traveling was different for (y/n). not in a bad way, either, as she had john to drag her around to sightsee.

they didn't "live large" per se, but it was enough for them both. they had enough to eat and to have a place to stay for a few nights. (y/n) eventually became attached to sarah. she saw her as a second mother, not that she'd ever admit that to anyone.

sarah softened up over the years. she was less like a general and more like a mother. she'd saved the world with the kids; how could she not loosen the reins on them after a while? the nomad lifestyle came naturally to her and john. that isn't to say that (y/n) didn't catch on quickly.

out of the places they'd visited, guatemala was by far (y/n)'s favorite. she couldn't say she was too good at speaking spanish, but she caught on quickly. she only knew the basic sentence-starters, but it wasn't enough to hinder her.

(y/n)'s giggles carried through the warm summer wind as john walked alongside her. she swayed their intertwined hands as they walked through the sand, both sporting their newly-bought swimsuits.

they'd just arrived there a couple hours back, and (y/n) was already enjoying the beach atmosphere. john, already fluent in the native language, spoke happily to some of the locals. when he'd turned back to his girlfriend, she was looking up at him with a cheesy grin.

"what?"

she laughed, her eyes focusing on the sand beneath them. she could feel the heat in her cheeks, but she shrugged it off as being caused by the sun. "i like when you do that."

john let out amused giggles of his own. "do what?"

"when you say stuff in spanish! i think it's really cool," she told him, almost shyly as she bumped shoulders with him.

"oh, yeah?" john's voice lowered, teasingly. "te adoro."

(y/n) had no idea what the words meant, but the way he uttered them was enough to make her bashful. she smiled to herself before asking, "what's that mean?"

the boy shrugged. he looked over at her, grinning. the words meant i adore you, which he thought was fitting. they held no lies, as he truly did adore her, even after all of those years. he didn't believe anything would change that.

"oh, come on! you can't do that!" she groaned, hitting his arm playfully. "tell me!"

"nope," he denied, popping the p.

"john!" she continued to whine, dragging out the o in his name. he continued to ignore her, tugging her along the beach. they walked into the water, letting the cool waves surround their ankles.

they waded deeper, going as far as they could before they'd have to start swimming. the waves rolled against their shoulders as they played around, splashing water towards each other.

(y/n) caught john's hand, pulling him beneath the waves with a laugh. they rose up only seconds later, pushing their hair out of their face. despite being two of the thousands at the beach, they truly felt like they were the only ones there.

their overlapping laughs soon died down, leaving the two breathing hard with smiles plastered on their faces. john tugged her against him, pressing their lips together. the taste of the salt water filled both of their senses, but neither seemed to mind. (y/n)'s arms wrapped around his neck while john's encircled her waist below the water.

they separated for air, pressing their foreheads together. breathless laughs spilling from their lips. (y/n) lifted herself to press a kiss to his exposed forehead, breathing out, "how do you say 'i love you' in spanish?"

ꫛ

the two had met with sarah at a small bar-type place by the beach. sarah held a bottle of what (y/n) assumed was beer, at her table. john held (y/n) close to him on the other side of sarah.

"how's guatemala treating you two?" sarah asked with a slight smile.

"oh, it's great!"

"love the beach."

sarah let out a soft laugh. their simple happiness amused her. despite what took place three years ago, they still found the good in things. they were still *kids*.

the woman was pulled out of her thoughts when john pushed his open palm in front of her. "*what*?"

"money," john demanded simply, flexing his fingers. sarah huffed playfully as (y/n) leaned against him. his mom obliged, despite her hesitance, pressing the guatemalan currency into his hand.

her son gripped his girlfriends hand, dragging her up behind him. sarah watched as he tugged her with him to the counter, only letting go when he placed the money in front of the person behind it.

he talked to the bartender in spanish, causing (y/n) to give him a doe-eyed look. this didn't fall unnoticed, as he began conversing with her in spanish, even if she had no idea what he was saying.

they were up there for a decent amount of time, leaving sarah alone at her table. she occasionally tilted her bottle to meet her lips, her mind elsewhere.

she watched the two as they blushed and chattered amongst themselves. (y/n) hadn't done anything with her metal features in years, but the girl never expressed any need to. it seemed she was as happy for forget about it as sarah was to forget about the entire event.

