VII

Kate has no idea what has just happened. She knows the logical course of action is to stay far away from John Connor. She still has that chance to run. She realizes it's her last chance to put as much distance from her and John as she possibly can.

But, she knows what she saw, and it's something that can't be explained unless she stays with him. She doesn't want to be left in the dark for the rest of her life. She doesn't want to try to go through life without knowing what had just happened.

She has a feeling that she's making a terrible decision, but it's the only choice she wants to make. She takes a chance. She turns back the way she came.

She sees a tall blonde haired man running in her direction. Kate was shown his picture upon arriving at the station. She doesn't remember meeting him, but he appears to recognize her. There is a small thought that maybe these people have been watching her for awhile, and she's starting to second guess her decision to go back for John.

The man stops in front of her and says, "Come with me if you want to live!"

Last chance to walk away from this. She responses with a simple nod, and she follows the man down the hall.

"Do you know how to shoot?" he asks.

"Yes, my father taught me," she says.

"Of course he did," the man says as if it's the most obvious answer.

"Wait - do you know my father?" she asks.

"No, but years from now, you'll tell me a lot about him."

She tries to comprehend exactly what he says. "What are you even talking about?"

"Right. I guess John you anything either," he rolls his eyes. "Figures..."

She's so confused, but then again how exactly does one make sense of all that has just happened in the last few hours.

The man hands her a pistol. "It won't do much if Skynet attacks you, but it might stall him for enough time to run."

"Is Skynet that thing?" she asks.

"Yes," he says.

"What is it?" she asks.

"It's a machine," he says.

Her head feels like it's going to explode, and she just wants a rational explanation for what is happening. She has a feeling that the answer isn't going to be anywhere close to rational.

...

John is pinning Skynet to the ground. The detective in the room fires a pistol at the both of them, but the bullets barely phase either of them. Skynet kicks John off of itself, and then, turns to the detective and Dr. Silberman.

Its arm morphs into a sharp spike, and it goes straight through Silberman's head. The other detective bolts out of the room screaming in absolute terror. John stares at Silberman's now dead body and notes that nothing of value was truly lost.

The spike reforms to the shape of an arm and Skynet grins. "By the end of the night, I will kill everyone you hold dear starting with your mother."

The door flies open, and right on queue, his mother and Pops fire several bullets from an assault rifle.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," John says.

His mother hands him a spare assault rifle. He snatches it and fires several bullets into Skynet. Then, he flees the room with Pops and his mother.

"We have to find Kyle!" his mother says. "If he dies..."

She stops speaking mid-sentence, and it's obvious to John that she's realizing that she cares for him. He wonders if it's destiny. He knows logically that his first incarnation must have had a different father, but he wonders if it's fate that each timeline afterward his mother will always pick Kyle Reese.

"We must save Kyle Reese so that you both can mate," Pops says.

"Didn't I tell you not to say that hours ago?" John reminds him.

"I've told him several times," his mom says. "Trust me...he never listens."

There is a loud crashing sound followed by the sound of gunshots. Skynet. John spots a door to an emergency staircase. He throws the door open and his mom and Pops follow him through. They run up the flight of stairs. John hears a door open and slam just as fast.

He looks down expecting to see Skynet, but it's his father is with Kate. He feels that familiar feeling of relief, and he's recognizing that human emotion is slowly coming back to him. He is slowly breaking free of Skynet's hold on him.

"Kyle!" his mom shouts.

"Sarah!" his dad shouts back at her as he runs up the stairs with Kate following close behind him.

Kate races up to him and practically throws herself into him. She's looking up at him with wide blue eyes, and he sees a mixture of several emotions stirring within her. He's not sure why she's decided to trust him, but he's forever thankful that he can now keep her safe.

"Please tell me I'm making the right choice," Kate says.

"I'll tell you everything after this is done," he says.

He hears the a loud crashing sound from below. John peers over the railing to see Skynet climbing the staircase with ease. He clasps his hand around Kate's wrist, and he climbs the rest of the stairs as fast as he can.

Pops turns away from them, and he fires several shots from his assault rifle. His mother is about to stop to help him, but Pops shouts, "Go now!"

They reach the top of the staircase. His father shoots the lock on the door and pushes it open. There is a helicopter several feet in front, and all four of them instinctively rush towards it.

"Do you know how to fly?" his mother asks his father.

"Yes," he pauses and adds. "John taught me."

The door opens again, and Pops is still firing shots at Skynet. They all climb into the helicopter, and Kate is clinging to him as if he's her last lifeline. His father starts the helicopter and Pops continues to fire shots from the door.

The helicopter drops sideways, and Kate's grip tightens around his arms. She has never experienced something like this - in this timeline that is. He hates that he dragged her into all of this, but without her, he wonders if that would have been him dead set on murdering his family.

The thought of killing his mother and father disgusts him. It makes him that much more motivated to tear Skynet to pieces.

"What is that thing and why does it want to kill us?" Kate asks.

"It's a machine from the future sent back to kill us," his mother answers.

"Why? What did any of us do to piss it off this much?"

"All of us are in some way responsible for its eventual demise," his father responses. "Or so it believes."

"Jesus Christ - I don't know what to believe anymore," Kate shakes her head in disbelief.

There is the sound of rapid gunfire. Skynet has acquired a helicopter and is pursuing them. Pops is leaning out the window and firing an assault rifle back at the helicopter.

Skynet's helicopter approaches and Pops says, "I'll be back."

He leaps from the helicopter. Skynet's helicopter is swerving down into the river beneath them. John sees Cyberdyne directly in front of them, and he's ready to end this.

Kate is leaning into him. She's shaking, and he regrets putting her through this. He wonders if she will always be a part of his life, and he hates that this fate will always put her in danger.

He glances forward. If they can get to Cyberdyne before Skynet they can stop this. They can end Judgement Day once and for all. He's not sure what he will do with himself afterwards, but he just knows he's ready to stop this endless cycle that he imagines he's relived countless times.

Tonight it either ends, Skynet wins, or the paradox cycle continues.