Author's Note: Disclaimer found below.

These two stories tell the same sequence of events from Terminator Salvation movie canon (and a little extra, because it's fanfic and I felt like it XD ), but from two different perspectives. I have no idea, yet, if I'll write more than this for these characters.

Subtitle is from the lyrics of the song "Bodies" by Drowning Pool. It's only there because it fit.


Omega

(Nothing Wrong With Me)


He liked her.

He wasn't sure if that was a problem or not. He didn't feel like he should be allowed to like someone so self-assured and capable and wide-open. It wasn't what people he'd known were like.

Must be something about being a pilot. She could fly. Gravity couldn't keep hold of her.

He knew she'd caught him looking at her, as they'd walked, as they'd found shelter in the rain. She seemed to like that he looked at her, and he knew how he should react to that, but he couldn't bring himself to. He only needed to look at her, and that was all he needed. That disturbed him a little, but only if he thought about it too long.

Her long legs gave her a quick gait even at a walk, and she was clearly well-muscled (for a woman). The long fingers that combed through her dark hair were dexterous, and she moved with the grace of a dedicated soldier. The kids had just been trying to survive; the people in the gas station had been dulled by simply surviving. This woman was doing more than that. She had a goal, and she focused on that, and made herself an instrument of that goal.

He admired that. That kind of belief was something he didn't remember ever having, not until he'd woken up and known he had to go find Serena. She had to still be alive, at least as much as he was. She'd succeeded with him, hadn't she? He knew where she was. He'd find her. And when he was done with her, he'd get Kyle Reese and Star out of there, too.

He wondered if Serena's lips still tasted of death. He knew he'd find out.

Blair's wouldn't. Blair was alive. More alive than anyone he'd ever seen, that he could remember. He couldn't remember everything but he was sure he'd know if he'd seen anyone like her before.

The men at the racetrack, on the other hand, were just like pretty much everyone he'd met before... well, before. He didn't catch on in time, and they already had Blair down by the time he got there. And for a little while he forgot to care about getting to John Connor and getting his help, and he forgot to think about Kyle Reese and Star and the people from the gas station with the old woman who had called him son. There were only targets, three of them, endangering someone he had to protect.

He knew, even after the first two were neutralized, that the third alone could still cause her harm, even if damaged. The pleading didn't matter. There was only one logical course of action.

Blair beat him to it.

And then she simply handed over her medical supplies to a man that had threatened her.

He'd considered going back for them later. She said there was still another day's walk ahead of them. She might need them.

He didn't. She led him well away, and they finally got a fire started, as shielded from wind and sight as they could be. And she moved closer to him.

He knew he should react differently, but he couldn't form the right words and couldn't make himself as interested as he thought he should be. It was the same sinking feeling as when he'd been offered food in the gas station - realizing that he should want and didn't. It made him want to scream.

She misinterpreted, and tried to make it safe for him, with words and gentle movements like you'd use with a frightened animal. And like a frightened animal, he let her voice sooth him, even though the words hurt. He could deal with that, though, so for a long time, there was only talking and comfortable warmth. She seemed tired, but he wasn't, and he tried not to think about that, either.

And he found that if he didn't think, he could react the way he thought he should, when she offered again.

She was so much more alive than he'd ever been, and he intended to keep it that way.


Disclaimer: Terminator Salvation, its story, and characters are the property, copyright and trademark of The Halcyon Company/Wonderland Sound and Vision/Warner Bro.s Pictures, and no ownership or claim on said property, copyright or trademark is made or implied by their use in the work(s) of fan fiction presented here. This fan fiction constitutes a personal comment on the aforesaid properties pursuant to doctrines of fair use and fair comment. This fan fiction is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes.