A/N: Really windy day today! If you're gonna get any of that where you live, hold on.

I'm so excited for this story, which originally was a fun little divergence from my bigger story. But I rewrote the climax and now I can't wait for you to see it, but we aren't there yet. Soon, though. I am aiming for finishing this one before the year is over.

The sudden ringing of Holly's phone cut through the silence like a machete. The woman was so startled that she inadvertently tossed it to the passenger side where Trina quickly caught it. She checked the screen.

"It's dad!"

Jade and Tori leaned in from the backseat, worried. Holly licked her lips before her eyes going to Trina, nodding for her to answer it. Trina nodded in return and made the point to put it on speaker.

"Hello?" Trina winced.

"TRINA! Trina, is that really you?"

David's voice sounded frantic, but the entire car had their doubts. They were nearly duped the last time. They all heard it. That terminator sounded very convincing.

"Yeah...uh...dad," the older Vega replied cautiously, looking around to her company. "Where are you?"

"Gary and I got away. It's chaos down at the precinct. The radio said they're calling in the National Guard to sort this mess out. Any local cop who hasn't called in is presumed dead or injured."

Jade swallowed, a heaviness on her face that Tori picked up on. Meanwhile, Trina was devising a way for the voice to prove that it was indeed her father.

"Hey, dad? Did you call Mrs. Pringle about the cat? About Gracie's medicine."

Tori squinted at her big sister while Holly quickly understood what she was doing.

"Trina, what the hell are you talking about?"

The Vegas all sighed with relief.

"Sorry, dad. Just wanted to make sure it was really you."

"Uh...WHAT?"

"David!" Holly interrupted, trying to keep her attention on the road. "Babe? Are you at the house?"

"No. Why?"

Holly sighed.

"That thing on the news...he found us and attacked...but we got away."

There was a long pause, something very muffled was uttered.

"Please tell me Tori is alright, too."

"I'm here, dad!" Tori smiled, fighting back tears.

An audible sigh came through on the other end.

"What about Jade and Cat. Are they okay?"

"Yes," the youngest daughter nodded. "Everybody is okay. Right, Jade?"

The goth just sat in stone silence, looking ahead but at nothing in particular.

"They're all fine," Holly clarified. "But the house is wrecked. Suppose you don't have a plan?"

There was some indistinct whispering between David and another voice.

"Actually, we do. Go to 1312 Elysium Drive. It'll be downtown so drive carefully."

"I'll text Cat," Tori sighed taking out her phone.

After a few moments, the red car in front of them took a sharp right and Holly followed.

"Better than a GPS," quipped Trina.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a big warehouse with a row of thin windows toward the roof. Otherwise, it was a non-descript industrial structure in this long line of similar warehouses. Night had fallen and the only illumination besides the headlights of the vehicles were a scant few streetlamps, one of them flickering like it was about to die.

The T-X stepped out of the Chevy and walked toward the warehouse indicated on David's instructions. She did a preliminary scan of the building.

"See anything?" Cat asked, getting out of her car.

"Two heartbeats..." the terminator replied. "...and they're beating fast."

A loud clank of metal caused the girls to all jump.

"Stand back!" the terminator commanded.

The massive grey roll-up door opened, revealing David and Gary.

"DAD!"

Tori and Trina both ran up, nearly knocking the man off of his feet. Holly came in to kiss him on the temple. Jade just watched from the sidelines as the family was so overcome with relief that they were together and in one piece.

"Quick!" Gary gestured. "Bring the cars in!"

Cat nodded and got into the red car while Holly reluctantly let go of her husband to drive the SUV inside. Once all people and vehicles were secured, the men brought down the door to a close and slid the metal rod on both sides into the door's track. These ensured that nobody, in or out, could open this door when engaged. Gary ran and double-checked that the remaining five roll-up doors were also secured the same way. David made sure to inspect the thick metal service doors for human entry were also locked tight.

"Building's secure!" huffed David.

The terminator looked around.

"Not seeing any concerning structural weaknesses and no sign of the T-800 since we departed the residence. This will suffice for the time being."

The two officers looked on bemusedly at the battle-scarred cyborg who looked like Tori was doing a crazy cyberpunk cosplay.

"Okay...whatever you are..." David said, clearing his throat approaching the terminator cautiously. "We're here, so tell us everything."

Holly bit her lip, knowing the shock that was coming.

Tori noticed that Jade had vanished but since the cyborg didn't make much of a fuss, they had to sense the girl was nearby. So, Tori went to investigate. Along the wall was a rusty metal staircase that led to an office. The smallest glint of light was up there, and the Latina wondered if that was Jade.

She heard the echo as her feet stepped onto the metal steps that were strictly functional. They didn't even look like full steps; just thin grates leading up to this door. Tori was tempted to touch the railing on the way, looking like it was made from the same metal, but decided against it. They might be able to rustle up a first aid kit, but it was very unlikely that it would have a tetanus shot in there. Tori just ascended the shaky steps very carefully.