sarah still thought about it, though, and she was sure the other two did as well. she was sure that (y/n) held her sharpened hand up and felt tears well in her eyes at the sight. and, she was sure that john saw a motorcycle and couldn't help but flinch at the sound. in the end, though, they'd moved on. it was over and their lives were easy.

as she broke herself from her thinking, she saw john turn away from the counter. just as he was about to turn back and take (y/n)'s hand, his eyes widened. sarah's brows furrowed as john's hand reached back and tugged at (y/n). his face held an unrecognizable emotion, his features falling in disbelief.

sarah turned to face the terminator around the same time (y/n) did. they were both too late. the previously dead machine already had his gun drawn, finger placed on the trigger.

it was when he finally pulled the trigger when sarah was on him. her own gun was pulled from her waistband and fired at the terminator, but she knew better. the bullet pierced through john's abdomen, his orange shirt turning red with a sickening pace. (y/n) dropped to her knees alongside him.

her eyes were wide and frantic as her hands rushed to press on his wound. she could see the pain in john's eyes and her body nearly shook at the sight. his hand fought to find hers while sarah went after the terminator's gun.

(y/n)'s eyes glassed over while john craned his head up. sarah'd lost the fight for the gun, the terminator now standing over the two. the crying girl ripped her hand from john's, causing a broken whimper to escape him as she launched herself upwards. she would save john, no matter the cost.

she pushed the gun away from him, another bullet firing into the wooden floor. for the first time in three years, (y/n)'s hands sharpened into glistening metal blades. she swung at the terminator, not paying any mind to the bullets being fired into her body.

the terminator had to reload, eventually growing bored with her efforts. trying to dispose of her, he launched his fist directly towards her face.

she briefly remembered the t-1000, and liquified herself around his arm. reforming and now catching his fist in her hand, she slashed at him again. but it was all for naught, as the terminator let bullets fly. they soared through the bar as he didn't care enough to avoid casualties. at least one of those bullets hit john again, and he didn't make it.

(y/n) dropped her hands, ridding them of the metal blades. she let out a cracked, broken scream as the terminator turned and left. feeling as if her insides were ripping apart, she dropped back down to her knees beside john. he laid there lifeless, and it was her fault.

she turned, the rapid onslaught of tears never letting up. she could hardly see through them, but she still saw him. her head collapsed down onto his chest, her fingers curling into the bloodied fabric. she pressed her face into him. her cries were still audible despite them being muffled, only letting up when she had to take in a breath.

every breath made them start up again, though. his cologne smelled as good as the day he'd bought it, grinning when (y/n)'d complimented it. the memory only clawed at her chest when she realized she'd never see that shit-eating grin again. she'd never see him happy again.

sarah laid against the wood, staring blankly at the scene in front of her. her son was gone. she knew that. she also knew the girl had did all she could, and so those heart-wrenching sobs that racked through her was not something sarah thought she deserved.

she eventually pulled herself off the ground, taking cautious steps towards (y/n). her cries had died down, but her grip on john didn't loosen. sarah placed a hand on her shoulder.

when the smaller girl whipped around with an aggressiveness she didn't think possible, sarah almost recoiled. but, she kept her composure, looking down with a stoic expression. (y/n)'s body language softened, her eyes holding too many emotions at once. "i'm-" (y/n) stopped herself, trying to choke back the cries that kept trying to escape her. "i'm so sorry," she whispered.

sarah refused to look anywhere but the girl. her fingertips were stained red, but she tried to look past it. she didn't offer her any reassurance, but nodded. as much as the loss made ever muscle in her body grow loose, sarah refused to let that show. she couldn't.

"get some air, alright?"

(y/n)'s face contorted. air? sarah wanted her to get *air*? despite finding the sentence stupid, in every meaning of the word, she couldn't bring herself to protest. she could hardly breathe as it is. with a slow nod and a choked noise, she went to stand. she unclenched her hands, finding it hard to do so, and left.

she let her feet carry her wherever, stumbling off while her tears slowed. as her feet touched the hot sand, her emotions switched effortlessly, as if someone had pressed a button. she was angry.

bitter hatred burned a way through (y/n). hatred for the terminator. hatred for machines. hatred for herself for not saving him like she should've. hatred for life itself. hatred for any person who walked happily on the same beach as her.

the girl's bare feet sank in the sand as she walked. she didn't know where she was going, nor did she care. she truly was sick, now. sick of the loss. it never seemed to end, and maybe it never would. she just needed some air, that's all.

but, the air didn't help her. it never did.

~

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