just a moment, they were normal, everything was right.

He knew better than to think that it would last. It had been drilled into him all his life, by his mother, by Derek, by Cameron: There is no fate but that which we make. Never stop fighting.

And I never will, he thought strongly.

He looked up at Cameron, at Riley. At his mother and Derek standing in the back, looking at the beautiful rising sun. They'd just come out of the darkness, the disasters. Yes, Judgment Day was still coming. But as the darkness was retreating, dawn was breaking, the sun was a bright beacon of hope, hope for the future, their future.

John stared up into it. "The battle has only just begun."

author's note: Well, that's the end of the story. :( I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. I hope you have all enjoyed it and I'd love to know what you think!