Author's Notes: First written in 2011, this update will continue in an alternate universe where Kyle didn't die. If you follow the Terminator fandom, Kyle was resurrected and returned with multiple different actors but the character does come back. This update begins after the first movie with Kyle's return to Sarah's utter shock and delight. Keep reading and I hope you enjoy it.
~o~o~
Chapter 2: I'm Still Breathing
Los Angeles, five years later:
Kyle Reese is alive and living in LA with continued dreams of a woman he'd never met, not sure who she is or where she came from but all he could remember was that he's in the right city of LA. He felt alone and unsure where to go. After being in a coma for over four years, he woke up with no memories only a torn photograph of this mysterious woman.
His mood lifted when he thought of her in his waking hours. After he left the store clerk to find a job as an auto mechanic hoping he would get the job but to his luck, he did get the job. But the hope still remained that he could return to the military as an officer or as an agent for the CIA.
Now a year later, still searching, he walked into a restaurant one of many and there she is welcoming customers working hard and terribly busy. He sat up straighter and picked up the menu to hide his face. There it is again, the burning desire to hold her and kiss her repeatedly as if he'd done it before. He shook his head and stared at the menu, hoping for another waitress to help him, but she was there.
"May I help you?" She waited for an answer.
He lowered the menu. "I need a minute," he replied not looking at her.
"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."
He released his breath and watched her walk away. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing but it felt difficult. Seeing her again felt unreal but it's Sarah, his Sarah. To think of her as if she were his, felt odd but so right.
Minutes later, she came back but her customer was leaving. She felt compelled and hollered "Wait!"
He stopped at the door, heart pounding double time, he turned. "Were you calling me?"
This cannot be happening, she thought. Heart pounding, she managed to speak. "Kyle, is that you?"
Hearing his name spoken again, he couldn't lie. "It's me."
"I cannot believe this." She looked around. "Wait for me; don't leave."
"Okay," he managed to say and watched her walk away.
She left him standing at the door removing her apron as she left, clocked out, grabbed her purse and came back to the door and he's still there. "You're real and alive. I'm not dreaming?" Her eyes watered.
He tried to smile. "It's not a dream."
"We need to talk," she said and took his arm.
They walked over to the parking lot. "I have a car now especially with…" She hesitated.
He frowned. "With what?"
"Get in and we can talk on the way to our place."
Now in the car and she's driving. "Sarah, did you say our place?"
"Yes, I think of it that way. In my mind, you're still here with me and not dead but alive and living with me and… John our son."
He gasped. "You had a son and his name is John?"
"Yes, he's yours and mine." Her eyes watered thinking of the past. "He's at daycare but I can pick him up, I mean, if you would like to meet him?"
Kyle is thinking of his life before they met and that name is familiar, but he didn't know why.
"Kyle, did you hear me? What are you thinking?"
He shook his head trying to remember. "The name John is familiar." He paused. "I need to tell you something. My memories are incomplete and I don't remember the past, when we met, when we… made love, but I do remember the photograph with your face. That's about it."
"I see but we do have a lot to talk about."
He tried to smile. "I suppose we do."
~o~o~
Now at the sitters:
"We're here, he hasn't started school yet; John will start in the fall. I'll tell him that you're only a friend for now but I'll wait for a while before we tell him the truth. Is that okay?"
"Of course, whatever you decide is fine with me."
"Wait here and I'll bring him to you."
"Okay," he said and closed his eyes. "I have a son and that means that we…," he said to himself but why the name John was familiar; the name is common not different, but why? He wondered.
The side door opened and John got in and buckled up. "Hi," he said.
"Hi, John. I'm Kyle. It's nice to meet you. Did your Mom mention me?"
"Yes, she said you were a friend and you haven't seen each other in a long time."
"Yes, that's true," he replied.
"Okay, is everyone buckled up?" Sarah asked and started the car. "Okay, here we go."
After a few minutes of driving, she had a question. "I thought we could stop for take-out, sit at the table and talk. How's that?"
"Fine by me; I like take out." John replied.
"You're welcome to eat with us, unless you have other plans?" She asked Kyle.
"No, no plans," he replied.
"Excellent." Now, she wondered what to say to him with no memories of their time together in the past. "How about burgers and fries? We don't eat out that often."
"Yes, burgers and fries sound good," John replied.
"Kyle, and you, do you like burgers and fries or something else?" She asked him to think of that one night together but he doesn't remember any of it.
"That's fine," he finally replied, but the memory of their night together flashed before his eyes. He rubbed his temples as another headache came out of nowhere.
She glanced at him and he appeared in pain. "Are you all right?"
The pain is gone. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Okay, we're here. The drive through won't take long." While waiting in line, she's worried. "Are you sure you're all right? How often do you have these headaches?"
"Not often; it only happens when I try to remember… the past," he replied and glanced at her face, but he needed to explain. "The doctors said the headaches will pass in a while. Please don't worry about me." He felt the need to tell her the truth.
