Title: The Meaning of Family
Disclaimer: I don't own Dinotopia; I'm merely borrowing them for awhile, I promise to return them unharmed for the most part.
Summary: AU: A way home found; but will all the Scott's choose to leave the haven they have discovered in Dinotopia?
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Off the coast of Dinotopia: 6:25am
"This is the Princess Star can anyone hear? I repeat this is the RMS Princess Star we are stuck in the middle of a storm," the Communication Officer continued his plea as the Captain struggled to take the ship out of the storm. "I repeat this is the…"
Canyon City: 6:30am
David walked along the edge of the canyon ridge, his gaze wandering as he thought about the missing portal. 'What had happened to it?' he wondered to himself as he kicked a rock over the edge.
"David!"
"Krista," he replied as he paused in order to allow her to catch up with him. "What is it?"
"What's wrong?" she questioned as they headed toward Freefalls nest.
"My dad, and brother," he replied with a shake of his head as he recalled the pair's behavior when Rosemary said that the portal was gone.
"What's wrong with them now?" she questioned.
"I don't think that their happy here Krista," David said as they arrived by Freefalls nest. "They will do anything to return to the outside world."
"Sigh," Krista shock her head in disbelief. "Would you leave if you could?"
"No, at least I don't think that I would," he replied as he studied Freefall and the infant Whitefall.
"Oh," Krista said quietly.
"Krista, you're late for patrol!" Kassel called out from the cliff above them.
"Coming!" she called out as she turned around in order to leave before she paused and turned around. "David."
"What?" he asked as he turned around in order to face her but was stunned into inactivity when she grabbed his collar in order to tug his head down so she could kiss him before running off. "Wow," he breathed as watched her head off with Cadet Jusco.
The Outpost: 10:30am
"Dad?" Karl called out as he carried in Twenty-Six.
"Karl, what is it?" Frank Scott replied as he emerged from the rear storeroom.
"Could you keep an eye on Twenty-Six for me? Marilyn asked if I could go out with her in order to locate a missing student," he stated as he tickled Twenty-Six's side.
"Why isn't the Mayor sending for the Skybox's?" Frank questioned as he wiped his hands off as he came around the counter.
"Their searching in the sky, but since the area is heavy foliage they won't be able to see much from the air," Karl said as he kissed Twenty-Six's face and set her down.
"Of course, good luck," he called out at Karl's retreating backside.
Moaning sounds.
"Easy Twenty-Six, he'll be back," Frank picked up the small dino and tried to quiet her down.
Whoosh.
"Dad?"
"David," Frank grinned as he went outside to great his younger son. "What are you doing here? Aren't you going to help with the search?"
"That's where I'm heading now, "David turned around but paused in midstep.
"What is it?"
"It's…ah it's nothing, just something that happened earlier today," David replied as he headed back out.
"Bye," Frank called out as he headed back inside the Outpost with Twenty-Six.
Canyon City: 8:30pm
David returned to Canyon City shortly after sundown, "Hi," he called out as he headed inside. "Everyone make it back?"
"Two riders are still unaccounted for," Rae said as she looked worriedly toward the horizon.
"Who?"
"Jusco, Krista," she replied as she stood up and pointed. "Oh no," she called out as they watched the injured Skybat land outside.
"Who is it?"
"It's Jusco's," a recruit called out as they took in the markings on the dino. "But where's his rider?"
"Oh god," someone moaned as they saw the heavily damaged Cadet on the dino's back.
"……k…lled..," he managed before he passed out from blood loss.
"Krista," David breathed as he headed toward the patrol schedule. "Where were they patrolling?"
"The secondary road through the Rainy Basin," Hedrick reported as he outlined the patrol area.
"Alright," David headed toward the locker room.
"What are you planning to do?" questioned Palme as she watched him put on his armored flight suit.
"Give me 24 hours, if I'm not back by then inform the Mayor, and my family," David ordered as he grabbed his pack and headed out.
"Be careful!" she called out after him.
Rainy Basin: Secondary Road: 9:26pm
"There it is!" David called out as Freefall followed the little used road from the sky. "Come on Krista, where are you?" he muttered aloud as he scanned the area below for any sign of Carnivore or Outsider attacks.
