Disclaimer: I do not own Terminator; the plot, the characters and the whole universe.

The Life I Never Knew

Chapter 7 - Out of the Frying Pan

"Okay, John. Now aim carefully to that bulls eye. Hold it steady and fire," Kyle instructed his son.

John did as instructed. His small hands aimed the M-16 carefully and fired, missing a few inches from the bulls eye that was drawn on a tree.

"It's so hard, dad. I couldn't get it right," John sighed, shoulders slightly slumped.

Kyle took the M-16 from John's hand. "That was quite a progress you've made, John. There's nothing bad about it. Here, I'll show you." Kyle took aim. "When you're not in a war situation, it's easier to shoot a target. You just have to focus on that target and ignore everything else. In your eyes, you should only see that spot, nothing else. Keep your hands steady and fire!" Kyle fired and hit the dead center. He looked at his son and saw a mixture of amazement and understanding in John's expression.

"Your turn," he said, offering the gun to John.

John took back the gun and aimed. His brows were furrowed in concentration and determination. He pressed the trigger. A shot went off and hit the bulls eye perfectly. John grinned as if it was Christmas. Kyle hugged his excited son.

"See, that wasn't too hard if you've known how to do it. However, when you're in battlefields, you can't ignore everything that's happening around you. You have to learn how to divide your focus. One fatal mistake can cost your and other's lives. Remember that, John," Kyle said.

John nodded, taking all the information to heart.

"Alright. Let's move on to your next lesson. Now that you have learnt how to shoot a static object, another thing you have to learn is how to shoot a moving target. Watch and learn," Kyle said. He had spotted an antelope moving behind the obscurity of the bushes, possibly searching for its prey. Kyle took aim as the animal was moving continuously, oblivious to the fact that it itself was soon to be the prey in mere seconds from now.

"When your target is moving, you have to study the momentum of their movement. Predict where exactly they will place themselves in the next second and aim your weapon right there. When the opportunity is open, do not hesitate to fire. Here we have to trust our instincts," explained Kyle in a hushed tone so that the antelope would not be alerted of their presences. A shot went off seconds later and the animal let out a cry as it felt the bullet penetrating its body. It fell to the ground shortly after, motionless with blood oozing out of the fresh wounds.

Kyle half-ran toward the dying animal. John followed closely behind.

"See, that's how you do it," Kyle said, turning to look at John. What he didn't expect was John's reaction. John was staring at the dead antelope with a trace of moisture forming in his eyes. He then looked up to meet his father's eyes.

"Yes, dad," he said with a tiny voice. He didn't want to disappoint his father. He had read that crying is a sign of weaknesses. Dad taught him and expected him to be strong, even though he didn't know why. He assumed that all dads in the world were just like that.

"John, you okay?" Kyle asked, feeling a bit concerned for his son's well being.

"Yeah, I'm okay," John said, putting up a brave face that never failed to convince his parents.

"Okay, then. Now let's see if we can get another target," Kyle said, searching between the trees and bushes for an animal. He was unaware of John's widening and horrified eyes as he glanced back and forth between the diseased antelope and his father.

"How's the training today?" Sarah asked her son at dinner. The cooking books she had bought proved to be very useful in polishing Sarah's lack of cooking skill. At least, the books managed to make everything Sarah cooked eatable. So here they were, eating a generally well-cooked mashed potato soup on their portable table.

Living like a nomad for Sarah was hard at first. However, eventually she had gotten used to it and even started enjoying it. Their tent, firmly built by Kyle, had become like home for the three of them. Sometimes they would sleep in sleep bags outside, staring at the stars and listening to Sarah's bedtime stories. When Kyle had collected enough woods to burn, they would sit around a campfire and sang a song. It was their prized moment.

Kyle gulped down a glass of water and answered the question for John. "It went fairly well. John managed to score a bulls eye for the first time ever," he looked at his son proudly, who replied it with a smile.

"That's good," Sarah said.

"Are you sure that you don't want to learn too?" Kyle asked, feeling concerned for his wife's well being. During his times in the future, Sarah Connor was a legend herself, for her admirable strength and toughness. She was the one who taught her son all about warfare and weaponry. It was clear to everyone that John admired her so much. John's father was never mentioned as he had died long before the war. Now that John Connor's father turned out to be him, Kyle admitted that he didn't want to know what lay ahead of his fate. If history was going to repeat itself, he knew that he was going to die, soon. He would not be there for Sarah and John. Therefore, he didn't want to think nor consider about that outcome.

