This is a short chapter, but it goes into detail before I have to really get serious on the angst and the stuff that makes everyone not like a story, but yet unable to tear their eyes away. Yes, the inevitable angst. Oh, how I love thee. Some things just make a story worth writing, and that's what I write for. I have to put angst in everything to keep it dramatic to my tastes. Then again, too much drama is just too much. So, R&R and tell me if I'm getting too sappy or not. Thanks to all my reviewers so far. I really appreciate the comments that you leave for me to read. Without getting reviews, I wouldn't be inspired to write more. So, enjoy.

"I can't figure it out."

"Can't figure what out? Why I helped you?" Tasha stared down into the red-head's eyes a smile gracing her face. "There are many reasons why I helped you, do you want to hear some, or do you want to save it for when we find your two friends?"

Reno shook his head. "I don't really care right now. I just wanna curl up into a ball and go to sleep."

"Sounds damn good to me, but first we've got to get the rest of your wounds bandaged up and shake some of the idiots off of our tail." There had been gang members following them since the day before, when they'd escaped. It had been a hard fight and a narrow miss, but they'd made it into the next sector without dying. Not that the gang members hadn't been trying… They'd been shooting at the two runaways, and a couple of them had met their doom from Tasha's gun. Sitting down next to Reno on the cold earth, she reached out to take his shoulder in her hands. "You know, you get hurt more than anyone I've ever seen."

He smiled up toward her. "Yeah, that seems to be the norm for me. I can't go anywhere or do any mission without gettin' hurt most of the time. It's the damndest thing I've ever seen, you know?" He lowered his gaze from her face, focusing on the ground. His angel… His guardian angel? He couldn't even look her in the face. How pitiful was that? Reno didn't have too high regard for himself when it came to a pretty girl like Tasha. Sure, she was cute and sure she would probably fall for the hurt Turk act, but would he really try it? Nah.

"Sometimes I wonder if you just don't care or if you want to get hurt."

"Huh?"

"I've heard that some people, if they don't care for themselves enough will actually go to lengths to make themselves hurt or make themselves die or feel pain. I've seen a lot of things like that. It's like punishing yourself."

"Why would anyone punish themselves?"

"Beats me, but I've seen it happen loads of times, Ren. It's almost like your inner person tells you you're not good enough to live free of pain. Some peoples' inner voice tells 'em they aren't good enough to live."

"So that would make me shove myself out in front of a hail of bullets to save a pretty girl, eh?"

"Well, maybe it wouldn't if it was a pretty girl involved, but I'm pretty sure you don't have very high self esteem. That would help in the process of you not wanting to wake up and see another day. Self destruction comes in many forms. Like drug-use and alcohol abuse. I know I've heard you talk about those two a good bit."

Reno shrugged. "Yeah, but I do that to have a good time. Not like I'm tryin' to kill myself."

"It sort of kills the person inside a little at a time when you do that. And when you know you're in pain but you try to drink to make the voices go away, it doesn't help at all. And when you take the drugs that are found in the slums, that sure as hell doesn't help. Some of those MAKE you hear voices that you don't wanna hear."

"I didn't come here to be lectured on the safety of drugs and alcohol or my lack of safety when it comes to me takin' shit like that. I'm not gonna stop for a lot of reasons. None of your concern. So don't worry about me."

She glared at Reno. "Someone needs to worry about you, if you don't worry for yourself. I mean, where will you end up?"

"I was fished off of the streets of the slums. How could I sink lower? You know, I'm not very high on the list of most important people. In ShinRa I'm still considered street trash just like every other poor bastard that came off of the streets to do something for the 'boss'. It doesn't change, no matter how much you clean up or no matter how hard you try and adjust your suit and tie. Why care about your appearance and your health? I say I won't have a lot of time on this planet as it is, why not have a hell of a good time livin' while I still can? Fuck status. I can do what I want the way I am. I don't need status and I don't need anyone to look after me. If I can't look after myself by now, maybe I need to die."

"Is that what you thought back in the warehouse, Reno?" The man went silent for a few moments. "I know it wasn't, because I saw your eyes when you woke up. You were begging silently for someone to save you. I was the only one there to save you, and I know you're thankful for it. You might not say it, but you need someone. Everyone needs someone. Why not let me help you instead of trying to discourage me?"

"Cuz it just ain't right. I mean, if you help me, who'll help you?"

"Why can't you help me? We can help each other." Her voice took on a quiet tone as she tied off the bandage she'd been messing with near his shoulder. "I mean, what's wrong with helping one another? It isn't often that a person would get to do a good deed by helping. So let's make the most of our opportunities, why don't we?" He caught the ghost of a smile on her face as she tilted her head downward to stare at the ground.

"Cute, but really, why not let me help you and myself?" Tasha raised a brow at him as she looked back up toward his face. Reno grinned and continued. "I mean, if I can help you then I can damn well help myself in the end. Because helping you would mean helping myself by being able to help you, therefore we all come out as winners, eh?"

"Well, I can most certainly say you've got a good idea. But you have to get yourself clean before you can help anyone, muchless me or yourself."