"We can talk about it later after we eat." Then a question. "Do you have a place to stay?"
He felt uncomfortable for a minute. "No, I mean, I'm staying at a motel since I left the hospital."
"We have a guest room at the house."
Now his mind is spinning with thoughts of them together making love. "No, I'll be fine at the motel."
"If you're sure, we have plenty of space?" She asked hoping he would stay the night.
Now at the cashier, she paid for the food and handed it to Kyle. "My home is about a mile from here."
Now at the house, a lovely home, a driveway, well-manicured lawn and small green hedges lined up under a big picture window.
Sarah grabbed the drinks, while Kyle had the food.
Now at the front door, she managed to open it and headed inside. He followed her and she had a lovely home. A small living area but the kitchen is really nice. He followed her into the kitchen.
She placed the drinks on the table. "Wash up you two and we can eat. Go on." She shook her head and gathered plates. She had to wonder why he wouldn't stay here with us, but the headaches are there to hurt him only when he tries to remember.
Now at the dinner table, everyone is eating not talking. "John, tell us about your day."
He ate a french-fry. "Nothing much happens at day care, but my birthday was brought up. It's tomorrow if you remember?"
"Of course, I remember. It's a Saturday and we can celebrate."
"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Kyle asked then if the memories of their night together flowed through his mind but the headaches were not there. He stared at Sarah and she had the same thoughts. He also stared at John and it felt odd to see him at such an early age but he's my son. His eyes watered thinking about him.
"That's great; I can't wait." John finished the happy meal in minutes. "Can I watch TV in my room?"
"Sure, go ahead." Sarah replied and turned back to Kyle, but his face was familiar. "You remember, don't you?"
He didn't answer her but stood up and helped her clear the table. Staring at her, he replied. "Yes, I remember most of it."
"That's a good start; how about what we shared and the night we met?"
"Yes, I remember," he replied. They both smiled. After the table was cleared, she held out her hand. He took it and walked into the living room.
Now sitting on the sofa, she looked at their joined hands. "This feels unreal that it's not truly happening. I prayed every day for you to come back to me and here you are." Her eyes watered, and placed her head on his shoulder, holding hands.
"Oh, my Sarah, yes, I'm here with you." He pulled away and touched her cheek. "When I woke up from the coma, my only thought was seeing you again. I didn't remember who you were or where you lived, but I had to find you, no matter how long it would take."
"I'm so glad," she whispered. They stared at each other. "It's still there, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," he replied and they kissed slowly at first, then deeper kisses were exchanged.
She pulled away but she didn't want to. "John is awake and we should stop."
"John, yes I remember the name. John Connor in the future, he sent me to find you because he knew you were his mother and I'm his father."
She sat up straighter. "Yes, that makes a crazy kind of sense. But I remember you told me that you could never go back to the future."
"Yes, that's true. The future is horrifying, the only thing to do is to stay alive, but it's not much of an existence. Our only hope is John Connor he's there helping us to fight and stop the machines to send terminators away."
"John is there," she said and pulled him close. "We'll give him a few hours and then it's time for bed."
"Yes, time for bed," he whispered and pulled her close. They sat that way for several hours, watching the late-night news remembering their time together, all of it.
"Do you remember when we first met when I followed you but you didn't know who I was and why I was following you?" He shook his head confused.
"Of course, I remember, you were always protecting me even when…" She stopped.
"Yes, even then," he finished for her. They continued to stare, thinking of the past, but before they kissed again, John spoke up.
"Mom, I'm thirsty!"
"I'll be right back, and please don't leave."
"I'm staying," he said and smiled at her look.
~o~o~
Kyle was still in the living room but the memories were returning quickly. The memories were of the future and his life trying to stay alive for one more day. Staring at the photograph but then the terminators came and his memories stopped. He stood up and looked around and he couldn't do this to her. He could come back and try to kill her again, kill us again.
"Sarah!?" He called her, but she's not there. "Sarah!"
"I'm here." She came back and pulled him close. "It's alright, I'm here."
Holding her, he felt confused as the future and the past were clashing inside his mind.
She pulled away and led him inside the bedroom. "We can talk in here. John is asleep."
"Okay," he said still confused but no headaches he realized. "Sarah, I'm sorry but I shouldn't be in here; it's too dangerous… I should leave you and John." His heart felt broken in two. His eyes watered thinking of leaving.
She frowned. "What do you mean, too dangerous?"
"You know what I mean. The terminator could come back to hurt all of us, including not only you and me, but…. our son." She looked confused. "John is the reason I had to come to the past to protect you. They wanted to kill you in order for John in the future would not exist."
"You told me all of this before, but now I remember."
"I need to leave you alone although that's the last thing I want," he said, pulled her close thrilled, and excited to hold her again but they were not meant to be.
She had a feeling, then she pulled his head down and kissed him again. He kissed her back. After a minute, she left his arms, closed and locked the bedroom door.