Then again, Connor had told him back in the future, "The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves." Kyle took comfort of holding to that philosophy. After all, there were many possible futures.

"Nah, I prefer not. I'm just not that type," Sarah said offhandedly, or at least what she thought was offhandedly. In truth she had a very different reason, but they couldn't talk about it in front of John.

Kyle frowned. "But it was useful. You have to be able to defend yourself when they come."

Sarah saw John curiously glanced up at Kyle.

"Kyle," Sarah said warningly. Fortunately, Kyle took the cue and stirred the conversation to a different direction.

As much as Kyle wanted to tell the truth to John, she couldn't allow it. John did not have to know that, not yet.

That night, Sarah was tucking John to sleep as she did usually.

"Mom, is killing wrong?" John asked, simply and out of nowhere.

Sarah was surprised so that it took her a few seconds before her mind registered her son's question. "Why did you ask that?"

"Um… Dad killed an animal. Is it wrong?" John asked once again.

"Sweetie, killing is wrong, no matter what. However, under certain circumstances it can be justified," Sarah tried her best to explain.

"Oh," was John's reply.

She smiled at her son and gave him a motherly kiss on his forehead. "Alright, John. Have a sweet dream, okay?"

"'kay," mumbled John drowsily.

Sarah put off the candle and went out of the tent. She approached Kyle who was sitting on the grass.

"Hey, babe," Kyle greeted her. Sarah slid down next to him, feeling the softness of the grass beneath. She leaned her head to his shoulder.

"Kyle, I was thinking about something this morning," Sarah said.

"What's that?" Kyle asked, snuggling closer to get more warmth against the moderately cool air.

"Do you think that Judgment Day can be stopped?" Sarah asked.

Kyle furrowed his brows, "I don't know, Sarah. But I've heard some tech guy mentioned about the possibilities of different parallel universes. Besides, future John has also said that there is no fate but what we make. Yes, I think Judgment Day can be stopped. But how to do it is a whole different matter."

"We'll figure it out soon, then. I think maybe we should move back to L.A. I don't want John spending his childhood in the jungle, training and learning things he shouldn't have learnt for kids his age," suggested Sarah.

Kyle shifted so that he could stare at his wife's face. "Look, Sarah. If our circumstances were different, I would have agreed with you since the beginning. But you've seen what they can do, how much danger we are in and how the world will soon meet its destruction. We can't afford being unprepared."

"But if we can stop it, Kyle, John doesn't have to do it. He can live an ordinary life, with nothing dangerous at all," Sarah tried her reasoning.

Kyle sighed. "I know, honey, I know. We've already had this argument. John has to be prepared no matter what."

"You don't believe that Judgment Day can be stopped, do you?" Sarah narrowed her eyes, pulling away from Kyle's embrace.

Kyle sighed once more in exasperation. "It's not like that Sarah. It's not like that. You… don't understand because you haven't seen the future. The ordeal in our past was only a small glimpse of that future. It's beyond horrible, Sarah."

Sarah looked away. "I don't know, alright? I admit I don't know. But you should try to see it from my point of view. This," she gestured at her surroundings, "isn't a place to raise a child. This isn't even a way anyone would ever raise their child as well." She got up and made her way to the tent.

"You're being immature!" Kyle shouted to her retreating form.

Sarah stopped at her track. She turned around. "You know what, Kyle? I think you never love me for who I am. You only love Sarah Connor the legend, the one who is strong and all but willing to condemn her child's childhood to turn him into the man who will save the world!" she was shouting at this point, tears streaming down on her face. "I'm not her. Realize it, Kyle, I CAN NEVER BE HER!" she gave a rough laugh at this. "Look at me! I'm just a crying baby waitress, Kyle. But I want the best for my child." Then she entered the tent, leaving Kyle alone in the darkness of the outer world.

Kyle sighed, that was something he had been doing a lot tonight. He looked up to the sky and asked, "Am I doing the right thing for my family?"

Author's Note: Hi readers! Thank you for sparing your time for reading this story, and I would be very honored if you spare a little more of your time to press the blue button below and compose a review... :)

Ciao...