As the copter began to touch ground, Red cocked his head and made a noise of curiosity. Blue turned to him. He gazed at her, waiting patiently for an explanation.
Blue swallowed. She had just realized something.
She couldn't take Red with her.
"Come." Blue whispered.
The raptor did, and she threw her arms around him, burying her face into his neck and sobbing. "You have to stay, Red." She whispered. "You can't come."
The pilot turned off the copter and exited the flying contraption, approaching the others. He demanded an explanation as to what was going on, and Robbie and Oliver took turns explaining. Caleb simply held onto Oliver, crying. Nathan was watching Blue.
She had no other choice. She knew what the corporate world was like, and while she loved science, she knew what scientists had done to lab rats and other animals in the pursuit of knowledge. If she took Blue back, they'd take him away, no matter how hard she tried to keep him. She couldn't protect him from them. Hell, the government might even get involved. She couldn't bear to have her friend subjected to horrible tests, away from nature and freedom and love. She couldn't let them have him.
"I have to go." She whispered. She wished with all her heart that he could understand her every word. She wished that he were more intelligent, so that he could know what she was saying. But Red was, in the end, an animal, and animals can sense things far better than humans. He could sense Blue's distress and made comforting noises, gently nuzzling her hair.
Blue pulled back, bringing her hands up to either side of his face, holding it in place and looking right into his eyes. "Red." She said. He looked right at her. "You're a good boy; such a good boy." She had tears running down her face and her voice was cracked and choking, but she was determined to finish this. "But you have to stay, okay? I'm going to go, and you can't come with me."
Red made a distressed sound. Blue gave a heaving sob. "Promise me you'll be a good boy, okay? You'll be a normal raptor. You'll join that pack or find a new one and grow up and be the most feared predator on the island. You'll be happy."
The others had climbed into the helicopter, which had started up again. Nathan was the last one. He turned back. "C'mon, Blue!" He shouted over the whirring blades. "We have to go!"
Blue flung her arms around Red one last time. "I love you." She whispered. "I love you so much, Red. You're my good boy."
With a sob, she let go and began to back away. "Hold." She said, choking on her own words. Red made more upset noises and took a step towards her. "Hold!" She repeated, more forcefully this time.
She reached the chopper, climbing in but still at the doorway, still gazing at Red. "Hold, Red, hold."
Red cried out, but he stayed still.
"Good boy." Blue said. "I love you, Red. Good boy."
She stepped back and Nathan closed the door.
Blue immediately pressed her face to the window, watching as the chopper took off. Red cried out again and again, jumping up as if he were going to leap onto the copter and fly away with them. Blue watched him until the waterfall was nothing but a tiny pool of white and blue and the helipad was a small gray dot, before allowing her tears to cloud her vision. She slumped back against the seat.
Nathan reached across the seat and put his hand on her knee. "It's going to be okay, Bluebird." He said comfortingly.
Blue knew he was trying to help her, but she didn't want comfort. She curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.
The title of this chapter is a quote from a great film. I'm not going to tell you what film it is, because I am a malicious witch and I like to make you people guess these things.