the subtle vibrations from the car ride was enough to lull the two asleep. sarah hadn't given them very much time to process anything, as they were once again on the move.

(y/n) had vaguely wondered why they were in a hurry. they'd saved the world, hadn't they? there was no need to rush for anything. john still held her as tight as he could, not caring if it kept them from walking easily.

sarah led them out of the building, finding a left-behind vehicle nearby. none of them questioned who's it was, as the majority of their brains were left with thoughts similar to tv static.

(y/n) and john crawled into the bench seat in the back, not bothering to buckle or even to sit apart from each other. they laid across the seat, still pressed tightly together. it took only a few minutes for their even breaths to accompany the silence sarah basked in.

the four-door truck was an older one, it's metal creaking as they drove. the night held a certain kind of atmosphere. sarah sat alone up front, mind racing, nerves calming from their previous encounters. her leg still ached, but there was nothing she could do about it.

the woman didn't know where to go from here. she was a psych ward escapee with next to no cash, no house, nothing. she could easily scrounge and move around like she had in the past, but she worried for john.

sparing a glance in the rear-view mirror, she saw them huddled together and fast asleep. she knew her son was attached to the half-machine. she also knew carrying john off to a new country without her would be damn close to impossible.

sarah figured they had enough cash to get a motel room for a couple of nights. she'd passed a few already, but she wanted to get as far away from where she'd spent the past few hours.

the woman soon lost track of time. with no true destination, it was hard to tell how long they'd been on the road. it was long enough, though, that the girl in the back had woken up.

"sarah?"

"yeah?"

(y/n) started to sit up, but remembered the sleeping boy pressed against her. she tried to blink the stinging from her eyes, but to no avail. she eventually took in her surroundings. "where are we going?"

sarah let out an airy laugh at her grogginess. "a motel. gonna rest up for a few days. you deserve it. you did good back there, kid."

(y/n) tried to hide the smile threatening to form on her face. after all she'd went through, it was nice to hear the praise. to hear that what she'd done was worth it. despite her gratitude, she only gave a small nod. "thank you," she mumbled, not completely sure if sarah even heard her, and laid her head back down.

sarah did, however, and smiled to herself. despite their quick meeting and misunderstandings, she'd began to see (y/n) as a one of her own. sarah was wary of her at first, her metal blades reminding her all too much of the t-1000. but, (y/n) had showcased nothing but pure loyalty. even sarah had picked up on it. she was there for john, and john loved her.

she was pulled from her thoughts as her eyes darted to a seemingly cheap motel. she became painfully aware of the aching in her shoulder and leg, and so she decided that now was as good of a time than any.

pulling the stolen truck into one of the parking spaces, sarah let out a sigh. looking through the mirror again, she decided not to wake them just yet. as she stepped out of the car, she had to catch herself on the open door. regaining her stability, she trudged inside.

she slammed the bills she'd kept with her on the small counter. "i need a room. got two kids in the truck."

the old woman behind the counter frowned as she looked sarah up and down. her eyes eventually traveled to the wad of money on the counter. she decided not to question anything, muttering a, "gotcha." she handed the key off to sarah.

sarah nodded in thanks, leaving the building briefly. when she came back, she had two teenagers trailing behind her.

ꫛ

john woke up with arms curled around him. he rolled over slowly, careful not to disturb his sleeping companion. he knew who it was, but his face still heated at the sight of (y/n) sleeping next to him.

he leaned up on his elbow, peeking over at the other bed in the room. his mom sat at the foot of her bed, tying her shoelaces. she glanced over at the sound of the rustling sheets, a smirk spreading on her lips. his mind was too caught up on the fact that he'd seen her face express a positive emotion that he almost missed her words.

"slept good, huh?"

his face had finally lightened to a soft blush, but it was raring up again at her comment. with reddened cheeks, he dug his face back into his pillow. "mom! don't say stuff like that!" he tried to keep his voice relatively low, his words muffled by the pillow. he heard sarah let out a chuckle, causing john to snap his head up. "what's up with you? you're way happier than usual."

"feels good to save the world, doesn't it?" she asked with a smile. truth is, sarah was feeling hopeful. for a new life. they'd prevented judgement day, and now she wanted to live each day like she was meant to. without fear.

