All for Love
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Part 2: Chapter 8: Coral
When the helicopter touched down on the outskirts of Coral, the three male Turks jumped out the door a split second after each other. They were still around a mile away from the town, the helicopter pilot complaining he couldn't get any nearer because of the visibility. Coral was burning to the ground. The smoke tickled the back of Reno's throat, even from this distance.
"Nibelheim all over again," the redhead mumbled.
"Minus one crazed General and plus a hundred or so Shinra blues instead," Rude added on.
Tseng looked at the two of them. "We don't know that's what happened yet."
"Aw come off it Tseng. They ain't gonna burn down their own town down, are they?" Reno put in.
"We aren't here to find out what happened anyway." Tseng began to walk towards the town.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Reno asked catching up with his boss.
"All we're here to do is find Scarlet." Tseng looked at the redhead.
"You means she's there?"
Tseng nodded. "Remember? She was there because Shinra was convinced that someone was trying to sabotage the reactor."
With that, Reno took off in a sprint towards the town. Tseng opened his mouth to shout at the fleeing Turk, but shut it and turned to Rude.
"Follow him," was his only comment. Rude nodded and broke into a jog after Reno.
It didn't take the red haired Turk long to run the distance to Coral. About three hundred yards before the burning inferno, he saw Scarlet, leaning against a rock looking back at the town. Reno slowed down to a stop and walked slowly towards the Shinra Executive.
"I never ordered them to do it," was what she said as soon as she felt the Turk's presence. "Some of the villagers started fighting as soon as they saw the soldiers. Of course the blues started fighting back, and this is how everything ended up."
"Maybe they had it coming to them," Reno suggested, his gaze set firmly on the town.
"No one deserves to be burned to death Reno," Scarlet muttered. She pushed herself lightly from the rock and started walking back the way Reno had come from. Away from the commotion of the Shinra blues, trying to put out the fire, trying to save as many of their own as they could.
"Why did they send you anyway?" Reno asked, "I mean don't they normally send Reeve to do that kinda thing?"
Scarlet shrugged. "How should I know? Maybe he was busy, they never told me."
The two were silent for a while, both staring at the town. The fire was beginning to slow down. The effort from the Shinra blues, who were only trying to put out the fire for their own benefit, seemed to be working to an extent. The town was too far gone to be saved. By the time the fire had stopped raging, most of Coral's buildings would be gone. No different to Nibelheim's story.
Reno gave a smile despite of himself and nudged Scarlet on the arm. "Guess what?"
Scarlet sighed. "I'm not in the mood for games Reno."
Reno shrugged. "I was just going to tell you anyway. Adrienne had the baby."
Scarlet smiled, her thoughts about Coral disappearing a little. "What is it?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"A boy, we called him Callum."
"What does he look like?"
Reno smiled, "Kinda like me, unlucky bastard," he mumbled.
Scarlet gave a little laugh. "It could be worse, he could look like Heidegger."
Both of them gave a shiver.
"I'd be scared if he did," Reno said as he tried to wipe the mental image from his mind.
They began to make there way back to the helicopter, pleased to be leaving Coral behind.
"You know," Reno started, "I have a feeling this isn't the end of Shinra's bad luck. I mean bad luck seems to follow the company around."
Scarlet turned her head to the Turk and sighed. "I have a feeling you're right."
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Adrienne walked around the hospital room, rocking the baby in her arms. She was still trying to take in the fact that she was a mother. She was overwhelmed by the whole thing. Staring at baby Callum in her arms, she thought that life couldn't get any better, that everything was perfect just the way it was.
If someone had told her that she'd be a mother by the time she was twenty and with someone she loved more than the world, she'd have laughed in their face and told them to take a running jump off a tall building. She was still having trouble believing it was all true. Maybe one day she'd wake up and find out it had all been a dream.
She wiggled a finger and thumb free and pinched herself on the arm.
"Ow, nope no dream," she said to the empty room. "This is all real then? Heh, never would have guessed it." Her gaze turned to the baby. "You're real then?"
The baby squirmed in his mother's arms, his eyes still closed to the world.
"Guess that's a yes too." She held the baby a little tighter. "Mummy will protect you from everything," Adrienne said quietly. "Nothing will ever hurt you, ya hear?"
The baby gurgled a little.
Adrienne laughed. "Mummy promises alright?"
"Mummy promises what?" asked the voice behind her.
Adrienne smiled. "It's about time you showed up."
Elena stepped into the room closing the door behind her. "What do you mean about time? This is the first chance I've had all week."
"Ok, I forgive you. Wanna hold him?" Adrienne asked, holding the baby a little away from her chest.
Elena walked forward. "Of course I do!" she virtually squealed. Adrienne gently placed Callum in the other blonde's arms. The baby gurgled as it looked up at the new face in front of him. "My god, he's so cute!"
Adrienne giggled. "I'm so glad he's up to your expectations."
Elena scowled. "You know what I mean. What's his name?"
"Callum."
The blonde smiled at the baby. "Well I could just squeeze you all day long. Yes I could," she said to Callum. He just gurgled at the new face. "So when are you getting out of here?" she asked Adrienne.
"Tomorrow with any luck. I'm already ready to rip off a limb for something to do," the new mother moaned, dramatically falling onto the bed.
"It can't be that bad? I'd love to do nothing," Elena commented.
"It's not just that. I hate hospitals, always too sterile."
"Hmmm, yes because it's wrong for hospitals to be too sterile."
Adrienne scowled. "You know, I was happier when you hadn't come."
"Oh har har. It's called trying to cheer you up and it's obviously not working." Elena put the baby in the cot next to the bed and sat down next to the other blonde. "What's the matter?"
"Everything is just so overwhelming ya know? That overwhelming that I feel numb." Adrienne sighed.
Elena looked at her friend sympathetically. "It'll get better. One day you'll just wake up, everything will hit you at once and you'll be smiling non stop for a week."
"Really?" Adrienne asked.
"Really," Elena smiled. "I've heard it happens to most people."
"Thanks El," Adrienne said as she looked at her friend and smiled.
"Don't mention it." Elena then stood up and walked over to the bag she had left by the side of the door. Walking back over she gave it to Adrienne. "Open it then."
Adrienne gave her friend a dubious look then opened the bag, pulling out the teddy bear that was in it. The bear was a sandy colour completely with a dark blue jacket and trousers with a little black tie. Adrienne laughed at the teddy. "Where'd you get this?"
Elena shrugged. "Found it in a toy shop. I just couldn't resist it."
Adrienne laughed giving Elena a friendly hug. "I love it. Thank you."
Elena smiled. "Like I said before, don't mention it."
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