Waterfall City: 11:14pm
"You just let him go alone?" Frank demanded as he marched into the office, with Karl following closely behind.
"I didn't do anything," Waldo replied as he exchanged glances with Lt Rae Haskin of the Skybat's Core. "Apparently your son went into the Rainy Basin after sundown in order to look for a missing rider-he then ordered that no one reveal where he was going."
"Then how do you know?" Frank questioned.
"I sent a message to Canyon City requesting his presence here," Waldo stated. "They had no choice but to reveal David's location."
"Ok, so what do we do?" Frank asked.
"We can do nothing," Waldo stated. "The Skybat's will go in first thing tomorrow and search for him."
"Why not now?" Karl asked.
"Tonight is called 'de-lunaren' the night of no moon," Marilyn stated. "There is nothing in the sky in order to help with the search."
"So?"
"Frank," Waldo looked into his eyes. "There's no moon, or stars tonight in order to help the riders to see from the sky-if they did go out, they could fly right beside David, and they wouldn't even see him until they ran right into him and Freefall. There's nothing we can do until morning, except pray," Waldo stated simply as he gazed at a map of Dinotopia on the wall.
Rainy Basin: Secondary Road: 1:04am
"There!" David called out as he saw a faint glow from within the forest below. "Freefall, get as close as you can," he said to his partner as he kept his eyes trained on the source of the glow.
Camp site: 1:16am
"Ah," Krista moaned as tried to keep her leg as straight as possible. 'How had this happened?' she wondered to herself as she flashbacked to earlier that morning when she had left on patrol with Jusco.
Jusco was a rookie-a newbie who had just earned his wings and he had been trying to impress her with some stupid stunt when she had snapped at him and told him that she wasn't interested in him that way; unfortunately that had been the wrong thing to say because he had attacked her. Phoenix's wing had been torn by Ravage's claws; and the smell of blood had drawn in the carnivores. Jusco had flown off leaving her behind to be attacked by the converging flyers; but right before she had passed out she had seen them heading toward the other rider.
Sigh, would anyone even come for her? Or had Jusco lied and claimed that she had fallen?
Snap.
Gasp, "Who's there?" she called out as she watched a figure emerge from the nearby shadows.
Rainy Basin: Nearby Field: 1:16am
"I'll be right back," David said as he headed off into the trees.
Whoosh.
"Stay close," he called out as Freefall returned to the sky. 'I hope that it's her and not a group of Outsiders,' David silently mussed to himself as he quickened his pace.
Camp site: 1:17am
"David!" Krista called out as she watched the other Skybat rider enter the campfire's range.
"Krista," he called out as he knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?"
"My leg," she replied as she gestured to the gash on her leg.
"What happened?" he questioned after he bandaged her wound and she had consumed some of the water and fruit form his pack.
"Jusco," she started simply as she told him what had occurred to her on patrol earlier that day with the other rider.
David was silent until she finished twenty minutes later, she was concerned when he didn't say anything so she risked looking up and was shocked to see the murderous look in his eyes. "David?" she asked concerned as she reached over in order to grasp his left hand. "What are you going to do?" she wasn't dumb-he was from the outside world, he didn't follow Dinotopia's belief of nonviolence to other lifeforms; and judging from the look in his eyes, Jusco's days were clearly numbered.
"Right now, get you to Earth Farm," he stated, since it was the closest city and Rosemary would be there as well. "Let me put out this fire and we can get out of here."
"David?"
"Don't worry-I promise I won't do anything that's against Dinotopia's ways," David promised as he formed the Boy Scout symbol with his right hand and placed it over his heart.
"Really?" she expression made it clear to him that she didn't believe him.
"Promise," he smiled as he helped her to stand up so they could head toward the clearing. "What happened to Phoenix?" he questioned as they started to walk.
"I don't know," she shook her head as though to clear it. "I came to on the forest floor."
Earth Farm: 4:12am
"Matriarch!" Kaila called out as she knocked on the Matriarch's door.
"Yes?" Rosemary called out as she got out of her bed and wrapped herself in her robe.
"A Skybat's rider has arrived and is injured," Kaila reported as the pair hurried toward the main room.
"Who is it?" she questioned as she approached the sleeping girl.