Once she made it to the office, with the word spelled across the wavy glass panel on the otherwise wooden door, her thin hand turned the knob and opened it.

Tori could hear Jade, and she was crying. The Latina closed the door gently and followed the source of the sound.

Jade was huddled underneath the large desk, her face in her knees. Tori got down to her level and crawled close to her, barely enough room to have both of them down there.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look fucking okay?" Jade sniffed, unwilling to look up.

Tori shut her eyes and breathed deeply, understanding that she's been through the wringer tonight. They all have.

"I'm sorry this is happening, but we couldn't stop it!"

Jade coughed.

"You're sorry? You're fucking sorry?" she chuckled sarcastically. "You've got some nerve apologizing when this is clearly my fault!"

The tan girl was about to reach out but her hand relented.

"Now, just...go away!" Jade added.

Tori blinked, unable to shake off her own emotions. She ran the gamut in emotions tonight; lovelorn, worry, confusion, anger, fear, you name it!

"I promise when this is all over..." Tori began. "I'll..." she swallowed. "I'll give you all the space you need. I won't bother you." She then got even closer to Jade. "But right now, we need to stick together to weather this storm. We need each other."

The wet pale face dared to look up and acknowledge her.

"Vega, listen very carefully to me, okay?" she shakily said. "We both know I don't fucking matter! All that happened was sometime in the future, I pissed off the wrong person and they sent a robot through time to kill me. And anyone who gets in the way DIES!"

A scowl came across Tori's features, and she hugged the goth. Jade did her best to push her off, but Tori's grip was too strong.

"We have evidence that something really bad rises in the future!" Tori scolded. "And one of the few who gave humanity a fighting chance was YOU!"

Unable to shake her off, Jade resorted to bawling up her fists and hitting Tori in the back. She was desperate to break this embrace. Tori fought through the pain and refused to let her stop her speech.

"The future sent a terminator to stop you from becoming who you were meant to be; a beacon of hope!"

The hits slackened but kept going, Jade clearly tiring out.

"And they sent another terminator to protect you. And you know why she looks like me? Because this Tori would save you in a heartbeat!"

"WHY?!" Jade cried. "Why do you care?"

Tori has had enough and pulled Jade up from the floor to her feet, nearly hitting both of their heads on the desk. The brown-haired girl sat the goth on the table, like she was a child getting a lecture. Both of them were wet from tears.

"Number one; You don't get to fucking tell me who I care about, West! You got that!"

She just looked on at Tori without a word.

"Number two; I don't give a damn what you mean to the future because you already matter to me now!"

Jade blinked, her breath hitching.

"Finally, third; terminators don't feel pain, but I do. Don't ever hit me like that again!"

The standing girl had fire in her eyes, unwavering from her words. Jade immediately felt terrible, not only trying to shut Tori out and yell but to hurt her like a wild animal. Was she so blind with her own anger and self-loathing that she would attack this girl who did nothing but try to be there for her?

Tori closed her eyes and sighed before turning to leave. Her journey was interrupted by an insisting but gentle hand on the arm.

"Tori, wait!"

She turned back and faced Jade head on.

"What?"

"I'm sorry!" Jade admitted, farming even fresher tears. "I'm so sorry." Jade got closer to Tori and slowly placed her hand on the Latina's back. "Does it hurt?"

Tori's mouth got suddenly dry.

"Not a lot, but..."

"I should have learned my lesson," she sniffed. "From the last time."

"What do you mean?" Tori asked.

Jade looked down at her hand, which was feeling a bit better.

"Last time I laid a hand on someone that looked like you, I nearly broke my hand. Stupid me just can't heed a warning, huh?"

Tori exhaled through her nose.

"You're looking at the poster child of ignoring signs."

She then backed away from Jade and proceeded toward the door.

"Look, I appreciate you apologizing but..." Tori sighed. "I'm going to need time."

Jade's eyes went downcast.

"Oh...right."

Tori shut the office door and went back downstairs to rejoin the others.

2038...

Jade was in her bunk, mind reeling from the mission. She hoped that the reprogrammed terminator successfully intercepted her younger self. It was a long shot, adding that third directive, but Jade couldn't help but to add it anyway.

Out of the blue, a sharp sadness burrowed its way into her heart, and she clutched her chest.

(You old fool! Did you really think that you could make things right with her?)

She held her ears like that would keep out the intrusive thoughts.

(You seriously underestimate how much of a bitch you were back then!)

(Even if you tried, the future can't change.)

(There is no you and Tori, then or now. Just accept it.)

(Accept it.)

(Accept it.)

(Failure.)

A/N: Tori and Jade got a lot off their chest, but they hit a roadblock. Jade couldn't take back the many times she was mean to Tori, and it reached a point where she physically hit Tori. It was especially hurtful that it was during a time when she was seeking to comfort her. Jade fucked up here and Tori was right to be the one to establish a boundary this time.