I Tried - Chapter 2

WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN

The small, brunette woman walked with a sense of purpose tonight. Her shoulder-length hair fell into her gray eyes to be mostly ignored. She wasn't a good looker at any rate. She had been a bit on the homely side for as long as she could remember, as a result she put very little effort into herself other then her martial arts. They were the reason she was even in the slums. Her master, Zangan, had sent her to protect a friend of his who recently found himself alone.

Padre, her master's friend, was a slums priest. As a man of the cloth, he had no real fighting skills, and in Midgar, even the sacred was no longer revered. He had been mugged enough times for Zangan to suggest he get protection. He even suggested the perfect person for the job, his newest graduate, Mariah.

Mariah took her position with Padre seriously, as she did most things. Even though he couldn't pay her, and their life was difficult, it was a fulfilling job. In fact, she couldn't call it as much of a job anymore, as it was an obligation. Padre was her friend first, her responsibility second.

She sighed, reading the balance statement over again as she made her way back to sector three from the bank. This month the donations were down, the head diocese up on the plate was talking about relocating the priest. Padre continued to decline, saying that the people of the slums needed to know God was with them. Mariah knew, however, sooner or later, they would be moved to Junon.

A sudden heat caused her to leap from her thoughts and stare down the Sector Four alley. Someone cast a fire spell. A smile spreading on her face, Mariah ran down the alley to the action.

"You are so FUCKING DEAD!" Tucker roared. His eyebrows had been scorched off and he felt more then a little crispy.

Joey was staring wide eyed at the now, unconscious red headed boy. "How'd he do that?"

"Who cares it knocked his ass out." Tucker rubbed his face, grimacing at the pain. His looked at his hand in thought for a few minutes. "Lets take him to the Don, it may just make up for losing Tony."

"Why don't you pick on someone who fights back mold head?" Mariah stepped in between the crumpled boy and the two men. "Or you just going to sick that chia pet on your head on me?" She slid into her fighting stance as she spoke, ready to use her Beat Rush attack if she had to.

"Careful Tucker, its that Nibelheim bitch." Joey looked like the fire spell had just about done him in. "She'll fuck your world up."

"I'll fuck both of your worlds up needle nose, if you don't get out of here." Without another word both Tucker and Joey limped away. Mariah then turned her attention to the child.

She didn't know how people could treat children they way they did here in the slums. It made her angry and sick and sad all at once. Where she was from, a little mountain town, children were treasures, the whole community rejoiced about them. Here, in the Midgar slums, they were tools. People would literally have them to sell them, using the money to pay off debts, buy drugs, do anything they wanted. Children were a commodity, they had been for almost seven years now, when the Don Corneo started his club.

This poor boy was beaten up worse than anything she had ever seen before. Something akin to a matronly feeling came over her. "Oh Holy, are you even alive kid?" She put her finger on the boy's neck to feel a pulse. She felt tears well up behind her eyes, and then she felt a weak pulse. Her voice cracked when she spoke again. "You didn't even have a chance did you?" She picked the fire materia up and placed it in her pocket. Then she lifted Reno.

The boy was light, even for his age. She could feel how thin he was. "Just hold on for a while longer, okay kid. I will give you a chance, I promise." She turned back up the alley, to the church she called home.

"What is that, child?" Padre's brown eyes widened at the bloody mess his thin friend was bring into the church. He rushed over to Mariah's side and ran his hand over his bald head. "Holy, it's a boy!"

"Open the door to the bathroom, Padre. I'm going to try to clean him up. He's alive." She rushed though the newly opened door. "Do you have any Cure materia?"

"Yes, I'll get it. And make some coffee, it looks like we will be up late..."

About an hour later Mariah and Padre sat at their old kitchen table. "I thought that he was going to die on us." Mariah said swirling her coffee. "He's a cute kid, all of that red hair..."

"No." Padre looked at her sternly. "We can barely keep ourselves and those that need clothes or shelter for the night fed. We can NOT handle a child."

"Then what will we do with him? He was running from Corneo's men I can't take him to an orphanage!" Tears welled up in her cloudy gray eyes. "Please, he'll be able to feed himself in two years. I mean just think what he could do if he has a chance! The idea that he lived though what those-those-" The tears finally overpowered her and fell unhindered down her face. "-scum did to him. Just to be handed back over to them? He sticks out with that hair and the cuts under his eyes, they'll scar." She fell over on the table. "I know it won't be easy, but I can't just watch this happen anymore. Please."

The priest pinched his nose in thought. In a moment he lifted his hand slowly, in a calming motion. "Don't cry Mariah. Okay, he can stay. If he becomes for one minute more trouble then he's worth- out." He walked over to a cedar chest and pulled out some clothes. Put these on him and see if he has any family." Padre then walked out into the church part of the small building.

Reno was awakened by the door opening. He was too sore to run, he just looked at the woman with his intense eyes. Mariah was surprised to see the boy awake. "Well hello there." She walked to the bed. "Here, can you move?" The boy nodded slowly and his face quirked up with pain. "Put these on okay? I will be back in a minute." She sat the old clothes on the bed and hurried out wiping her eyes.

Reno moved as quickly as possible to obey the brunette woman. The place smelled nice, he thought. Like old books and candles. He had just sat back down on the bed when the door opened back up.

Mariah sat on the other side of the bed, she didn't want to make the boy uncomfortable. "I'm Mariah, who are you?" The boy was shaking and didn't speak to her. She frowned, it was obvious he had been raped and beaten for some time and she didn't expect talking to him to be easy. "How old are you, baby?"

Reno looked up at her, suddenly stricken. "Don't call me that."

"Then what can I call you?"

"Reno." Tears started to fall down his cheeks and he flinched as they hit the cuts under his eyes. " I hurt." he said miserably.

Mariah allowed him to lean towards her. It looked like the boy was crying blood as the red tears slid onto her shirt. "It won't hurt forever, Reno. I promise."