he couldn't breathe. a tire rolled out of the fire, and john watched as the guy who had his gun trained on it relaxed and put it away.

"the fuck was that, huh?! do you realize what you just did?" john screamed at him. "you killed her! fucking asshole!" tears were started to form, but he hastily wiped his eyes.

"the girl is fine."

"fuck you!" his vision swan with tears as he watched the fire.

they drove down the street, and after a while john couldn't take it anymore. he took a few shaky breaths and said "okay, time out, stop the bike," he signaled a time out and continued, "time out, come on, stop the bike."

the guy weaved out of traffic and slowly came to a stop. john immediately jumped off. he wanted to know who the hell this guy is, thinking he could just come in and wreck his entire life.

john's eyes seemed distant, elsewhere, as he stared at the man in front of him. "so," he started, "don't take this the wrong way or anything, but you're a terminator, right?" as he spoke, it was hard to miss the way his voice shook.

"yes. cyberdyne's systems, model 101."

he walked around the guy, and studied the bullet holes in his jacket. he stuck his finger in one of them, no blood. he let out a breath. "you're- you're really real?"

the guy didn't have any change in expression. john caught his breath again, "i- i mean, you're like a machine underneath, right? but sorta alive outside?"

"i am a cybernetic organism, living tissue over metal endoskeleton." his voice was completely monotone. no emotion whatsoever.

john poked the guy's face a few times. "this is intense," he whispered. "get a grip, john. okay," he took a few more deep breaths, "um, you're not here to kill me, i figured that part out for myself. so, what's the deal? why'd you leave (y/n) back there?" john barked, tears beginning to form in his eyes at the mere mention of her.

"my mission is to protect you. protecting the girl is unnecessary."

"yeah?" his voice rose in pitch. "who the hell sent you to protect me? and not her?"

"you did. 35 years from now, you reprogrammed me to be your protector here."

"bullshit!" john sighed. when the terminator didnt respond, he simply threaded his hands in his hair with a shaky breath.

ꫛ

everything was on fire. she could see the cop melt in to flames, but was building back fast. as she scrambled out, she saw the gray pigment of her metal melt off her arms. she stumbled down to the pavement just in time to see john wipe tears from his eyes and start to drive off with the big guy.

she didn't know what do from here. her best bet is to put a tracker on their bike. she doesn't really trust her aim, but it's worth a shot.

she formed a small piece of metal from her hand and separated it. if she could get in on the bike, she'd sense the piece. she threw it as hard as she could, and it stuck to a part of the wheel.

the big guy looked at her, but then looked away, noticing she wasn't a threat to them. now, for her bike.

ꫛ

the terminator pulled them into a store's parking lot out of town, next to a phone booth.

"do you really think she's okay?" john asked softly. he was practically begging for her to be okay. she's not dead. if he said it enough, he'd believe it.

the future savior of the world paced back and forth with his hands jammed in his pockets. "yes." the terminator responded.

at this, a loud bike pulled in next to them. (y/n) grinned widely as she hopped off it. "howdy, ladies." she gave a bow, the piece of metal from the wheel of the terminator's bike forming with her hand again.

john stared at her. his breathing quickened, and before he let her say anything else, he slammed himself into her in a hug.

he cried, despite himself. he didn't know if he could've gone very much longer without her. but, here she was without a single scratch on her.

"hey, johnny." she pulled away enough to see him. "miss me?"

"you know the answer to that." he laughed, blinking the tears from

his eyes. he'd fully forgotten the terminator standing next to the phone booth, watching them. "how'd you get out of there?"

"invincibility."

"he pulled her into a kiss with an airy chuckle, not bothering to ask this time. he needed it. of course she kissed back. they pulled away after some time, both turning to look awkwardly at the big guy.

"who's this dipshit?" (y/n) asked, jabbing her thumb in the big guy's direction.

"you're never gonna believe this," john said, turning to her again. "he's one of those terminators my real mom always rambled on about." he studied her reaction. maybe she thought he'd gone crazy just like he once thought his mom was.

"from the future?" she asked simply.

"yeah, from the future, smokes. can you believe that?" he grinned at her proudly, gesturing to the terminator before them.

(y/n) furrowed her brows and delivered a strong punch to the terminator's gut. he stared at her, not having any reaction towards this.

huh. yeah, this guy's a terminator, alright." she looked up at the tall man, shrugging. she simply turned and walked off.

y'know, todd and janelle are dicks but i gotta warn 'em." john went inside the phone booth.

"shit." he turned to the terminator and asked, "you got a quarter?" he would've asked (y/n) but she was outside cussing over being out of cigarettes. she rarely had any change on her, anyway.

the terminator slammed his fist against the machine, dropping quarters everywhere. he picked one up and dialed the number.

janelle was rambling on about beef stew and sitting down as a family. that's weird. "somethings wrong, she's never this nice," he whispered to the terminator.

"what the hell is that damn dog barking at? shut up you worthless piece of shit!" he heard todd yell in the background.

"the dog's really barking." the terminator took the phone.

"john, honey, are you okay?" janelle asked over the phone.

"i'm right here, i'm fine." the terminator impersonated john's voice perfectly. john furrowed his brows and looked at him strangely.

"are you sure you're okay?"

"what's the dogs name?" the terminator asked in his own voice. he covered up the transmitter with his hand.

"max."

"hey janelle, what's wrong with wolfie? i can hear him barking. is he okay?" the terminator asked once again in johns voice.

"wolfie's fine, honey, wolfie's just fine. where are you?" at this, the terminator hung up the phone.

"you're foster parents are dead," he announced, void of any sympathy. he turned and walked out of the booth.