"It's Krista," David stated as he walked into room from the courtyard. "She was attacked by another rider," David said quietly as he stopped directly behind Rosemary.
"What?!" Rosemary exclaimed as she pealed back the makeshift bandages in order to see the damage down. "Kaila, get the Hagen Root, and the Strung leaves from the hatchery."
"Yes ma'am."
"Who attacked her, David?" Rosemary asked quietly as soon as they were left alone.
"A new recruit called Jusco Levin from the Seaside village of Goad," David informed her quietly as he handed her the bowl of heated water from the fireplace.
"Do you know why?" she questioned as she cleaned up the wound on Krista's leg before checking the rest of the mud caked rider for hidden injuries from her fall.
"Apparently he didn't like being turned down," David retorted with a shake of his head in disbelief, as he gazed intently at the sleeping rider.
"Then it was a lover's quarrel?"
"That's what it would have looked like, expect for one thing," David smiled when Krista begin to wake up. "Easy," he reached out his hand in order to keep her lying down so that Rosemary could continue administrating care to her injuries.
"Except for what?" Rosemary asked as she turned around in order to replace an herb jar; smiling when she heard the rider speak.
"David," Krista smiled; her gaze straying to the Matriarch.
"Hey," David bent down and gently brushed his lips against hers; not caring if Rosemary say him. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he scanned her body as if he could see any hidden injuries that Rosemary had missed in her examination.
"Good," she fought to stay awake. "Don't leave…"
"I won't," he swore as he squeezed her hand gently as she fall into a deep healing sleep.
"Hm," Rosemary smiled as she watched the interaction between the two riders. So it wasn't a lover's argument then was it possible to have been an act of jealously? She wondered to herself as she closed the door on the two new lovers.
"Matriarch, the herbs," Kaila called out as she walked down the hall toward the room where the injured rider lay under the careful watch of her lover.
"Thank you," Rosemary took them from the girl and directed her to inform the others not to bother the injured rider until morning.
"Yes ma'am," Kaila responded as she headed back toward her pallet in the next building.
Waterfall City: 6:14am
"Frank, the Skybat's are going to depart Canyon City in about an hour," Waldo stated as he entered the room. "They will send word as soon as they find something."
"Good," Frank said as he paced the room. "Thank you for this, I know that I haven't been the easiest person to deal with…"
"It's perfectly fine," Waldo waved it off with a dismissive shrug. "If it was Marilyn I would be in your shoes right now."
"Hm," Frank sighed as he stared out the window toward the direction of Canyon City.
Off the coast of Dinotopia: 6:15am
"This is the Princess Star can anyone hear? I repeat this is the RMS Princess Star we are stuck in what appears to be a storm off of an island approximately 50 miles off of our port side," the Communication Officer continued his plea as the Captain continued his struggle to take the ship out of the storm.
Waterfall City: 8:23am
"Mayor," Lt Hedrick saluted as he entered the room.
"Did you find them?"
"No sir," Hedrick reported. "But our riders did report seeing a large vessel along the coastline."
"Where?" Frank questioned as hope sprung into his eyes.
"It's about 60 miles from shore," he reported as he glanced at the Mayor. "Our riders have been that far out before, sir."
Earth Farm: 9:16am
Rosemary knocked softly before she entered the room; she smiled softly at the sight that greeted her, David and Krista were sound asleep wrapped up in each other's arms.
Waterfall City: 10:17am
Frank and Karl where sitting in stunned silence as the replayed Waldo's words over in their minds. They had been given permission to have the Skybat's take them out to the ship; but they must never reveal anything about Dinotopia to the outside world-under any circumstances.
"Mayor! David and Krista have been found," Hedrick called out as he entered the room. "The Matriarch just sent a messenger bird to Canyon City; they made it to Earth Farm early this morning."
"Thank goodness," Waldo muttered as he waved the rider away.
"Great!" Frank shouted as he exchanged smiles with his older son Karl. ""We're all getting out of here together."
"That's right dad," Karl replied as he glanced at Marilyn before returning his gaze to his dad; his eyes hardening in anger.
Waterfall City: 11:04am
David reached up in order to help Krista down from Freefall, "Are you ok?" he questioned softly.
"I'm fine," she replied as she squeezed his hand before releasing it and stepping away.