"Pfft. Clean? What do you mean by that?"

"I can tell by your eyes that you're an alcoholic."

"Oh, bull. You cannot."

"I bet I can. Look at the way your eyes are glowing. Most of the stuff the slums has mako by-products. You can't tell me that you don't drink for that. That's the only reason anyone would drink in the slums. Otherwise, you'd be going to the Turtle's Paradise and anywhere else with a good bar. Hell, I heard Kalm has a great bar. It's just the matter that you get the drugs AND alcohol here together in one shot."

Reno glared over at her. "You can't prove shit."

"I know I can. Because you just admitted it when you looked at me. You can't overcome your problems until you acknowledge them, Ren."

"What if I don't wanna overcome 'em?"

"Well, that all comes back to you not loving yourself enough to do it. I have to say that I'm surprised at someone like you. I would've thought that you'd love your job and want to keep it. Doesn't ShinRa check employees for drugs?"

"They don't check the Turks. I mean, c'mon. We're not meant to do paperwork, we're meant to bump people off. Why would they check us for drugs?" He lowered his head. "We had drug tests when we first joined the Turks. That was to establish what kind of drugs we'd taken and what kind of effect they could have on our bodies while we were on the job. What else do we need? If we go on a rampage and start killing, what the hell does it matter? ShinRa doesn't care as long as we get our job done and do it right. Meaning bump off the person that we had to eliminate. There isn't really another reason for the Turks, babe."

"I think that's really sad. Even your place of work doesn't care enough about you to try and get you help."

Reno glared at her, getting tired of the current topic. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Fine. Where do you think Rude and Elena are?"

"They're probably on the top plate somewhere. Knowing them, they're hot on our trails, just can't find us yet. They'll find us eventually, so don't worry about it. We just have to make sure that nothing kills us before they find us. Else ShinRa won't be too happy. I might be able to get you a job if you need one."

He smiled at Tasha, who only shook her head. "Maybe… May-be."

In the same sector of the slums…

"You know, we have to find them somewhere eventually. We have to bump into them at least once."

"We haven't seen Reno in a week. Is that bad?"

"I think so. I mean, if we haven't seen him in a week, the boss is probably freakin' out cuz he hasn't seen him in a longer period of time. We really gotta find the red-headed bastard."

"You think he'll be found alive?"

"I'm really starting to wonder. I mean, everything seems so fucked up. Could he really be alive? I'm starting to doubt it, 'Lena. If we find him alive, it'll surprise the hell outta me. Gangsters don't usually leave their rape victims alive for long after they've spoiled 'em. The worst thing about this is that Rufus is gonna make a huge joke out of it and try to make Reno laugh it off when I know the kid ain't going to. Well, if he IS alive, that is."

"That's really cold. I have to admit, I'm getting kind of worried about him. I hope we find him alive. As much as he irritates the hell out of me, I don't think I could bear going to work without seeing him in the mornings. Who else is going to fix my coffee the way that I like it?"

"Is that all you miss him for?"

"Not really. I miss the arguments and stuff, too. I mean, he had good points. Sometimes he would actually make me think. So, he was smarter than the average guy, you know?"

"Reno had a lot of street smarts. He had to be smarter than the average guy just to survive in the slums. If he could get away from the bastard then he would probably make it out alive. If he isn't free from his clutches by now then he can kiss his sweet ass goodbye, more than likely."

Staring ahead, Rude narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. His eyes focused on two people that were sitting on the ground talking. One was a woman, he could tell by the figure, but he wasn't so sure about the other. The slim form sort of gave the impression of a woman, but the absence of curves made him second-guess that. However, when he spied the flaming red hair, he knew exactly who it was. Rude's mouth dropped open as he stared at his friend.

"Well well, I guess they did walk up on us, eh?"

"Get away from him now." Rude pulled a gun on Tasha, pointing it at her. "Step away from our friend and keep your hands where I can see 'em, else I'll blow you away. Don't think I won't."

"You needa relax sometimes. I mean, I know I'm beautiful and all and I need a personal guard, but you ain't gotta pull guns on pretty girlies. Especially ones that helped me escape from certain doom. I mean, look at that face. Don't you wanna take it home?" Tasha shot him a glare and sort of put her hands in front of her, so that Rude could see them.

Rude rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "You jackass, you made us worry."

"Awww, someone cares about me after all, eh Tasha?"

"I told you that you were important, but no, you didn't believe me, did you? Huh huh? You need to stop destroying yourself and work on getting yourself clean, like I said."

"Oh, don't bring that shit up again. I'm tired of he-"

Elena stepped forward. "Can it, both of you. We need to get you out of here, Reno." She stepped closer to the two to look at the cuts and bruises Reno had suffered all over. "You look like you've been hit by a freight train, Ren. By the spirits, you're so damn lucky you're alive."

"Yeah, and we've got people followin' us too. So we need to get outta here, like you said. Well? C'mon baldy, carry me."

Rude shot him a glare, but leaned over and picked his wounded friend up. Now it was only back to the top plate and everything would be okay. Or so they thought. As they were walking, things definitely looked like they were going to get better.