"i need a minute here," john said, following the terminator, stopping in front of him with his hands bringing the terminator to a stop as well.

"you're telling me, that this thing can imitate anything it touches?" he glanced back at (y/n) who was currently throwing her empty cigarette pack against the gate.

"anything it samples with physical contact."

"so, it could disguise itself as.. (y/n)'s pack of cigarettes?" john asked.

"no. only an object of equal size."

"well then why doesn't it just become a bomb or something to get me?" john spread his hands as an emphasis.

"it can't form complex machines. guns and explosives have chemicals and moving parts. it doesn't work that way. but, it can form solid metal shapes." the terminator explained, his voice never wavering.

"like what?"

"knives and stabbing weapons."

"so it does all the things (y/n) can?" he asked, looking back at his girlfriend once again. "is she a terminator, too?"

"no. she has a liquid metal exterior. she thinks and has the feelings of an average human."

that's when (y/n) came running over. "hey, i'm gonna go steal a pack of cigarettes. john, you want anything?"

"no, it's alright." he smiled at her as she ruffled his hair and ran off.

he watched her go, and then walked over to a car and sat on top of it. he looked at the terminator and sighed.

"my mom and i, we spent a lot of time on Nicaragua and places like that. she'd shack up with anybody she could learn from so she could teach me to some great 'military leader'. then she gets busted."

he sighed again, "they were like 'sorry kid, your mom's a psycho, didn't you know?' like everything i'd been brought up to believe was all made of bullshit." he slammed his hand down on the car, "i hated her for that. but everything she said was true. she knew, and nobody believed her. not even me."

"listen, we gotta get her out of there." he said, standing from his seat on the car.

"negative. the t-1000's highest probability of success is to copy sarah connor and wait for you to make contact with her."

"great. what happens to her?" john asked.

"typically, the subject being copied is terminated."

"shit!" he exclaimed, looking at the terminator wildly, "why didn't you tell me? we gotta go right now!" he turned to walk into the building and get (y/n).

"negative. she's not a mission priority."

"yeah, well fuck you! what's it with you and your fucking priorities?" he said hitting the terminator. he held john by his jacket, which caused him to scream more.

"hey, damnit, what's your problem damnit? help!" he screamed while hitting the terminator's arm repeatedly.

"this does not help our mission."

"help! get this psycho off of me! help! help! help, i'm being kidnapped, get this psycho off of me!" he screamed, drawing the attention of two guys, and (y/n) who was still inside the building.

"let me go!" he screamed, and the terminator dropped him to the ground. "why the hell did you do that?"

"because you told me to."

"what?" he whispered to himself and stood. "you have to do what i say, huh?" he laughed softly.

"it is one of my mission parameters."

"prove it.. stand on one foot." he said, shrugging. he watched the terminator complete the task with a wild grin.

"sick! my own terminator. wow." he said, and then turned his head as the two men he'd gotten the attention of arrived. (y/n) was jogging up towards them as well, with a new unlit cigarette between her lips and two packs of gummy worms".

"you okay, kid?" the guy in a yellow tank top asked. (y/n) slowed to a walk, leaned on a car, and lit her cigarette.

"take a hike, bozo." john looked at the men strangely, and then smiled at (y/n).

"see, let's get outta here, man." the taller man in a dark hoodie said, turning away from the group and walking back some.

"fuck you, you little dipshit," yellow tank top yelled, jabbing his finger at john.

john took a step back and smirked. "dipshit?" he asked. he backed up next to the terminator and (y/n) blew smoke out into the air, unfazed.

"put your leg down," john leaned over and whispered to the terminator. the machine, of course, obliged. john straightened back up, his mocking grin never leaving his face.

"did you call moi a dipshit?" john asked again, the grin only widening. (y/n) just stood there with her now-lit cigarette, watching the scene unfold.

he stood there for a second and said, "grab this guy, i can't believe he called me a dipshit." the terminator did as asked, and lifted yellow tank top guy off the ground by his hair.

the guy screamed, trying to get loose. (y/n)'s eyes widened as the terminator did what john said. she plucked her cigarette from her lips, letting the smoke fall out from between them as she let out a laugh.

"that'll teach you not to call me a dipshit, you jock douchebag."

the taller man ran behind the terminator and wrapped his arms around his neck, trying to choke him out.

the terminator dropped yellow tank top and grabbed the taller man's hand, breaking it. he pushed him up against the car and took out his gun, steadying it to shoot the taller man.

"no!" john ran forward and pushed the gun away from the taller man. "get out of here!"

"come on, man, let's split." one of them said, and they both ran the way they came.

a slow clap sounded from the car. (y/n) was perched next to her packs of gummy worms staring at the two of them. "good going, there! attempted murder!"

"you tried to kill that guy!" john shouted.

"of course. i'm a terminator."

john looked at (y/n) apologetically, and then turned to the terminator. "listen to me very carefully, okay? you're not a terminator anymore." the terminator didn't respond. "you got that? you just can't go around killing people!"

"why?"

"what do you mean 'why'? you just can't!" john said, exasperated. (y/n) was finding this situation a little more amusing than she should've.

"why?"

"'cause you just can't, okay? trust me on this." it was silent for a few minutes, a very stressed john looking at the terminator.

he sighed. "look, we're gonna go get my mom," he looked to (y/n), and then back at the terminator, "and i order you to help us." he held the gun towards the terminator.

the terminator said nothing, only took the gun and placed it in his belt. to break the silence, (y/n) smiled and said, "i got gummy worms. big guy, you like gummy worms?" she asked the terminator. he didn't reply.

she tossed a bag to john and huffed. "let's go break into a mental hospital."

~

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