David knew what she was doing; she was distancing herself, and he couldn't stand it. "We'll be ok," he said as he led the way toward Waldo's office.
"Krista welcome back," Waldo called out as he hugged each rider. "David-good job," he said as he gestured toward the other side of the room.
"Dad, Karl," David hugged both before returning to Krista's side. "What are you two doing here?"
"Worrying about you," Frank gestured at his youngest son. "What were you thinking disobeying orders like that?"
"Dad, I couldn't just…" his words were cut off as he grabbed Krista as she passed out beside him. "Krista?" he called as he lowered her to the ground; the only response he received in return was the slight moan that escaped from Krista. "Damn, we should have stayed at Earth Farm until you where better," he silently cursed himself as he gathered the unconscious rider in his arms.
"Is she ok?" Marilyn questioned as she entered the room; her gaze traveling between the brothers before training on the unconscious rider in the youngest one's arms.
"Yeah, she just over worked herself," David adjusted his hold then nodded toward the Mayor and his family.
"Follow me, I'll show you where you can lay her down," Marilyn said goodbye to her father as she led David toward the guest chambers.
"Thanks," he said softly so he wouldn't awaken Krista as he placed her on the bed and pulled the blankets up over her.
"Did they tell you?" Marilyn asked quietly as she approached the bed.
"No, they didn't have a change to say much of anything, Krista passed out pretty much as soon as we got here," David shrugged as he carried the desk chair over to the bed so he could sit down. "Why...what do they want?"
"There's a ship off of the coast, Father has given his permission for the Skybat's flyers to take them to the ship tomorrow night," she said softly as she recalled what David had told her when he had returned from his world with the cure for Karl. "Karl told me that…he has nothing that is keeping him here."
"What?" David shouted; then sighed in relief when he saw that Krista was still asleep. "Why is your Father and the council allowing them to leave?"
"Trouble," Marilyn replied. "The council believes the sooner that those two are gone; the quicker things will return to normal here."
"Who's going to take them out there?" David questioned. "My best riders are needed to help patrol the Rainy Basin, not to mention we have a rider who needs to go before the council."
"For what reason would," her question was cut short when David merely glanced toward the sleeping rider. "What happened?" she questioned as dread seeped into her voice.
"She was attacked by another rider," David said softly as he brushed Krista's hair out of her face.
"Oh, no," Marilyn cried out she returned her gaze to the girl sleeping in the bed.
Waterfall City: 11:34am
David walked back into the Mayor's office armed with the following two facts: one, his father and brother had found a sanctioned way off of the island, and they probably wanted him to go with them; and two, he wasn't going to leave Dinotopia anything soon, he had people who relied on him here: the other riders, the Mayor, not to forget either Freefall or Whitefall…Krista.
"Dad," he called as he entered the Mayor's office; saluting when Waldo entered the room behind him.
"David, I just received a messenger bird from Rosemary," Waldo stated as he sat down at his desk. "I just dispatched the Saurian Guards to take the rider Jusco into custody."
"Thank you sir," David sighed in relief as he thought of the still missing Phoenix. "Phoenix is still unaccounted for."
"A team from Earth Farm has been sent to look for him," Waldo assured. "They'll send a messenger bird as soon as they know something."
"Thanks," David replied as his gaze was drawn outside; he could see Freefall perched on top of the building across the way-now came the hard part; telling his dad and brother that he wasn't going to go with them. "Dad, Marilyn told me about the ship."
"Then you know that we're getting out of here," Frank grinned as Karl nodded in agreement.
"It's time to blow this Popsicle stand," Karl grinned.
"That's just it-I'm not going," David said as he left the room; leaving the disbelieving duo alone.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean-that I'm not leaving Dinotopia," David said quietly as he finally took a stand against his dad and brother for the first time in his life. "Look…I'm happy here, I belong here," he gestured around the room. "In the outside world, I'm just another nerd…here…I'm not."
"Are you sure about this?" his father questioned quietly as he studied his youngest son.
"Yeah," David replied. "For the first time in my life…I belong."
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"Are you sure you want to stay?" Krista asked quietly as they watched David's father and brother fade into the morning sun.
"Yeah," David replied as he tugged her into his arms.
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The End
R/R if you want; don't matter much to me