"yeah. i guess," he said hesitantly, the event of the night before coming back to him. the terminator. the thought almost brought him to tears. nuzzling his face back into (y/n)'s arms, he heard sarah sigh.

as she finished with her laces, she stood. she knew no words she could form would comfort him in that moment. the girl would, though. "i'm gonna head out. you good to stay?" she could see his head nod, his face still hidden from her. "good. get your girl up while i'm gone," she told him, stepping out and closing the door behind her.

john sighed, but relaxed more into (y/n)'s arms. his constant moving must have woken her, as he could feel her hand move up to his hair. she didn't bother with words or even with opening her eyes. she only moved her hand through his hair, causing him to tighten his arms around her.

they stayed like that for a few more minutes. john was the one to lift himself up again, leading (y/n) to open her eyes. "g'morning," she slurred out, her voice raspier than usual.

"'morning."

(y/n) let out a tired laugh at his voice. with a cheeky smile, she pulled the comforter over her head. despite what they'd went through, she was overjoyed at his company. the domesticity of their actions.

the boy wrapped his hand around the comforter, pulling it off of her. their giggles filled the room, only adding to the pleasant feeling. they'd felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

john chased (y/n)'s lips, her laughs still falling from them. he eventually captured them with his own, bringing his hand to the side of her face. they still lied down, the blankets in disarray around them.

it was as if they couldn't get enough. their arms never left each other; their breaths mingled from the close contact, the taste of morning breath long forgotten. john had no intention of letting go of her, but (y/n) pulled back.

"where are you going?" he whined as she stood up from their shared bed.

she let another string of her giggles fill the room. leaning down from her standing position, she pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. "i'm going to go tackle the monster that is the motel shower."

"yeah?" he asked playfully. john stayed in his spot on their bed while (y/n) slinked off. he wasn't alone too long, though, as his mom walked back into the room. sarah shot him a questioning look, and he chuckled. "she's in there," he said, gesturing to the bathroom door. sarah nodded.

she gripped a bottle of alcohol in one hand, a new pack of cigs in the other. john's eyes followed her as she weaved around the motel room. she sat her beer onto the small table in the room, which was soon followed by the cigarette pack. she'd placed one of the cigs between her lips, waiting until she sat down to light it.

the woman sat on her bed, facing john. she beckoned him to sit up, taking a drag from her now-lit cigarette. "i've been thinking," she began.

john did as she'd gestured, sitting up to face her. "and?"

"we need to get on the move again. get out of this country, probably." she paused, waiting for his protests to fly from his mouth. he only stared at her. "i think it'd be good for us. it shouldn't be hard to provide for the two of us, so-"

"two."

"yeah?" sarah furrowed her eyebrows.

"what about (y/n)?"

"the girl has a life, you know," sarah barked, growing irritated. she sighed upon seeing his face fall. "if she wants come with, then she can."

john grew quiet. "fine!" he muttered. his voice audibly cracked, giving him away instantly. he huffed, falling onto his back. he couldn't lose her, too.

ꫛ

(y/n) and john sat shoulder-to-shoulder on their bed while sarah loaded what little stuff they'd acquired into the truck. (y/n) fidgeted with the sleeves of the jacket she wore, john's, while he huffed to himself. he had a quiet air about him, and she hadn't brought herself to ask why.

the reason was that the boy was filled to the brim with dread. he and his mom had yet to talk to (y/n) about coming with them, and john dreaded the conversation. a part of him was confident she'd go with him without hesitation. that isn't to say he didn't have his doubts.

sarah slung open the door. "alright, we're good." she stepped in, looking between the two teenagers. her eyes landed on (y/n). "where are you off to, kid?"

the girl in question looked at her with wide eyes. "what? what's that supposed to mean?" john lowered his head, fixing his eyes onto his lap.

"you got parents or somethin'?" sarah asked, her voice hard. (y/n) nodded. "are you with us or them?"

"i'm with john," she responded brusquely.

sarah smiled at her. "good." the older woman truly didn't care whether or not she came along, but she noticed john's mood instantly lift.

his head lifted as he clung to her. his mouth spouted off about the places he's been when roaming around during his childhood, and she could tell he was happy to experience them with (y/n). as sarah turned and left the room, her smile grew. as long as john was safe and happy, she was sure she could deal with whatever kept him that way.

~

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