He shook his head. "Only this once and then I need to leave you." His eyes watered again. He couldn't resist her; he couldn't.
She began to undress. "No more talk about leaving me. You can't leave me and I won't let you."
"Sarah no," he said but he needed her and she needed him too. Soon they were in bed underneath the covers kissing, touching each other, not able to be close enough.
She slowly opened her eyes. "Kyle, it's been so long."
"I'm right here." He smoothed and stroked her hair.
Kyle's heart was beating fast. The silence was deafening. She couldn't speak and couldn't breathe. She closed her eyes for a minute hoping to calm her racing heart but then he was too close.
She swallowed. "Are you sure about doing this again, I mean?"
"I'm ready but are you?"
"Oh yes, I'm ready for us to be together again."
He stared at her. "Are you saying that you've never been with anyone since I… left you?"
She thought of all the years without him. "I never thought of anyone else… only you."
"You're amazing… I love you." He paused then. "Ever since that night…"
She closed her eyes. "I know… I love you too," she whispered, inwardly thrilled that he wanted her.
He pulled her closer and she didn't pull away. Feeling encouraged, he kissed her temple. He turned to her and her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes were staring at him. He knew what they were trying to say. She wanted him to kiss her again, and so he did.
She placed her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. It was lovely, sweet, a little tentative and a bit hungry too. His lips suddenly left her sweet mouth and moved to her cheek and then down her throat. He pulled back suddenly, breathing heavily then their foreheads touched for a moment.
He stared into her eyes. "No more talking."
She touched his lips then nodded her head.
He kissed her again, but this time, it wasn't tentative, it wasn't sweet, it was hard and demanding. Kyle was so excited, and he didn't want to think about anything right now. Everything he felt for months hoping to find her poured inside his heart, and it was accepted wholeheartedly.
The warmth that she felt when he looked at her, made her hungry for him. It was painful to look at him. He was a beautiful man and the sweetest person inside and out.
She suddenly leaned in and kissed his chest. He closed his eyes enjoying her kisses then he pulled her head up and kissed her passionately. He kissed her repeatedly. His lips were on her face, then down to her throat to her chest.
So beautiful, he thought. Her chest lifted up, and he was there with his waiting lips and mouth. He pulled at the pink nub and Sarah whimpered her need. He was so aroused, but he wanted to take his time with her. He wanted her so badly. She was on his mind constantly.
She stared at his strong and firm body and then he was on top of her and he was holding her so tight and Sarah felt so happy to be with him again.
And then she couldn't think of anything else. He left her but only for a moment. He put the condom on, and she couldn't help but grin. She was on the pill, but he was a gentleman and she cared far too much for him. Then he kissed her again, and then he was inside of her.
It was lovely and wondrous. She closed her eyes and let it happen. They made that climb to the stars holding tightly to each other. He buried his face in her neck and then after a few heart-stopping minutes it was over. After a few minutes of sweet kisses and caresses, he left her body, removed the condom and placed it in a towel beside the bed.
He went back into her arms holding her close, her head on his chest and their limbs entwined.
"Are you Ok?" He asked as he stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.
"I'm fine." She replied happy to be with him.
~o~o~
Morning came and he left the bed, now in the bathroom. Sarah reached for him. "Kyle are you here?"
"I'm here, but…" he couldn't finish.
"I know and we can talk. You have to stay; it's John's birthday."
"Yes, I remember," he said and climbed back in bed holding her as if he would never leave, but it's best that he leaves his family. Yes, they are his family in every way. He thought. Then he pulled away and smoothed her hair. "You haven't changed since the day I met you."
"Oh, I have changed. After what happened, I wanted to leave the city, too many memories, but I had to settle my Mom's estate and now I have a little money for John and me and I decided to stay."
"I'm glad you stayed because I searched for weeks going to different restaurants, your old apartment building looking for you. It's strange, but all I could remember was your face, and that was it."
"Kyle, I do believe that you would have found me eventually and here we are." She turned his face to look at her. "You can't leave me or John. We need you here with us. Please think about it."
"Well, there is one way to convince me." He smiled.
"Someone is insatiable. Come here." She kissed him and he kissed her back.
John is awake. "Mom! The door is locked. I need to get ready for the party at the sitters."
"Coming John! Give me a minute!"
His hands behind his head. "I'll wait for you to come back and I promise not to leave."
She smiled but the words were there but she didn't say them again. "I'll be back and soon."
He closed his eyes but the memories of the last time they saw each other. She was alone and unprotected but somehow she survived without him. She's strong and confident but he knew that the moment we met she hadn't changed.
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: When You Believe, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey.
A/N: This update needed a lot to work through as you can imagine. I have to say that turning this one into an alternate universe felt odd but enjoyable to write them back together again as it should have happened. Now tell me how you feel about this, and please stick around for another chapter next week. Thanks for reading.